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00:00Anfield just before Christmas 2001, the famous old Merseyside Stadium, would have evoked some unpleasant memories.
00:06Exactly one year earlier, Liverpool had crushed the Gunners 4-0, and us and Wenger's team had failed to score in their last five visits.
00:14But this was another season, and both sides were challenging for the title.
00:18The past was irrelevant, an exciting future beckoned.
00:23The shock loan signing of ex-Gunner Nicola Anelka had been completed too late for him to play,
00:28so Michael Owen, who'd just returned to the side, was joined up front by Emil Heskey.
00:34Two of the greatest strikers in English football in action, Owen was searching for his 100th Liverpool goal,
00:39or would it be Thierry Henry who grabbed the Christmas headlines?
00:43Dennis Bergkamp had a toe injury, so Henry was joined by Kanu in attack.
00:47With Patrick Vieira suspended, there was a rare start for Giovanni van Bronckhorst.
00:53Phil Thompson was in charge of Liverpool in Gerard Hulier's absence,
00:56this one of the stiffest tests his side would face all season.
01:00Your match commentator is Ian Dark.
01:03Referee Paul Durkin, very experienced official, gets us underway.
01:08But already Henry on the scene, and Carragher might have been in bother there,
01:12that could have ended up anywhere.
01:16And what was that? About 13 seconds on the clock.
01:27Good head of that by Gerard Hulier.
01:30Good head of that by Gerard, aware of Carragher being in a spot of space.
01:34Murphy, takes on Cole.
01:38Shows good strength.
01:41Away by Campbell, not very far though, and Carragher rather wasted the chance to build a new attack.
01:47Here's Kanu.
01:49This looks promising. Pires, Henry's gone to the near post.
01:53That was a very presentable opportunity for the Nigerian.
01:59But not taken.
02:01They weren't that well, Arsenal, down that left-hand side.
02:06That was after Carragher had given the ball away.
02:10And Liverpool were nearly made to pay for that.
02:12Good ball, and it's in.
02:15And it's in.
02:18And it's in.
02:20And Liverpool were nearly made to pay for that.
02:22Good ball, initially, from Kanu.
02:24Look at Henry's run to the near post.
02:26Pires leaves him out.
02:28Brilliantly picked out Kanu, who wasted it totally.
02:34Danny Murphy.
02:38Cole, just shown enough of the ball, that was all he needed.
02:42Now then, Risa, on that good left foot from a long way.
02:45Didn't get hold of it, and it hits Berger, inadvertently.
02:48And that helped Arsenal.
02:52Well, he scored that thunderbolt against Manchester United,
02:56which will be one of the goals of the season,
02:59when anybody selects their top ten, surely.
03:11Of course, the fact that Vieira's missing for Arsenal
03:14is rather counterbalanced by Didi Hamann being missing for Liverpool.
03:18Last game of his suspension today.
03:20Now then, Heskey.
03:23Foul, free kick, Liverpool.
03:28Herpia is forward, and has a habit of winning
03:32exactly these kind of balls.
03:36Gary McAllister to take.
03:40Well, he didn't need any of them.
03:44Two days short of his 37th birthday,
03:48which falls on Christmas Day.
03:50I hope he does get two sets of presents.
03:52He deserves them.
03:55That wouldn't have been a bad one to start, would it?
03:59Here's Herpia.
04:01And he's taken out by Van Bronckhorst.
04:29And can have very few complaints.
04:41Heskey. He does so much work,
04:43even if he is currently short of goals.
04:59Here's McAllister.
05:01Not his best delivery.
05:02Even Ari was back defending there.
05:17Heskey just got a little touch on it.
05:19Murphy.
05:22And Owen, is this the 100th goal for him?
05:26And Owen, is this the 100th goal for him?
05:28Did that cross the line?
05:30Liverpool say it did.
05:35It came off an Arsenal player last anyway.
05:37It is not given.
05:43Well, that seemed as if it would be
05:48the historic moment for Michael Owen's 100th Liverpool goal.
05:52But no.
05:54Riise.
06:00Henri again helping out his defence.
06:02Honcho plays it in.
06:07Liverpool beginning to get the upper hand.
06:10Riise.
06:11Good pace on the cross too.
06:13Murphy knocks it back.
06:14Berger!
06:18It was on the right foot for him.
06:20And the right foot for him is the left.
06:23This is Owen in behind.
06:25It comes off Cole.
06:26It's nearly an own goal.
