Saturday March 3, 2012 Day 27 Finished Anfield

Liverpool 1 - 2 Arsenal

  • Koscielny 23’ (o.g.)
  • van Persie 31’, 90’

  1. Van Persie guns down Liverpool

    Van Persie guns down Liverpool

    Robin van Persie was the match-winner for Arsenal as he scored a dramatic stoppage-time volley in a 2-1 Premier League win over Liverpool. More

  • Live Commentary

    Time:90'
    • Liverpool
    • Arsenal
    • - Don't forget you can watch highlights of this match, along with every Premier League game, from 00:01 on Monday morning (UK only).
    • 90+8' The final whistle goes, and Arsenal have claimed a dramatic win courtesy of Robin van Persie's brace!
    • 90+6' Oxlade-Chamberlain fancies his chances from rnage and flashes a cracking strike just over the far upright!
    • 90+4' Liverpool substitution: Andy Carroll replaces Spearing.
    • 90+3' So, having never scored in the league at Anfield before today, Van Persie now has two goals there.
    • 90+2' GOAL!! VAN PERSIE SURELY WINS IT FOR ARSENAL!! What would Arsenal do woithout him? The Dutchman meets a diagonal ball into the box and he dispaches a clinical volley btween Reina and the near post!
    • 90+1' Fourth official Lee Mason signals eight minutes of stoppage time, mainly due to that injury to Arteta.
    • 90' Ah, the flag actually went up for the ball going out of play just before Henderson played it into Kuyt's chest. Either way, it's not what Liverpool wanted.
    • 89' Adam tries to ping a pass out wide for Henderson to run on to, but it's too far in front of the midfielder. Kuyt then rages at the linesman after the flag goes up for handball against him.
    • 88' Liverpool substitution: Craig Bellamy replaces Downing.
    • 85' Liverpool have had 12 shots in this match, four of them on target. Considering how much time they have spent in Arsenal's half, they should be testing Szczesny a lot more often.
    • 83' Song heads Adam's delivery over to the near post for another corner. Van Persie heads away and the whistle blows for a foul by Henderson.
    • 82' Gibbs blocks Henderson's volleyed cross and it's another corner for Liverpool.
    • 81' There have been six 90th-minute or later goals scored in the last six league matches between Liverpool and Arsenal.
    • 80' Arsenal substitution: Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain replaces Diaby.
    • 79' The ball is floated into the Liverpool box and Walcott beats the offside trap but his header is tame and easily caught by Reina.
    • 77' A cross aimed for Suarez is headed back as for as Downing on the edge of the box. The winger has a pop with his favoured left foot but it's wide of the far post.
    • 76' Increasing pressure in the Arsenal half now. Kuyt is unfortunate to be penalised for a foul on gibbs and the Guners gets some respite.
    • 74' Arsenal substitution: Gervinho replaces Benayoun.
    • 73' Sagna is the latest receiving treatment now. Not sure what has happened to him. It appears to be his ankle that is the probem.
    • 72' GREAT SAVE REINA!! Song plays a clever ball into the path of Gibbs. The left-back pulls it back to Walcott whose shot takes two deflections before Reina blocks it with his leg!
    • 71' Liverpool have plenty forward as the come again but the flag is up against Kuyt for offside.
    • 70' Liverpool keep the ball in the final thrid after Arsenal head the corner away. Adam plays a reverse pass down the right for Kuyt who puts in a great cross for Kelly... swing and a miss from the right-back! Great opportunity for Liverpool to retake the lead!
    • 69' A poor dead ball from Adam, but it yields a corner which Downing will take.
    • 68' Downing drifts wide on the right with the ball and draws the ball from Song in a good postion for an Adam delivery.
    • 67' Arteta update: The midfielder is conscious and seems fine, but will be taken to hospital as a precautionary measure.
    • 66' Rosicky fires a dangerous cross over and Carragher gets a crucial touch to steer it away from the Arsenal players!
    • 65' Benayoun is tripped by Adam as he turns and looks to head for goal. Benayoun actually scored for Liverpool against Arsenal in that memorable 4-4 draw at Anfield, in which Andrei Arshavin scored all four of the Gunners' goals.
    • 64' Liverpool have scored only seven second half PL goals at Anfield this season, and only three in the last 30 minutes.
    • 63' Vermaelen gets the first booking of the match after bringing down Suarez as the striker had his back to him with the ball at his feet.
