Live Match updates – Liverpool takes on Arsenal in the Barclays Premier. The Reds start with Roberto Firmino upfront with Christian Benteke on bench as Jurgen Klopp look keep his depleted midfield as compact as possible to deny Arsenal any species to thread those passes.
Klopp’s team begin the night six points off a Champions League place but face a huge clash against Arsene Wenger’s side who have sights set on strengthening their grip on top spot in the table in the 8pm kick-off
20:00 kick off – here we go with the Kop anthem echoing inside Anfield.
20.04 – 4mins: Liverpool pressing high up and pushing Arsenal back with Mertesacker forced to play the ball back to Cech.
20.07 – 6mins: Another quick attack from Liverpool with Llallana tumbling over Mertesacker’s trailing leg prompting calls for penalty from the Kop.
20.11 – 10 mins: It is all Liverpool at the moment…. Ferminho!!! GOAL!!! A well deserved goal from Liverpool. Emre Can’s fierce shot got parried away by Petr Cech into the space in front of the Brazilian Ferminho whose low drive sent the Arsenal goalkeeper to the wrong way for a Liverpool opener. Great start for Klopp’s team. Great energy.
20:14 – 14mins : BANG!!! GOAL!!! Aaron Ramsey!!! 1-1 . Where did that came from. Great first touch from Joel Campbell from Giroud’s nod down. Campbell then played a brilliant defence splitting pass to Ramsey, who collected the ball on his run from deep and finished superbly to the left of Mignolet’s goal.
20.16 – 16 mins: Corner for Liverpool – swung in from the right and bounds off the Theo Walcott – screams for Penalty but the referee waved play on.
20.19 – 19 mins : Wammmm!!! Ferminhooo!!! GOAAALLL!!! 2-1 Liverpool. … The Reds continue to win the balls from the middle and causing Arsenal all sorts of problems. Arsenal failed to clear their and the ball fell to the Brazilian and oh boy! How about his finish from 30 yards. A terrific curling shot into the left corner of Cech’s goal. Terrific play from Liverpool.
20.26 – 24 mins Ramsey!!! Cleared by Sakho!! What a clearance from the French defender from Ramsey’s lobbying effort with Mignolet out of place. The Arsenal midfielder made another clever run into the box and puts the ball over the keeper. It’s going to drop in but Sakho clears.
20.26 – 25 mins: Corner to Arsenal – Giroud!!! 2-2. Brilliant finish from Olivier Giroud at the near post, beat Sakho to the ball and the ball bounce off Mignolet into the goal. What a game.
20:28 – 28 mins: Giroud! !! Wow!! Wow!!! Wow!!! Miss of the season from Giroud. Amazing pass from Joel Campbell once more to find the Theo Walcott down the right whose precise cross found Giroud a yard out on the mouth of the Liverpool goal and inexplicable miss kicked the ball for Liverpool to clear their line. Unbelievable.
20:35 – 35 mins: Arsenal have a corner and might actually have had a decent shout at a penalty. Moreno grabbed Campbell’s arm as he ran into the box, knocking the player to the ground. The corner is whipped in by Ozil, Mertesacker heads it across the goal and Ramsey SHOULD SCORE…. but misses the entire ball at the back post.
20.41 -40:00 Llallana!!! Great save by Petr Cech. Great energy from the England man with a brilliant run into the Arsenal box, Ferminho crossed the ball for the England midfielder to tap in but only for Cech to dive in and blocked the shot.
20:43 – 42:00 Arsenal on the attack again Theo Walcott this time with a powerful shot from the edge of the box but the ball deflected on Sakho for a corner.
20.47 – 47 mins: Ferminho!!! So close to his hat trick. Great play from Liverpool down the right with Clyde and Ibe exchanging passes and Ibe’s cross found the Brazilian who controlled the ball well on the turn but blazed a whiskers over Cech’s bar.
20.48 – 45+3 Peep!!!Peep!!!Peep!!!… Half Time… What a first half. … Great play from the home side…
2104 – 46 mins… Great ball from Ozil into the Liverpool box – found Campbell on the far post but he couldn’t direct his shot and blazed wide over the bar.
21.05 – 47 mins: Moreno!!! Ooophhh!! Like Campbell – great ball down from right controlled in the box by Ferminho and dropped to Moreno free on the left but blast tge ball high into the stands from four yards out. What a chance.
21.09 – 51 mins: Good turn from Walcot who ran half way from the centre towards Liverpool goal but his shot went wide.
21.10 – 52 mins: Yellow card for Clyde for a deliberate handball.
21:12 – 54 mins : Giroud!!! GOAAALLL!!! 3-2 to Arsenal.
Great run down the right by the pacey Bellerin who played a neat pass to Campbell who found Giroud in the box and a fantastic turn from the Arsenal striker who turn superbly to wrong foot the Liverpool defence and finish with a fierce low shot for his 18th goal of the season.
21:18 60 mins: End to end stuff at Anfield as Liverpool search for an equaliser.
21.22 – 64 mins: Liverpool readying Christian Benteke to come on.
Liverpool Substitution – Benteke on for James Milner.
21.26 68 mins: Liverpool getting more bodies in the Arsenal box following the introduction of Benteke which has given them another dimension. Ferminho had two headed chances in quick succession. Moreno’s shot ricocheted off Campbell for corner.
21.29 – 71 mins: Good sustained pressure from Liverpool. Brilliant clearance from Per Mertesacker. Lots of pressing on Arsenal’s defence.
21.32 – 73: it’s snowing at Anfield. Benteke with a low drive – well saved by Cech.
21.33 – 75 mins Double Substitution from Arsenal – Oxlade-Chamberlain for Joel Campbell, Kieran Gibbs for Theo Walcott.
21.36 – 78 mins: More Liverpool pressure in the Arsenal penalty area. Great work down the right from Ibe who played in Clyde to cross for Llallana but the England man could not control the ball from yards out.
21.39 – 81 mins : Liverpool Substitution – Emre Can for Joe Allen.
21.43 – 85 mins: Arsenal readying Mikel Arteta. Final Substitution – Arteta on for Mesut Ozil
21:46 – 86 mins: Liverpool Substitution Steven Caulker in for Llallana. Bizarre Substitution as he is playing upfront alongside Benteke and he is a defender by trade.
21.49 – 89 mins: BANG! !! GOAL! ! Liverpool have equalised. Joe Allen the Substitute with a volley. Cech dived to the right but couldn’t keep the ball out. 3-3. Nothing less than what Liverpool deserved.
Jurgen Klopp jumping up and down pumping his fist and throwing punches in the air… clearly elated.
21.52 – 90+3 PEEP! ! ! PEEP! ! ! ! PEEP! ! ! . FULL TIME
What a game – the pace and the intensity of game, a real spectacle to watch for the neutrals. But one that will raise the Blood pressures of both set of fans.
Liverpool have shown great energy in pressing Arsenal all over the pitch, they seem to be buying into the heavy metal football introduced by Klopp at Dortmund.
For Arsenal it was a missed opportunity to extend their lead over Manchester City, who only managed a nil-nil draw at home to Everton. Overall a draw is the fairer result as Arsenal also showed great character and determination to twice come from behind and were unlucky not to see the game out.
