EPL, Premiership, English Premier League

Arsenal and Liverpool will be playing each other three consecutive times in the next 6 days; in the first match, both teams started with their first string players. Van Persie almost scored in the 17^th minute when he got an excellent long chip from Flamini over the entire Liverpool defense. He only managed to get a toe on it and it went over the bar by a foot; but it was a great opportunity. Soon thereafter, Van Persie got another chance when through a series of classic Arsenal passes he was found open for at the top of the box with an open shot; he took it but just didn’t seem to connect, the ball bounced quickly to the bottom right but Liverpool keeper Reina managed to deflect it. Off an excellent corner quick Adebayor jumped in the air and headed the ball in (23^rd minute).

Everything seemed to be going Arsenals way until Gerrard decided to dribble the ball in to Arsenals penalty box and cross it low right in front of Arsenals keeper (Almunia); Dirk Kuyt, sprinting between 2 Arsenal players managed to get his foot to the ball first and kick it in (26^th minute) and get a crucial away goal. The first game of three consecutive games that Arsenal and Liverpool would play together was well underway. As the game proceeded Eboue proved to be the weak link on Arsenal consistently giving the ball away and taking the worst shots the entire time he was on the pitch, until finally Arsene Wenger took him off in the 65^th minute. In the 47^th minute Almunia made a great save when Kuyt got the ball of a corner and took a low shot towards the far post. Hleb however, showed his mastery of the midfield and his great agility and power the entire game. In the 66^th minute he darted straight at the goal from 4 yards past the penalty box. He slid between 5 Liverpool defenders and was only a few yards away from Reina when he fell down as Kuyt jostled with him; cries of a penalty were heard and they may well have been justified as Kuyt did pull on Hlebs arm. Fabregas also shot on goal multiple times with some very close calls.

Most of the time the game was marked by Arsenal dominating the midfield and playing with the ball outside of Liverpool’s box. Liverpool proved completely unable to produce any comprehensible passes and could only hope for a goal by passing long to Torres. Kuyt played hard throughout the game but but his efforts were wasted by the miserable Liverpool midfield. Next week Arsenal will have to play at Anfield and score at least one away goal.