    • 62' Vermaelen is on his feet soon enough and will be fine to continue.
    • 61' The initial set piece is cleared but the second ball comes in and Vermaelen now takes a clattering! The Belgian defender took a blow to the back after Szczesny's parry cleared him out!
    • 60' Suarez wins a another corner for Liverpool. This is their ninth.
    • 59' Good spell this for Arsenal. Walcott hits strike from range way off target.
    • 58' Liverpool can do the PL double over Arsenal for the fifth time, and first time since 1999/2000. That would be the most by any club in the division, Manchester United have achieved it four times.
    • 57' Lucky escape for Jose Enrique as he keeps the ball from going for a corner but almost allows Walcott a free run at goal int he process. Skrtel is on hand to cover.
    • 56' Arsenal keeping the ball well now. The tempo has dropped following that lengthy stoppage and that suits the visitors just fine.
    • 55' Word from the Arsenal medical team is that Arteta sustained a blow to the jaw and is suffering from quite severe concussion.
    • 54' Diaby surges forward with his first touch of the ball and hits a low effort that is a fairly comfortable save for Reina.
    • 53' Arsenal substitution: Abou Diaby replaces Arteta.
    • 52' Warm applause for Arteta from all corners of the ground as he is stretchered off.
    • 51' Looks like this will be Abou diaby's moment to re-enter the fray for Arsenal. He hasn't played for the Gunners since November.
    • 50' Replays of the collision show that is was a purely accidental collision. Arteta blindly turned into Henderson as the Liverpool man was running past him.
    • 49' The St Johns Ambulance are on the field now with a stretcher. It looks as though Arteta is out cold.
    • 48' Arteta is down here after innoccuously colliding with Henderson. This doesn't look good.
    • 47' Suarez is played down the right channel and his early effort from an angle crashes into the side netting.
    • 46' The second half is underway! No changes from either side at the break.
    • HT @nomamiukor: "It's embarrassing how unclinical LFC have been in this game and this season. Liverpool should have easily been 3 goals ahead."
    • HT @AfamUdeozo: "There should be an inquest into the number of times #LFC hits thepost.#Suarez has hit the post more times than he has scored." - 21 times this season, in fact.
    • 45+3' The whistle is blown and an incident-packed half comes to a close. Let me know your thoughts via Twitter @tony_mabert. Get in touch.
    • 45+2' Szczesny throws the ball out quickly to Walcott, who promptly loses the ball. It comes to Adam who fires a dangerous daisy-cutter in from the right and Kuyt guides it past Szczesny and off the post! another Liverpool chance goes begging!
    • 45' Two minutes of added time to be played at the end of the half.
    • 44' There is an anguished cry from the crowd after Kelly does not play in a cross first time, allowing an Arsenal defence on the back foot time to regroup.
    • 43' Arsenal have come back to win four PL matches this season after conceding the opening goal – more than any other club in the division.
    • 41' Liverpool's pressing forces Sagna to play the ball right to a red shirt. The home side have dominated the possession but are still only on terms because of that own goal.
    • 40' Great run from Suarez, who sidesteps and jinks his way through three defenders before his low shot is turned around the post by Szczesny!
    • 39' This game has been a lot of fun so far, but both sides seem conscious of how barmy that middle 10 minutes of it was and appear to playing with more caution.
    • 38' Van Persie scored his first PL header of the season and first in 13 months since scoring one in the 4-4 draw at Newcastle in Feb 2011.
    • 37' Rosicky is back in the game. The Anfield crowd were a bit annoyed at having play stpped like that.
    • 36' Liverpool building on the edge of Arsenal's final third, but they put the ball out of play so Rosicky can get some treatment. The Czech went down after a solid but fair challenge from Spearing.
    • 35' Rosicky penalised for a high tackle on Jay Spearing in the centre circle.
    • 34' Tidy defensive work there from Skrtel and Jose Enrique after Arsenal hack the ball clear from their half.
    • 33' Arsenal clear a Liverpool corner. Downing crosses fromt he opposite flank but that too is cleared.
