Liverpool 4-4 Arsenal: Four Goal Andrei Damages Kop Title Hopes

Andrei Arshavin’s four goals denied Liverpool going clear at the top of the Premier League to put the pressure on Man United.  United can breathe more easily now after Benayoun’s late equalizer was not good enough for Rafael Benitez in a game of Russian roulette at Anfield.

Liverpool went into the game with the title still in their sights, without their influential captain Steven Gerrard, whilst Arsenal had slim hopes of the title as they were looking to cement the final Champion's League place.

Liverpool started off the brightest, dominating the first half hour, with Arsenal keeper Fabianski  standing up to his recent criticism denying Torres twice, Riera and Benayoun with a spectacular save to deny Torres, diving to his left.

Arsenal had their first chance of the match on 28 minutes after a slick passing move, as Fabregas’s volley couldn’t find the stretching Nicholas Bendtner.

Liverpool then had two excellent chances to take the lead after Torres was denied again by Fabianski from 25 yards. From the resulting corner, Daniel Agger’s header was cleared off the line from Samir Nasri.

Then, against the run of play, Arsenal took the lead on 35 minutes when Javier Mascherano was dispossessed and Cesc Fabregas then rolled in Andrei Arshavin, who smashed it in with his left foot, off the bar and in from seven yards out.

The only other chance before half time went to Liverpool, when Yossi Benayoun was denied again by Fabianski after he was played through.

Liverpool came out in the second half with something to prove and it only took three minutes for Dirk Kuyt’s second attempt at a cross and Torres to head in from ten yards at the kop end into Fabianski’s left hand corner.

In the 55^thminute Liverpool then took a deserved lead when bad defending from Arsenal  let in Kuyt to get his second assist of the evening to cross for Benayoun, whose looping header just crept over the line from four yards.

After Bacary Sagna got booked for a challenge on Riera from referee Howard Webb and Walcott had replaced Denilson. Arsenal equalized through Arshavin’s second goal of the evening after another defensive error from Liverpool this time from Alvaro Arbeloa which let the Russian hit a swerving shot from his right foot in the bottom corner from 20 yards out in the 64^th minute.

Arsenal then took the lead again just five minutes later when Arshavin got his hat trick.  Fabio Aurelio’s poor defensive clearance fell to the Arsenal’s January signing to put it through Reina with his right foot from eight yards.

It then just took three minutes for Liverpool to equalize with Fernando Torres to grab his second of the evening to make it 3-3.  Albert Riera’s cross was calmly controlled by Torres and a little shimmy past Mikael Silvestre to power past the keeper from 14 yards.

Babel then came on for Riera hoping to make an impact to the game. Liverpool was denied again off the line from Kieran Gibbs, this time to deny Torres' header for his hat trick, which followed with El Zhar replacing Dirk Kuyt.

Then a break in the 90^thminute from substitute Theo Walcott slid in Andrei Arshavin to blast in his and Arsenal’s fourth shot on target with his left foot from 17 yards to Reina’s right hand corner. Arsene Wenger brought on Abou Diaby for Bendtner to defend the lead.

Then amazingly for a second Tuesday running Liverpool got a 4-4 draw thanks to Benayoun’s second deep into stoppage time when the ball fell to him from 7 yards for him to rifle home to send the kop end crazy.

Another thrilling game featuring Liverpool left their Premiership title hopes heavily damaged with United having two games in hand over the Reds. Arsenal would be pleased after their FA cup defeat at Wembley to the hands of Chelsea at the weekend.