06:28And did the hole of the ball cross the hole of the line?
06:31No, it looks like the officials got that right.
06:34Arsenal can't really afford the defeat.
06:36That would put them six points adrift of Liverpool
06:39who do have a game in hand on them as well.
06:46Now then, here's Youngberg.
06:49Clumsy more than anything from Berger.
06:53Youngberg.
07:01Keown has come forward.
07:07Sol Campbell too.
07:08Still looking for his first Arsenal goal.
07:12Campbell did get his head to it.
07:14And Perez took a deflection on the way through
07:17and has gone behind.
07:19He thought it was goal-bound.
07:23Campbell getting his head to it.
07:25Doesn't go the right way.
07:26Goes to Perez and hits Keown on the way through.
07:34Gerrard missed the ball.
07:36Van Bronckhorst got hold of it pretty well.
07:38Not a bad try.
07:40As he searches for his first Arsenal goal.
07:54Here's Berger.
08:00Carriger gets it away.
08:08Cole.
08:09Nicely done. Van Bronckhorst.
08:13And going to ground there without any sort of challenge at all.
08:16And I think, just a minute, he's in trouble.
08:19It's a double yellow.
08:20It's a red card.
08:22It's a red card for Giovanni Van Bronckhorst.
08:29Arsene Wenger complains to the fourth official.
08:33It's the 40th red card that in the five-year reign of Arsene Wenger.
08:38Now, was that a touch-arse?
08:41Because Van Bronckhorst, he'd already been booked.
08:45Now, is this just a blatant dive?
08:48Well, he was looking for something, maybe.
08:52And I think there is a lesson from the referee
08:56and referees in general to premiership players.
08:59If you're going to try that sort of thing,
09:01be prepared to face the consequences.
09:05It'll be a long and heated debate.
09:07They had Ray Pyler sent off in midweek.
09:10Not for anything like that.
09:12But it's another Arsenal red card.
09:14And it's a problem he does need to address.
09:17Because it goes on and on and on.
09:21And it's the Achilles heel, really,
09:24of Wenger's otherwise supremely successful reign.
09:32Difficult bounces for Keown,
09:34who says to Taylor, his goalkeeper,
09:36come on, get this.
09:37And the youngster did.
09:43Three minutes to the break.
09:45Still nil-nil here in the Barclaycard Premiership.
09:50Between two of the big guns.
09:52It's Henri.
09:53Didn't get hold of it.
09:55Hasn't had much of a sight of goal so far,
09:58but only needs one, of course.
10:00That's an unfortunate bounce for Risa.
10:02Is Pires, was he bungled over by Risa there?
10:06Referee says no.
10:10But on that occasion, he didn't think Pires was diving.
10:16Murphy made that too hard for McAllister.
10:20Impossible, you could say.
10:22HENRI KANE
10:24HENRI KANE
10:26HENRI KANE
10:28HENRI KANE
10:30HENRI KANE
10:32HENRI KANE
10:34HENRI KANE
10:36HENRI KANE
10:38HENRI KANE
10:40HENRI KANE
10:42HENRI KANE
10:44Here's Kanu.
10:46Nice bit of work by him.
10:47And now Henri.
10:48Kanu again.
10:49Oh, and Jungberg's in here! And that must be a penalty, surely. Dudek was there.
10:57And what is the referee going to give here?
11:02Jungberg got in behind again, as he so often does.
11:07And Paul Durkin is having to make a lot of big decisions around here. This is in stoppage time.
11:13And Thierry Henry has the chance of his 22nd of the season.
11:26And it's Henry who puts it away. You just knew he would do.
11:31It was cleverly created by a 10-man arsenal. Henry did the rest.
11:36But give a lot of credit there to Freddy Jungberg's run behind the defenders.
11:41He wasn't picked up. And Henry, although Dudek moved a long, long time before that ball was hit,
11:50didn't matter in the end.
11:54Incredible finish to the half. The last few minutes especially.
11:58Giovanni van Bronckhorst sent off for Arsenal. Henry gives Arsenal the lead with the last kick of the first half.
12:06And halftime here then. It is Liverpool 0, Arsenal 1.
12:12Vladimir Smica, the Czech winger. One of two substitutions being made here by Liverpool.
12:20Seemingly endless debating points of this intriguing season go on.
12:30Plain fact of the matter is, Arsenal, yet again away from home, have their noses in front.
12:36Are they on their way to their 6th away win? The players are on their way to their 6th away win.