    • 32' That's 30 Arsenal goals in all competitions for Van Persie this season. Enough said.
    • 31' GOAL!! Sagna with a superb cross and Van Persie gets around Carragher all too easily and nods home past Reina!
    • 30' Liverpool bringing increasing numbers with them every time they attack now. Nimble feet from Alex Song wins the ball for Arsenal and they can play their way out of their half.
    • 29' Adam winces in pain. Looks like he sustained a blow to the hand somehow. He'll play on, though.
    • 28' Arsenal have now scored five PL own goals this season – no other club has more than two.
    • 26' No one seems to hit the post more in English football than Suarez. The shot was a difficult one to take first time, to be fair.
    • 25' Adam plays into the feet of Kuyt, who pushes it across the Henderson. The midfielder's low shot is parried by Szczesny and Suarez follows up from a tight angle... Hits the post!
    • 24' Szczesny must be livid. After making a double-save from the penalty, he is now beaten by his own player!
    • 23' GOAL!! An terrible own goal from Laurent Koscielny! A nice sweeping move forward from Liverpool has Henderson in space on the right. He hits a low cross toward the near post and Koscielny slices his clearance into his own net!
    • 21' Kuyt has now missed consecutive PL penalties for Liverpool, having previously netted all eight in a row for them in the division.
    • 20' Well, that has certainly taken the intensity in Anfield up a notch. The lesson there is: if you pull rank on someone over a penalty, you'd better make sure you score it!
    • 19' SAVED BY SZCZESNY!! The Polish keeper makes a decent save low to his right and he bats away Kuyt's weak follow-up effort too! Dear oh dear, Dirk...
    • 19' Adam grabs the ball to place it on the spot, but Kuyt grabs it off him! He'd better score now...
    • 18' PENALTY!! Suarez plays a one-two in the area with Kuyt and Szczesny's trailing leg catches him. He goes down theatrically but it was a foul, and referee Halsey points to the spot.
    • 17' Suarez pings a lovely ball to Downing out wide. The England man has his cross blocked by Sagna.
    • 16' Arsenal’s starting line up has an average age of 26 years and 310 days old – their second oldest of the season and oldest in 2012.
    • 15' Dirk Kuyt flicks the ball intot he box for Downing, but he is thwarted right before he can try to beat Szczesny from close range!
    • 14' @raphaelitoe asks on Twitter: "Do u have an idea how long Gerrerd's injury will last?" - He felt a tight hamstring during the England game. It's more of a precautionary measure than anything. He shouldn't be out for too long. @tony_mabert
    • 13' Adam's delivery swings out of play and into the side netting. He'll be eager to atone for his awful penalty in the shootout win over Cardiff last week.
    • 12' Another Liverpool corner, their third, from the right this time.
    • 11' Liverpool have seen more of the ball thus far, but Arsenal are the team to have had the first shot on target.
    • 10' Wojciech Szczesny comes bounding out of his area after Suarez rolls Koscielny. The keeper heads the ball away but only as far as Downing, who goes for the volley at the open goal but miscues it! Szczesny makes sure of the clearance at the second attempt.
    • 8' Long diagonal ball forward from Arsenal and Walcott beats Jose Enrique for pace! He takes the shot first time from and wide position and Pepe Reina makes the save!
    • 7' Referee Mark Halsey has previously refereed this fixture in January 2003 – a 2-2 draw at Anfield. He has awarded Arsenal five PL penalties, the equal-most he has given a team alongside Chelsea.
    • 6' Six of the last nine Premier League games between Liverpool and Arsenal have ended as draws.
    • 5' Tomas Rosicky is gifted the ball in midfield by Adam and surges forward. He finds Robin van Persie, who tries to pick out Theo Walcott with a scooped ball over the top, but the England winger is dispossessed.
    • 4' Suarez turns skillfully and knocks the ball through the legs of his marker, but he was offside.
    • 3' Luis Suarez wins another corner for Liverpool. Charlie Adam floats it over to the far post and Martin Kelly's header is high and wide.
    • 2' Arsenal have an early corner to defend. They do so well enough, and Stewart Downing is caught offside as he runs after the ball back over the top.
    • 1' The match is underway!
    • 12:43 The players are out on the pitch now. We're about to get underway...
