By Myles Palmer
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Liverpool 1 Arsenal 2
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Kewell 14 Hyypia o.g. 30, Pires 69
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EDU again outshone Gilberto and staked a serious claim as Vieira’s long-term partner.
His defensive work and first time passing were excellent, while his compatriot, the invisible wall, was peripheral.
Edu wins more tackles than Gilberto, makes more passes, wins more headers, and has more shots.
And he played a major role in both goals.
SOL CAMPBELL came back and played his best game of the season for 83 minutes, then blew it.
Heskey came on for the injured Owen.
As Sol and Heskey competed down the right, Sol let the ball go and tried to muscle Emile off the ball-and was beaten.
I used to watch Spurs v Leicester at the Lane and Heskey always gave Sol problems that no other player gave him.
I was ALWAYS surprised and thought, “I’ve never seen anybody do that to Sol before.Heskey must be quicker than he looks.”
OK, we know Heskey can be a monster.
But I always expected Sol to handle him.He rarely did.
The other team news was that Aliadiere, 20, started at last. Wiltord was dropped.
Arsenal won a game where they could have been 3-0 down at half-time.
THIS WAS THE BEST Liverpool performance of the season and the first half was the best football they’ve ever played against an Arsene Wenger team.
Owen drew a fine low save from Lehmann before Kewell scored an excellent goal.
Riise fired a probing ball into the box and Edu’s clearance hit Owen in the face and broke for Kewell, who smashed the ball into the corner of the net.
It was a great chance and Kewell converted it beautifully.
Liverpool continued to dominate and it looked as if Houllier really has changed his tune.
When a Riise headflick hit Toure and broke again to Kewell, it could have been all over.
But it was a more awkward chance and Kewell skied it.
Aliadiere made a rash tackle on Diao, but ref Graham Barber allowed play to go on.
THEN OWEN MISSED TWO SITTERS.
On 25, Kewell headed on Dudek’s goalkick and Owen was free in the D but lobbed feebly over the bar.
On 27, Sol made a superb challenge on Owen on the edge of the box.
ON 28, Liverpool had a corner and Owen, incredibly, headed over the bar.
A very good chance, even if he was under some pressure from the adjacent Toure.
Then Pires crossed a free-kick and Edu miscued his header badly.
But the ball flew down and hit Hyypia’s boot and dribbled in for 1-1.
A FLUKE GOAL!
Edu, somebody up there likes you ! For a change.
Half-time stats showed that fighting Arsenal had outfouled Liverpool by 16-5.
Not often that happens.
Kewell had a marvellous first half and would have been a fantastic replacement for Bergkamp at Arsenal.
The cocky Aussie has two good feet, he can pass creatively off his own dribbles, and he heads the ball, which Bergkamp doesn’t.
And he can play wide or up front or behind the striker.
And he flies.
Harry would have fitted in a treat.
SECOND HALF, Arsenal improved hugely and after 69 had a powerful attack which seemed to be repelled, only for the tenacious Edu to set up Pires, who curled the sweetest of 20-yarders round Dudek and just inside the post.
On 78, Diouf stabbed a loose ball but Cole kicked it off the line and Arsenal were never really in trouble after that.
A really gutsy victory by Arsenal against the club who have taken more Premiership points off them than any other.
It’s been a good Saturday so far.
A PAL phoned at half-time with the definitive inside story of the Grosvenor Hotel.
Only two of the men there were Premiership players.
CAROLINE just came home buzzing after booking her gap year travel tickets.
“We got everything we wanted, ten flights.”
Nice that 18-year olds can see the world before going to uni.
I had only seen Dundee, Edinburgh and Stevenage.
October 4th 2003