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(0) 0 - 0 (0) Arsenal

Anfield, Saturday 22nd August. kick-off 3pm

FA Carling Premiership

  • Our record at Anfield over the last 4 seasons is none too impressive, with losses of 3-0, 3-1, 2-0, and 4-0. It's time to stop living on the memories of our victories there in the Graham championship years!
  • Team news
    • According to Sporting Life, Liverpool's M Cass will be serving the second of a 3 match suspension.
    • Fowler is still out injured (latest report said he might be back in a month). There are also doubts over Redknapp and Ince.
    • Arsenal should be at full strength.
  • other previews
  • Telly...
    • There will be highlights in Match of the Day on BBC1. According to Monday's Match of the Day Extra, this will be one of the featured matches (along with West Ham vs Man Utd).
    • Viewers in the US will be able to see the match live on Setanta. Kick-off 10Am EST/7AM PST.

(0) 0 - 0 (0) Arsenal

Anfield, Saturday 22nd August. kick-off 3pm

FA Carling Premiership

Arsenal:
         Seaman
Dixon Bould Keown Winterburn
Parlour Petit Vieira Overmars
 Bergkamp Anelka (Vivas)

 booked: Dixon Parlour Petit
Arsenal made one change, with Bould coming in for Adams who had come down ill overnight, and also taking his captain's armband. Ince was playing for Liverpool (and played a blinder), and Redknapp made his return from injury, coming on from the bench.

Arsenal had more chences in the first half. The first fell to Anelka when Bergkamp lobbed the ball forward to him. Nicky also went for the lob, hitting it first time as it came down, but he didn't get the height required so it was an easy save for Friedel.

Parlour's booking was for encroaching at a free kick. When the kick was eventually taken, it was one of the most elaborate you'll see. About half the Liverpool team stepped over the ball one by one, then it was tapped sideways, but instead of a shot they then tried to pass it through the defence. Arsenal watched all this for a bit but stepped in as soon as it became at all serious. I wonder if this is the influence or Hooulier, or if it was the players aiming to get on They Think Its All Over.

Anelka created half a chance for himself on the edge of a penalty area crowded with defenders. His shot beat Friedel but just missed the near post. Straight after, Riedle came just as close with a near post header.

Then came the best chance of the game, if not the millenium. Vieira strode forward and chipped the ball forward over Anelka (how many times are we going to see that ploy this season?). He chested it forward but as Friedel started to loom the ball had bounced too high to kick, so Anelka stooped to head it. It wasn't a bad effort and Friedel did well to get a hand to it. The ball fell to Parliur with aces of space and bags of time, as open a goal as you could hope for, and he blasted it over with his left foot. To be fair, he didn't have a bad game at all, but this was a prime example of his main weakness - lack of composure leading to poor technique when shooting. He was leaning back as he struck the ball, and there was no hurry at all.

Liverpool dominated more in the second half, although we matched them for chances. They had a few corners, and Ince did well to poke a shot at Seaman. Berger even got the ball in the net but Owen had strayed offside.

Seaman had to dove to save from a long range Heggem (?) shot, and failed to keep hold of it. FortunatelyKeown got a foot in to deny Riedle's follow-up at the far post.

Anelka had a few chances, often running onto long balls.. But there was one chance that was extremely reminiscent of our old number 8 (if not our current number 10). Anelka gathered the ball wide on the left, just outside the area, and came inside his marker then tried to curl it just inside the far post. Just not enough curl, though.

Redknappp made his return, coming on for Berger, and unleashed a trademark long range effort which went over. Then Vieira put Overmars clear. He put the shot just too close ot the on-rushing goalie, who just managed to slow it down enough. Still, Overmars would have been able to turn the ball over the line if Carragher hadn't made a good clearance as the ball rolled towards goal.

Vivas came on for Anelka towards the end, and Overmars moved inside to fill Anelka's space. Don't know what to make of that, but it nearly came good when our new number 7 Vivas made a run of the kind once associated with our old number 7 Platt. He linked up with Bergkamp and found himself carrying the ball through the middle into the penalty area. Unfortunately he got crowded out by 3 defenders and although there were options the balll got stuck under his feet a bit and he wasn't able to make the most of it. Still, the loose ball fell to Bergkamp but as so often in this match the shot was straight at the keeper.

So, a point from Anfield which given our recent record against Liverpool has to be seen as a point won. And a promising first sight of Vivas. Our next match, on Saturday, is at home to early premiership front-runners Charlton.

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