    • 12:40 We are just a few minutes away from kick off now. You can share your thoughts with me during game via Twitter @tony_mabert. Get in touch
    • 12:40 Gerrard has come out on to the pitch pre-kick-off to briefly show off the Carling Cup to the Anfield crowd. He looks as though he would rather be in his kit ready to play than in his club suit parading a trophy.
    • 12:35 Time for some RvP facts now: He has 32 goals and assists combined in the division this season. No other player has more than 21. He has scored nine PL away goals this season – equal-most with Edin Dzeko. It is also more than the whole Liverpool team have netted in their last nine PL matches at Anfield (8 ). Anfield is one of four grounds Robin van Persie has made two or more PL appearances at and failed to score. The other three are Sunderland (3 games), Middlesbrough (two) and Portsmouth (two).
    • 12:30 Wenger on Arsenal's injury troubles: “I felt that for a long time we had to play players out of position and when we go into crucial games that is not ideal. You play a right-back in the right-back position, and a left-back in the left-back position and it gives you a natural balance. So far we are in a shape that is quite positive because we are motivated, we have good confidence levels and we have some players available who are used to playing in those positions.”
    • 12:30 Dalglish on Liverpool's top-four hopes: "We'll just plod on. We'll add the points up and see where we get to. I've not looked at the points - I know we've got Arsenal Saturday and that's all we've got to do. It's an important game for us, it's an important game for Arsenal. They had a fantastic comeback last week at home to Tottenham, getting five goals in about 20 minutes. It's going to be difficult for us, so we'll make it difficult for them."
    • 12:25 Liverpool, fresh off the back of their Carling Cup final victory last Sunday, must realistically win today to keep their hopes of a Champions League place alive. If they win today they will close the gap on fourth-placed Arsenal to four points. A win for the Gunners, who delivered a morale-boosting 5-2 win over Tottenham last weekend, can move within four points of Spurs with victory on Merseyside. Premier League table
    • 12:20 Pointless milestone alert! This will be Kenny Dalglish’s 450th top flight match as a manager. He has won 247, drawn 115 and lost 87 in charge of Liverpool (twice), Blackburn and Newcastle. His counterpart, Arsene Wenger, has won two, drawn one and lost two of five Premier League matches against Kenny Dalglish.
    • 12:15 Head-to-head: Liverpool are looking to complete the league double over Arsenal for the fifth time and first since 1999-00. The Reds are unbeaten in their last three league matches against the Gunners. Arsenal are unbeaten in their last four league games at Anfield, since a 4-1 defeat in March 2007 when Peter Crouch scored a hat trick. When these two sides met last August, Liverpool won 2-0. Match report: Arsenal 2-0 Liverpool
    • 12:10 Arsenal's injury concerns over captain Robin van Persie (groin) and centre-back Thomas Vermaelen (ankle) have both been allayed as the pair start. Wales midfielder Aaron Ramsey (ankle) is ruled out while Czech winger Tomas Rosicky (groin) failed a fitness test. Abou Diaby returns from a long absence after a hamstring problem. Yossi Benayoun and Theo Walcott start in the wide positions, with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Gervinho on the bench. Arsenal team page
    • 12:10 Liverpool are without Steven Gerrard for the visit of Arsenal. The midfielder injured a hamstring in England's friendly defeat against Holland on Wednesday while defender Glen Johnson is also out after pulling out of the national squad on Monday. Centre-back Daniel Agger is likely to miss the next couple of weeks with a cracked rib, meaning Jamie Carragher gets a recall. Liverpool team page
    • 12:05 Liverpool: Reina, Kelly, Skrtel, Carragher, Enrique, Spearing, Adam, Henderson, Downing, Kuyt, Suarez. Subs: Doni, Bellamy, Shelvey, Coates, Flanagan, Maxi, Carroll /// Arsenal: Szczesny, Sagna, Koscielny, Vermaelen, Gibbs, Arteta, Song, Rosicky, Walcott, Van Persie, Benayoun. Subs: Diaby, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Fabianski, Jenkinson, Gervinho, Chamakh, Miquel.
    • 12:00 Welcome to Eurosport's live coverage of the Premier League clash between Liverpool and Arsenal at Anfield!

