Entertainment but no goals as Arsenal and Liverpool draw

Mon, 24 Aug, 2015 - 23:02

Arsenal 0 Liverpool 0

Both Arsenal and Liverpool enjoyed a half of dominance at the Emirates Stadium on Monday – but neither side could find a winning goal to take the three points.

The visitors will be the more frustrated having started brightly against a Gunners defence severely weakened by the enforced absences of Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny – with Calum Chambers enduring a particularly fraught evening.

But, if Arsenal’s defence showed weakness new goalkeeper Petr Cech showed just why Arsene Wenger was so determined to bring him to the club, twice denying Liverpool superbly in the opening 45 minutes, with Brendan Rodgers’ side also hitting the woodwork twice.

@PetrCech 👏👏👏
— David de Gea (@D_DeGea) August 24, 2015

It was a different story after the break as Arsenal dominated, also hitting the post through Alexis Sanchez and working Simon Mignolet on a number of occasions.

A first-half ’goal’ from Aaron Ramsey which was incorrectly ruled offside will rankle the home side, who are without a win or a goal from their first two home games of the campaign, with any move for Karim Benzema apparently dead after the France striker posted a social network message calling Real Madrid ’home’.

The benefit of doubt rarely goes with the attacker, however much they try to pretend it does. Never has, never will.
— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) August 24, 2015

Liverpool showed their intent early on with Christian Benteke beating the offside trap as Chambers dropped deep, with the Belgium forward turning provider as he squared for Philippe Coutinho, whose effort came back off the crossbar with Cech beaten.

Arsenal had started slowly but Sanchez threatened as he headed Nacho Monreal’s cross over on five minutes before Ramsey saw his effort wrongly chalked off having been slid through by Santi Cazorla – the second time in a week Liverpool have benefited from an incorrect decision by an assistant referee.

Coutinho and Benteke were causing constant problems for Arsenal’s new-look defence and the two combined again with the latter shooting straight at Cech from a tight angle.

Just LOOK at how many times Arsenal have given the ball away trying to play out from the back tonight. #Arsenal pic.twitter.com/PjwfMvwO7D
— Squawka (@Squawka) August 24, 2015

Chambers gifted possession to Coutinho, only for Francis Coquelin to make a firm challenge, before the defensive midfielder slid in to challenge Benteke with the striker bearing down on goal.

Liverpool’s captain for the night, James Milner, got the luck of a deflection before testing the Arsenal goalkeeper with a volley.

Coutinho again breached the Arsenal offside trap just after the half-hour mark but this time he was met by a strong challenge from compatriot Gabriel.

Cech has had an unsteady start to life at the Emirates Stadium but he showed just how crucial he can be as he kept out Benteke’s close range shot after good work from Coutinho and Roberto Firmino, with the former Chelsea stopper also getting down low to keep out Firmino’s drive moments later.

"Six home wins out of 30 Premier League games so far," says Martin Tyler. Incredible statistic. @SkyFootball
— Peter McNamara (@PeterMcNamara_) August 24, 2015

Liverpool were getting closer and only Cech was able to keep them from taking the lead as he made a fingertip save to deflect Coutinho’s superb solo effort onto the post.

Arsenal created some chances of their own after the interval, with Sanchez teeing up Olivier Giroud only for the Frenchman to flash a shot well wide of Mignolet’s goal.

A free-flowing move followed as Cazorla fed Sanchez, with the Chilean forward hitting the outside of the post as the hosts took over as the side in the ascendency.

Mignolet pawed away Giroud’s effort before clutching Ramsey’s curled shot, before substitute Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Gabriel had late chances to win it for the hosts.

FULL-TIME #Arsenal 0-0 #LFC. No goals, but a first draw between these teams this century in a thrilling match #ARSLIV pic.twitter.com/xT4rbQhVDX
— Premier League (@premierleague) August 24, 2015

Star Player

Petr Cech: Just pips Philippe Coutinho as he made two marvellous saves to keep his side in the game. Having been criticised since joining from Chelsea, the Czech goalkeeper kept out a close-range Christian Benteke effort before tipping Coutinho’s strike onto the post – also saved well from James Milner on what could have been a difficult night with Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny missing.

Moment of the Match

Petr Cech: Hard to decide between which of his saves was more impressive but, having stopped Christian Benteke from just four yards, he flew to his left to get the slightest touch on Philippe Coutinho’s marvellous solo attempt to touch it onto the woodwork with only replays showing that he got anything at all onto the Brazilian’s strike.

Tweet of the Match

The best passers for Liverpool tonight have been the Arsenal defence!!! Can't believe how many times they've given the ball away!!#risky
— CHRIS ADCOCK (@ChrisAdcock1) August 24, 2015

View from the Bench

In the end both managers will see this as a missed opportunity but Arsene Wenger would have been hit for six with the news he had lost Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny. His mood would not have been helped by Calum Chambers’ first-half display while Brendan Rodgers would have settled for a point as Liverpool dropped further back after the break.

Calum Chambers first half by numbers:

0 tackles won
4 aerial duels lost
6 misplaced passes

Rough night. #Arsenal pic.twitter.com/E9XyXR9129
— Squawka (@Squawka) August 24, 2015

Moan of the Match

For the second Monday in succession it is a dodgy offside decision that had a direct baring on the result. Aaron Ramsey was onside when he swept home his chance in the opening stages and was wrongly flagged. Liverpool benefit once more having seen Christian Benteke’s winner against Bournemouth given last week despite Philippe Coutinho being offside.