12:42Arsenal, yet again away from home, have their noses in front.
12:46Are they on their way to their 6th away win? The best travellers in the country, bar none.
12:52Heskey, we understand, did pick up a knock. He's got a slight ankle injury, that's why he's been taken off at halftime.
12:59But the other switch, Smica for McAllister, is a tactical one.
13:04That's come from the horse's mouth, so to speak, from the Liverpool bench.
13:08Here's Riise.
13:13Loughran doing well enough.
13:17Now will Arsenal try to sit on this?
13:21I suspect they will play contain and counter.
13:32That was Liverpool's first corner of the game, by the way.
13:36Played in again towards Murphy, who's getting forward rather a lot.
13:40Owen here with his back to goal, can he get free? It's Owen!
13:44And again, the 100th goal eludes him.
13:50But he made something out of almost nothing here, Michael Owen.
13:59Gerrard, and that's a poor ball.
14:06And so's that too, easily cut out by Ancel.
14:09Chance rather wasted by Arsenal for an incisive counter-attack.
14:16Smica.
14:19Liverpool just trying to get a little more fluidity into their work.
14:24Players roaming around from position to position.
14:28So it's not too much of a 4-4-2 straight jockey, but Ole!
14:36Well, almost by Osmosis.
14:40He drifted into that space there.
14:42Beautifully picked up here.
14:44Pires, lovely ball.
14:46And it was agony for Arsene.
14:53Pires again, easily goes past Gerrard,
14:56cuts it back and it's 2-0!
14:58Freddy Jungberg!
15:00It's incredible stuff, this!
15:06Arsenal, reduced to 10 men, have scored twice since.
15:14Questions here about Gerrard because Pires goes past him like he wasn't there.
15:18Lovely ball in and a super finish from the big game player,
15:22Freddy Jungberg.
15:24Scored against Manchester United, scored against Juventus,
15:28scores against Liverpool.
15:31Lovely goal.
15:33Brilliantly done by Arsenal.
15:35The happiest travellers in all of England.
15:43And things going wrong for Liverpool again against London opposition,
15:48as they did to some extent against Fulham.
15:51Two drop points in the 0-0 draw against Chelsea.
15:544-0 defeat and 2-0 down at home here to Arsenal.
16:03Phil Thompson can scarcely believe it.
16:07Different kind of reality for him just at the moment,
16:12after things had gone so very, very well in the opening phase
16:17after he took over from Gerrard Hullier in a caretaking capacity, of course.
16:24If Arsenal hold on to this, they move up from 6th place,
16:28which is where they were at the start of the play,
16:30after Chelsea's 5-1 win over Bolton, up to 2nd.
16:36They'll move ahead of Liverpool.
16:40All be it on goal difference.
16:45Smica.
16:46Wide for Rizzo.
16:49Now, Liverpool were bound to hit a bad patch.
16:53They'd gone 12 unbeaten up to last week.
16:58But I suppose the message is, even if it does go wrong here,
17:01to just hold their nerve.
17:05It is that kind of title race with everybody cutting everybody else's throats.
17:09It's not a game.
17:10It's not a game.
17:11It's not a game.
17:12It's not a game.
17:13It's not a game.
17:14It's not a game.
17:15It's not a game.
17:16Everybody cutting everybody else's throats.
17:18But they still might have something to say here.
17:20Litmanen.
17:21Rizzo.
17:23Herpy is in there.
17:24Couldn't get to it.
17:25Owen.
17:27And there's the goal.
17:29And it's Yari Litmanen, who was on the other end of it.
17:34I'm pretty convinced it was a missed shot, frankly, by Michael Owen,
17:39but it fell perfectly for Yari Litmanen to score
17:44his third goal of the season.
17:49Is this the way back?
17:52Well, if Owen meant that, he's an even better player than we thought.
17:55But I'm sure he was trying to score.
17:57Carragher.
17:59I think the Arsenal bench have just given Pires instructions
18:03to sit in front of Cole a little more,
18:06so that Smica has a bit less room on the right-hand side.
18:10And there are one or two gaps appearing,
18:12but Kiem's read that one pretty well.
18:14Thought they were ahead of Yari Litmanen.
18:20Lovely bit of play by Finland's greatest ever,
18:23and what a ball through to...
18:25And Berger has not taken the chance.
18:29That was a peach of a pass from Yari Litmanen.
18:33This is what he's all about.
18:35This is why he's been one of the great players of European football.
