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Thursday, January 31, 2013

BPL: Liverpool blow two-goal lead in Arsenal draw

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http://www.foxsportsasia.com/home/news/detail/item927537/

Both sides knew defeat could prove fatal to their hopes of closing back up on the top four, but neither looked ready to settle for anything other than all three points in an open and entertaining match.

It was a bright start by the Reds, their travelling support displaying a banner protesting against the infamous £62 tickets for away fans.

A slip by Bacary Sagna let Glen Johnson away down the left.

His cross into the Arsenal penalty area was miskicked by Thomas Vermaelen, just back from an ankle injury, and Wojciech Szczesny produced a good reaction save from Daniel Sturridge at the far post.

Midfielder Aaron Ramsey, though, failed to clear with a tame flick and the ball broke for Suarez, whose curling shot then deflected off Per Mertesacker to wrongfoot the goalkeeper.

Arsenal almost produced an immediate response as Walcott got ahead of Jamie Carragher, but his snapshot was straight at Jose Reina.

The match remained open, with Sturridge dragging an angled shot across the face of goal.

Arsenal also continued to press, and Reina was again called into action as he turned a curling effort from Walcott around the post.

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard then produced some desperate defending as he hooked Lukas Podolski's cross through the six-yard box behind.

The visitors, though, almost made it 2-0 on 27 minutes when Szczesny got nowhere near a corner from the left and Daniel Agger's header was hacked off the line by Podolski.

Arsenal were forced into a change before half-time when Kieran Gibbs hobbled off and Brazil defender Andre Santos came on.

Szczesny was almost caught out when rushing from his goal to close down Henderson on the left corner of the penalty area, but the Liverpool midfielder chipped the ball onto the roof of the net - much to the relief of the backpedalling Poland goalkeeper.

Arsenal came close to a leveller early in the second half when Podolski floated a pass from the left out to the far post, where Walcott arrived to head it just over.

It proved a costly miss as Liverpool extended their lead on the hour.

Henderson battled past Santos and into the right side of the penalty area, before then holding off two more defenders. As the ball bounced back off Ramsey's boot, he stabbed it past Szczesny.

Arsenal needed an immediate response, and got it on 64 minutes when Giroud planted a header into the far corner from Jack Wilshere's right-wing free-kick.

Before Liverpool could settle, the Gunners were level.

There were more chances at each end, but defeat for either side would have been an injustice.

Barclays Premier League

RnkTeamMPWDLGFGA+/-Pts
1 Manchester United24192359312859
2 Manchester City24157245192652
3 Chelsea24137449242546
4 Tottenham Hotspur24126641291242
5 Everton241011337271041
6 Arsenal24108648291938
7 Liverpool2498742301235
8 Swansea City2481063427734
9 West Bromwich Albion24104103434034
10 Stoke City2461262429-530
11 Sunderland247892731-429
12 Fulham2477103641-528
13 West Ham United2476112736-927
14 Norwich City246992540-1527
15 Newcastle United2466123042-1224
16 Southampton2458113142-1123
17 Reading2448123045-1520
18 Wigan Athletic2455142745-1820
19 Aston Villa2448122046-2620
20 Queens Park Rangers24210121837-1916

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