Bendtner
Liverpool 1
Crouch
The second part of the April trilogy between Arsenal and Liverpool failed to separate them again with the score similar to the one on Wednesday. The visitors looked more fired up for this match with Peter Crouch leading the line, a rare start for the bean-pole striker.
Perhaps it was his hat-tick against us that prompted Rafa Benitez to use him again but his presence certainly unsettled our defence. It was our failure to deal with one of his lay-off that opened the scoring.
Youssi Benayoun was quicker to latch onto it and Crouch's touch enabled him to control the ball and unleashed a low shot past Manuel Almunia. It was totally against the run of play, after Nicklas Bendtner tested Pepe Reina with a low shot which lacked power to cause any harm to the Liverpool's cause.
But it was the goalkeeper's reluctance in coming in for a long ball into the box that gave the big Danish youngster the time and space to bring Arsenal to par again with the visitors. It was from a free-kick taken by Cesc Fabregas after former Arsenal player, Jermaine Pennant had fouled Armand Traore on the left.
Bendtner heading home the equaliser.The home side went for the kill afterwards, needing all the three points on board to ensure the gap with them and leaders manure would remain manageable. Unfortunately the front line lacked the killer instinct and putting Bendtner on the left did not put any pressure on the Liverpool defence who only had Manu Adebayor to content with.
In the end, a point each for both sides seemed like a fair result but for the Gunners, the title aspirations have become something of an unattainable, at least for this season.
But of course we would not give up until the end, would we?
...
No comments:
Post a Comment