MARK LAWRENSON: Good point for Liverpool – but striking out for win is mark of champions

Dec 23 2008 Liverpool Daily Post

A POINT against Arsenal would have been considered a very good result at the start of Sunday – but not at the end of it.

It was another one of those occasions when I was desperate for Liverpool to go all out for victory. Two strikers, Gerrard joining the attack, two wingers, full-backs pushing on because they had no-one to mark at the other end once Arsenal were down to 10 men.

It all adds up to another opportunity to open up a gap at the top lost.

As soon as Adebayor was off, it should have been time to take the handbrake off as well.

Especially as that Arsenal defence was looking as nervous as I’ve ever seen it and Djourou was having a stinker and Gallas wasn’t looking great either.

They were there for the taking and when you look at how Liverpool dominated possession, not converting that into three points could prove very costly.

And given that Chelsea once again failed to capitalise at Goodison Park last night only adds to the agonising feeling, growing by the week, that the lead a the top should be so much bigger by now.

But more pressing than that is the concern that Liverpool themselves have already dropped so many points in games they have been expected to win.

Stoke, West Ham, Fulham, Hull – if those one points had been turned into three then a point at the Emirates would be a great result.