Hopeless, Spineless, Shameless, Heartless were the immediate unedited words that sprung to mind over this non-performance.
This was Arsenal’s ninth league defeat of the season.
On this showing, Arsenal’s ambitions this season should be downgraded to the UEFA Cup – and even then, there’ll be a struggle given Bolton and the rising force of West Ham, let alone Blackburn.
Anfield over the years is usually the scene of important and memorable games between these teams, like the first televised league game in the sixties – and none more so than sixteen years ago.
It made you think of the players who strived, struggled and ‘strifed’ for the Arsenal shirt like Peter Storey, Frank Mclintock, Brian Talbot – oh for one of those in this game.
Arsenal didn’t look at all strong or balanced.
Liverpool pressed early, raking several 40 yard cross-field passes in the first fifteen minutes.
Arsenal were penned in. Outlet balls were not sticking, bouncing off Henry, Adebayor and Fabregas to Liverpool players.
One positive was that Eboue was doing good defensive work on the right.
Robbie Fowler had a header across the box.
Kewell switched to attack Flamini at left back.
Arsenal’s first real attack saw Fabregas cross to Toure whose header went a foot wide. But Toure, as in the African Nations final, always seems to miss by a foot, when often it seems easier to score.
Senderos, who is prone to more than one Willie Young moment every game, got his head unecessarily to a Gerrard cross eliciting a great save from Lehmann.
Kewell had a shot and then set up Morientes who didn’t look like he’d score all evening.
A Henry misplaced pass set up a Liverpool attack.
Eboue made slight physical contact with [Morientes]. Homer, Graham Poll, swung by the noise, gave a joke penalty.
Lehmann, playing out his skin saved Gerrard’s low shot to his right.
Following the let-off, Senderos looked increasingly shaky. Gilberto gave it away, AGAIN.
Robert Pires set Adebayor through but the forward was wrongly judged offside.
Morientes had a header saved by Lehmann. Henry made his fourth bad pass of the match
And the ball was not sticking to Adebayor either. Fabregas tried to make amends with a stirring ground based tackle. At least he looked like he was trying.
Arsenal started the second half sloppily, as if they were just going through the motions.
Ljungberg, for example, ran out late still doing up his shorts.
Gerrard’s fierce low cross ball tweaked media Senderos’s knee ligaments.
Nothing was happening in forward areas for Arsenal. No good runs were being made.
Gilberto executed another terrible pass.
Fowler ran across Senderos, and looked like he’d scored but for another super save from Lehmann.
Henry had shot on 53 from Ljungberg knock down, but it was straight at Dudek.
Adebayor had a bad performance. Is it OK going for balls, but when they always go straight to the opposition, it diminishes the value of playing a target man.
Ljungberg was put through but was just offside – a questionable decision.
Hleb came on for Pires on 78.
Ljungberg crossed – and Adebayor headed weakly, straight at Dudek.
Fowler came off – Cisse came on.
Ljungberg crossed to Henry who turned threateningly but was tackled by Carragher.
Riise shot straight at Lehmann.
Gilberto gave it away AGAIN.
Gerrard sent a wonderful low cross in – and Morientes missed when it would have been easier to score.
Gilberto gave it straight to Cisse, setting up an attack [as if he’d been bribed] – UNBELIEVEABLE.
From a throw in, Fabregas, headed away into space. Hamann, on as a sub for Alonso, fired a hard low shot. Lehmann parried, but the angle the ball fell, was in line with sub, Luis Garcia’s run and he fired it hard into the opposite corner. Lehmann – easily Man of the Match, even managed to get something to it, but it crossed the line.
Liverpool had 13 corners to Arsenal’s one – and 21 attempts to Arsenal’s six which says it all really. Although Arsenal played slightly better in the second half, it looked as though they never really thought they could win this match – as if they were overawed by the opposition and Anfield.
Benitez said: “It is a pity to see the goalie as man of the match. We created chances. His [Lehmann’s] saves were unbelievable. We deserved three points. We played with a high tempo. They put you under pressure, but they didn’t create a lot of opportunities.
Wenger said: “The team gave everything. There is some satisfaction in the team.”
“We lost the ball and put ourselves in trouble. Unfortunately it was a throw in to us but a goal to them. The players gave everything. We have to stick together.”
Liverpool: Dudek Finnan, Hyypia, Carragher, Riise, Gerrard, Sissoko (Garcia, 85), Alonso (Hamann, 72), Kewell, Fowler (Cissé, 80), Morientes. Substitutes not used: Carson, Traoré.
Arsenal: Lehmann’ Eboué, Senderos, Touré, Flamini, Ljungberg, Gilberto, Fabregas, Pires (Hleb, 77) Henry, Adebayor. Substitutes not used: Diaby, Almunia, Larsson, Djourou.