18:38Just look at that pass.
18:39Takes out one, two, three, four players,
18:41and Berger, criminally, really, from Liverpool's point of view,
18:45does not even get his shot on target.
18:47Doesn't even ask the goalkeeper a question.
18:51Now Cole has to cover.
18:57Liverpool turning up the heat.
19:03Smica.
19:06Berger.
19:07Berger.
19:08Oh, lovely turn onto that left foot.
19:10Patrick Berger!
19:11That is a whisker away from giving Liverpool the equaliser.
19:17It was a lovely piece of work, this, by the Czech international.
19:21Just look at that.
19:26Litmanen with the corner.
19:27Goalkeeper must have got something on him.
19:29Or a deflection, anyway.
19:30Risa.
19:31No.
19:38Well, he's had a couple of opportunities.
19:40The other one was much easier.
19:44Made something out of nothing.
19:46Might feel he owes the team a goal, Berger.
19:50And he nearly conjured it there.
19:51Look at that little drag.
19:54It's Parler.
19:55Youngberg, I should say.
20:02This is Parler.
20:09Askew.
20:10Youngberg.
20:11Youngberg.
20:12Youngberg.
20:13Youngberg.
20:14Youngberg.
20:15Youngberg.
20:16Youngberg.
20:17Youngberg.
20:18Youngberg.
20:19Youngberg.
20:20Youngberg.
20:21Youngberg.
20:23Arsenal trying to hold on to possession and save their legs a little.
20:27Youngberg.
20:29Oh, and a clever header from Henry, who got ahead of the defender.
20:32time is on the side of the gunners down goes Risa, free kick Liverpool
20:56Berger also on the turf
21:15Here's the free kick, still not away, Tardar helps it out
21:21Berger plays it back in again and Keown takes the view that anywhere will do and he's probably right, aren't you?
21:28Herpia helping it on and Murphy
21:32Seem to lose the ball at the crucial moment is Gerrard
21:40Berger again
21:43Murphy, Owen trying a little trick, Berger again
21:46Good block, Murphy and Loughran away this time
21:54Arsenal intent on keeping their concentration back there but this is this period late in the game
22:00where there might be some tired legs and minds, they've had a lot of work to do since the sending off
22:05Owen can't get through again, what a time for him to come up with his 100th goal if he can
22:16It would be the difference between Arsenal overtaking Liverpool or staying 3 points behind
22:24If Owen or anyone else in a red shirt come to that, could come up with a goal
22:34Arsenal are preparing to bring on another defender, surprise, surprise, Oleg Lushny, the big Ukrainian
22:46Maybe they'll take off one of the midfield players or forwards, maybe can't oversee
22:52But wait a minute, here's Litmanen, playing into the danger area and Owen could not apply the finishing touch
22:59That ball almost took a coat of polish off his boots, it was that close
23:07Murphy's shot, Litmanen's cross, there's the shot by Murphy and Owen who was onside
23:17Big question is how much time will be added, just about a minute left of normal time
23:25Carragher, good looking ball for Murphy
23:31Carragher again and a header just over the bar from would you believe it Patrick Berger again
23:40Well the ball seems to be attracted to him as if by magnetism
23:45And that ought to be it you'd think, Youngberg would try to take this into the corner
23:55Free kick, some tired legs out there now
23:58But Arsenal have shown a good deal of grit and character
24:02And they are going to keep up their amazing record of not having lost away from home in the Premiership this season
24:10And this is their 10th away game
24:15That's rather niftily done by Dudek
24:19And now we've had 5 minutes of added time, if Liverpool score now there might be a bit of an inquest about it
24:25But they're not going to, Arsenal and Arsene Wenger have the 3 points, that's a big win
24:32A huge win, lifts them from 6th to 2nd place
24:36And Arsenal get what is certainly their best 3 points I would say of the season to date
24:44And they move ahead of Liverpool who lose for the 2nd week running and have only 1 point out of 9 now
24:50Plenty to ponder for Phil Thompson, a full time score here in a dramatic controversial game
24:57Liverpool 1, Arsenal 2
25:03So Arsenal up to 2nd place, it wasn't the beautiful football that Wenger's team had become known for
25:08But they'd shown they could do it the hard way and grind out a victory
25:12Enough to make Phil Thompson scratch his head in disbelief
25:15But the evidence of Arsenal's superiority was there for all to see
25:18And an unbeaten away record throughout the season went a long way towards victory