Close friends Arsene Wenger and Gerard Houllier studiously compare notes on a
regular basis but there will be little for them to discuss from this encounter.
Neither Arsenal or Liverpool were inspired towards anything approaching
title-winning form.
But both managers will at least be relieved not to have lost and perhaps their
determination to avoid defeat contributed to the glaring lack of a spectacle at
Highbury.
There were flashes of skill all over the pitch, from Nicolas Anelka, Emmanuel
Petit and Marc Overmars for the home side, and Michael Owen for the visitors.
But they all too rarely led to a clear-cut opening and time after time,
attacks foundered on the edge of either penalty area or through one of far too
many misplaced passes.
Defences were certainly on top, which will come as some relief to Liverpool's
much-criticised back five, and the Merseyside club extended their unbeaten run
over Arsenal to an incredible 12 successive games.
Both sides had entered the game full of hope after four successive victories
had promised to reignite their relatively poor starts to the season.
However, the invention was ripped out of the game as soon as the absences
through injury of Dennis Bergkamp and Steve McManaman were confirmed from two
depleted line-ups before kick-off.
Arsenal were without eight first-team squad members but it was the loss of
Bergkamp that was most keenly felt as a vacuum existed between defence and
attack, even though the Gunners largely dominated the early possession.
They threatened only from outside the penalty area, with Petit close with a
long-range drive and Overmars shaving the post after turning Vegard Heggem and
cutting inside.
Liverpool were similarly uninspired, relying almost exclusively and somewhat
predictably on Owen's pace to capitalise on long balls, while Robbie Fowler,
continuously linked with a possible long-term move to Highbury, was starved of
openings.
Owen's first effort was blocked but after controlling a through-ball from
Patrik Berger quite majestically on his instep, he was pushed out wide and fired
into the side-netting.
Just before the break, the young England striker created space for himself by
escaping out onto the right wing and produced a pinpoint cross towards Steve
Harkness at the far post.
Yet keeper Alex Manninger dived low to block the stinging first-time volley
from the defender.
Before then, Steve Bould had been forced to limp out of the action after
injuring himself in a 50-50 tackle, to be replaced on the half-hour by Matthew
Upson, who headed straight at James just moments later from a free-kick.
However, perhaps the best chance of the half fell to Luis Boa Morte when
keeper David James left his goal exposed after rushing out of his area to head
clear a Petit through-ball.
The ball fell to Boa Morte about 35 yards out but his effort was far more
hopeful than instinctive as it bounced a yard wide as James desperately raced
back.
The Portuguese striker fared little better immediately after the restart, just
failing to get a touch as he stretched to reach a Petit free-kick as it raced
across the face of the Liverpool goal.
Arsenal were suddenly reinvigorated and continued to press forward, with
Anelka's shot blocked and Martin Keown's follow-up effort only prevented from
powering into the back of the net by the diving figure of Paul Ince near his own
goal-line.
Anelka then headed over when Ray Parlour picked him out superbly from the
right, Petit volleyed wide and Highbury woke up after the slumbers of the
first-half.
Bookings also matched chances though, with Ince, Keown and Jamie Redknapp all
cautioned in the space of 11 minutes.
The Arsenal offensive duly petered out and the Liverpool defence held out -
just - even after the loss of Steve Staunton through injury on the hour mark,
with Dominic Matteo slotting into his position in the back three.
James still had to be alert at his near post to save Parlour's close-range
effort from a tight angle but all too often Arsenal were relying on the ball
over the top and even Liverpool caught on to that one.
They also threatened to score themselves, with Manninger clutching onto a
powerfully-struck free-kick by Redknapp, from more than 30 yards out, just
inside the post.
However, the game lumbered back into the tedium of the opening 45 minutes late
on, with Anelka summing up proceedings when he produced a dazzling turn on the
edge of the area and then promptly sent his shot out for a throw-in.
Liverpool did appeal for a penalty with seven minutes left when Owen went down
as he chased a ball alongside Upson but referee Graham Barber was unmoved. The
final whistle eventually came as some relief.
Chants of "boring, boring Liverpool" rang out from the home fans but
although their side certainly shaded the contest, they bore an equal measure of
blame for the end result.
Teams
Arsenal: Manninger, Dixon, Keown, Bould (Upson 32), Grondin,
Parlour, Vieira, Petit, Overmars (Garde 84), Boa Morte,
Anelka (Wreh 87).
Subs Not Used: Mendez, Lukic.
Booked: Bould, Keown.
Liverpool: James, Carragher, Babb, Staunton (Matteo 62), Heggem,
Berger, Ince, Redknapp, Harkness, Fowler, Owen (Riedle 88).
Subs Not Used: McAteer, Friedel, Thompson.
Booked: Babb, Ince, Redknapp.
Att: 38,107
Ref: G Barber (Pyrford).
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