Liverpool FC Forum

by **lakes10** » Sun Nov 28, 2004 9:33 pm

A spectacular injury-time strike by Neil Mellor consigned Arsenal to defeat at Anfield on Sunday.

The fourth official had long since indicated two minutes of added time when the Liverpool forward, who was only playing due to a raft of injuries, cracked a low shot from outside the area beyond the helpless Jens Lehmann.

In truth, Arsenal were not at their best this afternoon. They trailed to Xabi Alonso’s spectacular strike five minutes before the interval and were under pressure when the crafted a superb equaliser for Patrick Vieira in the 57 th minute.

But, despite the imperious efforts of Steven Gerrard, Arsenal looked to have ground out another draw. Yet after Mellor struck, they had no time to repair the damage. They barely had time to kick-off again.

Arsenal are still second in the Premiership but are now five points adrift of leaders Chelsea.

Thierry Henry was named in the starting XI after recovering from a calf injury. Jose Antonio Reyes (knee) and Robin van Persie (knee) had also picked up their knocks in the midweek game at PSV Eindhoven but were fit enough to involved this afternoon – the Spaniard as a starter, the Dutchman on the bench. Dennis Bergkamp (Achilles), Edu (toe) and Gilberto (vertebrae) were absent.

Liverpool were missing even more first-team squad members. Djibril Cisse (broken leg) and strike partner Milan Baros (hamstring) and Vladimir Smicer (knee) were already out. During the defeat at Monaco on Wednesday they had also lost Javier Garcia with a hamstring injury, Djimi Traore (knee) and Josemi with concussion. However the Spanish defender would not have played anyway; he was suspended.

Chelsea’s victory at Charlton the day before had opened up a five-point gap at the top of the Premiership. Failure to repeat last season’s victory would mean Jose Mourinho’s side were more than a win ahead of their London rivals, something that Arsenal, unbeaten throughout the last Premiership season, could scarcely remember.

Liverpool have again stuttered this season under new manager Rafael Benitez however they had been deprived of Gerrard, their captain and main midfield inspiration, until only last Saturday.

He burst into the area after only four minutes and tumbled under a challenge from Kolo Toure. Referee Alan Wiley waved play on.

The incident fired up the home fans but Arsenal did decent job of quietening them down in the following 20 minutes. They knocked the ball around nicely and their approach work was good. However the final ball never had sufficient quality and Kirkland barely got his gloves dirty.

Most of the chances still belonged to Liverpool. Gerrard had a free-kick deflected wide and from the resulting corner, Dietmarr Hamann unleashed one of his trademark rocket-fuelled drives. Fortunately it was blocked.

Just before the half-hour, Lehmann deflected Mellor’s rasping shot on to the bar but it would not have counted as he had been flagged offside.

Arsenal were playing their brand of football with confidence but they could not breakthrough. It was typical in the 32 minute when Vieira’s vision sent Ashley Cole scurrying up the left. The unmarked Freddie Ljungberg was screaming for the ball in the middle but the cross was too near to Kirkland, who collected with ease.

Then came the goal. It was well-worked, well-struck and came at just the right time for Liverpool.

In the 40th minunte, Gerrard nudged Kewell’s knock-down into his path just outside the area and Alonso rifled a vicious shot past Lehmann.

Liverpool went for the kill straight after the break. They pushed Arsenal back. Gerrard’s header nearly found the unmarked Florent Sinama-Pongolle six yards out then Hamann’s low drive was clutched by the diving Lehmann.

But it was upon this unlikely canvas that Arsenal sketched out a superb equaliser. Henry and Pires played a wonderful triangle of first-time passes for Vieira to roar through and clip his shot over the advancing Kirkland.

It was a goal out of nothing and it knocked Liverpool out of their stride. However, despite taking up great positions, Arsenal could not take advantage.

Soon Gerrard was flexing his footballing muscles once more and went on a one-man mission to put Liverpool in front.

He nearly muscled himself clear past Toure but the Ivory Coast centre back recovered to boot the ball to safety.

Gerrard’s cross then forced the same player to acrobatcially hack clear at the second attempt from inside his own area. Then, most notably, he unleashed a vicious cross-shot that forced Lehmann into a fantastic diving save. It was stirring stuff from the England midfielder.

Not quite as stirring as Mellor’s role in the final act this drama. It was a twist in the tail that few could have predicted.

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