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Ten-man Arsenal frustrate Liverpool |
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By: Agencies |
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Date:
2008-12-22 |
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Place: LONDON |
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No letting up: Arsenal's Abou Diaby (left) and Liverpool's midfielder Lucas Leiva battle for the ball during their English Premier League match at the Emirates Stadium in London yesterday. The match ended 1-1. PIC/AFP | Ten-man Arsenal held leaders Liverpool to a 1-1 draw in the Premiership clash at the Emirates Stadium yesterday.
The Reds went behind with Robin van Persie putting Arsene Wenger's side in the lead. However, the visitors bounced back through Robbie Keane, who got a start after being given bench role in the last two games, restoring parity with manager Rafa Benitez absent from the dugout following his surgery for kidney stone this week.
Liverpool failed to convert their territorial supremacy into a winner after Arsenal had Emmanuel Adebayor sent off after an hour.
Chelsea play Everton away tonight, and if Luiz Felipe Scolari's side win at Goodison Park, the Blues will take the top spot going into Christmas.
The home side went ahead in the 24th minute when Van Persie scored with a superb finish. The Dutch international forward met a long diagonal ball from Samir Nasri with his chest and took a first touch taking the ball away from Jamie Carragher, stretched past the Reds defender to power his strike into the back of the net.
Keane's goal
But in the 41st minute, the Reds came up with the equaliser when Keane scored with a fantastic volley after being set up by a long ball from Alvaro Arbeloa.
The Reds had a golden opportunity to make it 2-1 two minutes later as Dirk Kuyt sent in a cross into the six yard box, but Gerrard despite making all his effort to meet the ball, could only slice it wide of the target with only Almunia to beat.
Arsenal skipper Cesc Fabregas suffered a knock on his knee and had to be helped off the pitch at half time interval. He was replaced by Abou Diaby at the start of the second period.
However, Arsenal's task was made difficult as the Gunners were reduced down to 10 men just past the hour mark as referee Howard Webb showed the red card to Adebayor following a horrible challenge on Arbeloa.
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