  • Summary

    • 90+6' Oxlade-Chamberlain fancies his chances from rnage and flashes a cracking strike just over the far upright!
    • 90+2' GOAL!! VAN PERSIE SURELY WINS IT FOR ARSENAL!! What would Arsenal do woithout him? The Dutchman meets a diagonal ball into the box and he dispaches a clinical volley btween Reina and the near post!
    • 72' GREAT SAVE REINA!! Song plays a clever ball into the path of Gibbs. The left-back pulls it back to Walcott whose shot takes two deflections before Reina blocks it with his leg!
    • 70' Liverpool keep the ball in the final thrid after Arsenal head the corner away. Adam plays a reverse pass down the right for Kuyt who puts in a great cross for Kelly... swing and a miss from the right-back! Great opportunity for Liverpool to retake the lead!
    • 45+2' Szczesny throws the ball out quickly to Walcott, who promptly loses the ball. It comes to Adam who fires a dangerous daisy-cutter in from the right and Kuyt guides it past Szczesny and off the post! another Liverpool chance goes begging!
    • 40' Great run from Suarez, who sidesteps and jinks his way through three defenders before his low shot is turned around the post by Szczesny!
    • 31' GOAL!! Sagna with a superb cross and Van Persie gets around Carragher all too easily and nods home past Reina!
    • 25' Adam plays into the feet of Kuyt, who pushes it across the Henderson. The midfielder's low shot is parried by Szczesny and Suarez follows up from a tight angle... Hits the post!
    • 23' GOAL!! An terrible own goal from Laurent Koscielny! A nice sweeping move forward from Liverpool has Henderson in space on the right. He hits a low cross toward the near post and Koscielny slices his clearance into his own net!
    • 19' SAVED BY SZCZESNY!! The Polish keeper makes a decent save low to his right and he bats away Kuyt's weak follow-up effort too! Dear oh dear, Dirk...
    • 18' PENALTY!! Suarez plays a one-two in the area with Kuyt and Szczesny's trailing leg catches him. He goes down theatrically but it was a foul, and referee Halsey points to the spot.
    • 10' Wojciech Szczesny comes bounding out of his area after Suarez rolls Koscielny. The keeper heads the ball away but only as far as Downing, who goes for the volley at the open goal but miscues it! Szczesny makes sure of the clearance at the second attempt.
    • 8' Long diagonal ball forward from Arsenal and Walcott beats Jose Enrique for pace! He takes the shot first time from and wide position and Pepe Reina makes the save!
    • 12:05 Liverpool: Reina, Kelly, Skrtel, Carragher, Enrique, Spearing, Adam, Henderson, Downing, Kuyt, Suarez. Subs: Doni, Bellamy, Shelvey, Coates, Flanagan, Maxi, Carroll /// Arsenal: Szczesny, Sagna, Koscielny, Vermaelen, Gibbs, Arteta, Song, Rosicky, Walcott, Van Persie, Benayoun. Subs: Diaby, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Fabianski, Jenkinson, Gervinho, Chamakh, Miquel.

Team Line-up & Ratings

  • Line-up

    Live Team Line-Up

  • Rate Players

    Rate Players

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    • Player Y! Users Expert My Rating
      Goalkeeper
      6.5 7
      Defenders
      5.6 6
      5.3 5
      6.2 6
      5.7 6
      Midfielders
      Substitution Out90′ 5.4 6
      5.2 5
      4.7 6
      Substitution Out88′ 5.8 6
      Strikers
      6.1 6
      5.9 7
      Subs
      Substitution In88′ 4.3 -
      Substitution In90′ 3.2 -
    • Player Y! Users Expert My Rating
      Goalkeeper
      8.2 8
      Defenders
      6.9 7
      Own Goal 5.7 6
      Yellow Card 6.4 6
      6 6
      Midfielders
      7 6
      Substitution Out53′ 6 6
      6.1 6
      Strikers
      6.1 6
      Substitution Out74′ 5.8 5
      Goals ×2 8.4 8
      Subs
      Substitution In53′ Substitution Out81′ 5.1 6
      Substitution In74′ 5.4 6
      Substitution In81′ 6.9 6