Fernando Torres _300
NO wonder Sir Alex Ferguson has a new-found respect for Arsene Wenger. On a dramatic, exhilarating night, Arsenal dealt Liverpool’s title hopes a huge blow.
Rafael Benitez’s side may have returned to the summit of the Premier League but it’s Manchester United who will be the team smiling most this morning.
Not for the first time this season, Liverpool were their own worst enemies on an evening that could well signal the beginning of the end of their championship challenge.
An under-strength Arsenal side were battered for much of the game but, for the second successive game, four goals were not enough to earn Liverpool the victory that would strengthen their hopes of silverware.
Fernando Torres and Yossi Benayoun both netted twice and but for an inspired performance from Arsenal goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski, Benitez’s side would have surely strolled to victory.
But they didn’t. And while it was a heroic failure against Chelsea last week, this time Liverpool have only themselves to blame. Arsenal had four shots on target and, unbelievably, scored four times, all from the devastating feet of Russia international Andrey Arshavin. Each goal, though, was the result of a poor defensive mistake from Liverpool.
While Benitez’s side have found their shooting boots in recent weeks, the rearguard has simultaneously lost its way.
A previously stingy backline has now alarmingly leaked 11 goals in the last four games. However, Pepe Reina did not have a save to make last night.
At precisely the time when assistant manager Sammy Lee was calling for composure and cool heads, Liverpool are losing theirs.
Is it nerves? Is it anxiety? Or is it just the desperation that the championship is so tantalisingly close? Whatever the reason, Liverpool lacked the trademark discipline of a Benitez team.
That said, it says much about their self-belief and refusal to give in that Liverpool never threw in the towel, despite trailing on three separate occasions with Arshavin’s final goal coming as late as the 90th minute.
