Arsenal Dents Liverpool's Title Hopes In High Octane Encounter

The English Premier League has seen many a good game in the past, but when Liverpool took on Arsenal at Anfield tonight, no one expected the game to be so open. That was mainly down to the fact that Liverpool's last game against Chelsea was an uncharacteristically high scoring draw in the Champions League which wasn't good enough to take them through to the semifinals.

It was a night where Liverpool fans around the world must have felt a sense of deja vu. There was to be yet another 4-4 draw, and again, it was to prove just not good enough.

A good game of football needs bad defending—and this game had that aplenty.

Liverpool dominated the first half in terms of possession and tempo, but it was Arsenal who struck first, courtesy of Andrei Arshavin in the 37th minute. The Russian arrived in the six yard box to crash in his shot off the crossbar after a pick out from Cesc Fabregas in a very Arsenal-like move, which was rounded off to the shock of the Kop.

However, the second half, or at least the first 10 minutes, was to be a complete decimation of Arsenal. A crazy clearance from Bacary Sagna gave Dirk Kuyt to pick out Fernando Torres, who gleefully accepted the chance to score, with a superb header in the 49th minute. Benayoun then scored his first goal of the game when his header crossed the line after some slack defending from Mikael Silvestre in the 56th minute.

At 2-1, Liverpool looked well and truly on top, and with the Kop getting behind the Reds, Arsenal faced an insurmountable task. With Denilson and Fabregas misplacing passes constantly, the Gunners found it tough going—until the magician from St. Petersburg stole the ball away from Alvaro Arbeloa and smashed it into the back of the net from 25 yards out in the 67th minute. 

This was yet another goal against the run of play, and the Liverpool fans endured the anguish of seeing the Russian put Arsenal into the lead minutes later. The Liverpool defense failed to deal with Samir Nasri's cross, and the ball dropped for Arshavin, who took his chance and smashed it into the back of the net to score his first hat trick for Arsenal.

Fernando Torres then restored parity within two minutes of that goal, after spinning away from Silvestre and placing his shot wide of Fabianski.

The score at this point was astonishingly 3-3. 

Why was it astonishing? It was almost a one man salvo from the Arsenal side, while Liverpool was going hammer and tongs at the Kop end.

The atmosphere was highly charged. Arsenal looked threatening when they had the ball and Liverpool was doing enough to trouble the Gunners' back line. The scoreline at this point would do no favours to Liverpool, who needed a win to avoid going a potential six points behind Manchester United.

Fernando Torres had a chance for his hat trick denied when Keiran Gibbs cleared off the line after the Spaniard nearly headed in from a corner in the closing stages of the game.

In the 90th minute, Liverpool got a corner, which they didn't make good enough use of. Substitute Theo Walcott then ran down the right side of the Liverpool defense in a scene reminiscent to his run last year which saw him go past four Liverpool defenders. He then slid in a superb pass to Andrei Arshavin, who smashed the ball past Pepe Reina to score an incredible four goals in the same game.

With five minutes added time, Arsenal had to dig deep—but unfortunately, their defense gave way once more, as they looked visibly tired.

Yossi Benayoun got his second of the game after the Arsenal defense couldn't clear their lines and looked in sixes and sevens at the back.

The game was to end 4-4, perhaps in an anti-climax for Liverpool. Their hopes of clinching the Premier League title looks they are fading away—slowly, but surely. 

As for Arsenal, they keep an impressive 19-game unbeaten run going—but questions will be asked about why Arsene Wenger didn't start Andrei Arshavin against Chelsea, when he could tear apart a solid Liverpool rearguard in this fashion.

At the end of the day, it was a night to remember at Anfield—perhaps not so much for the Liverpool supporters, but certainly for a certain Andrei Arshavin, who will certainly do a lot better for Arsenal than their last player to score four at Anfield.

This is what the English Premier League is all about—a fabulous, entertaining game which was a dream for the neutrals, but a nightmare for the managers!

Who knows? Maybe there might be further twists and turns to come in the English Premier League. But if things go on "normally," this is Manchester United's title to lose.