VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS: Arsenal Vs Liverpool (2-2), Premier League 2013

  • Breaking
  • 30/01/2013

NB: Video on this article has been removed in accordance to international license restrictions.

By Greg Robertson

Hello and welcome to Emirates Stadium where we have a mouth-watering match in the making – Arsenal hosting Liverpool.

Liverpool will be looking to put the Oldham loss behind them, and improve on their one win in 11 matches against the home side. If Luis Suarez gets going and adds to his 16-goal tally, then it will be on the table but the Gunners have a couple of weapons of their own in the form of Theo Walcott (10 goals) and Olivier Giroud (braces in the past two games).

We bring you live streaming written commentary, video highlights (available immediately AFTER the final whistle) and all the action of the English Premier League.

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Fulltime... that's it folks and we've fought out a draw. ALL VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS ARE NOW UP

93 mins: Ohh Suarez was close and blasts one for the Arsenal keeper to push it wide.

90 mins: Four minutes added time.

88 mins: Giroud misses and open net from four yards! How'd that happen? I'll tell you how - it got caught under his feet. Video of the highlights up soon! Suarez then blasts one over the top.

85 mins: Giroud being booked for a dive as he touched and went past Agger. Hard to tell.

84 mins: Giroud with a shot from distance has Reina scrambling, gets down to it but the ball squeezes from his hands and out for a corner. Giroud again with a chance, heads the corner well over the crossbar.

82 mins: The classic counter from a Liverpool corner at the other end and it's Cazorla that lets rip with a shot that angles just past the Liverpool post.

78 mins: Getting a bit titchy out there... Liverpool obviously gutted at losing a two goal lead so easily and Arsenal pumped with adrenalin as they throw everything forward. The Gunners have 'em hemmed in again. Wilshere winning a free kick on the corner of the box after a telling angle run and three wall passes. Cazorla on the ball... drives it in and the big Mertesacker who had been sent forward gets a glancing head to it, wide and high.

71 mins: It's all Arsenal. Walcott with another strike, this time sizzling just wide of the right-hand upright.

66 mins: GOAL Arsenal! It's 2-2. Ball bounces around in the area like a steel round thing in a pinball machine. Arsenal reset, and a lovely lay off to Walcott who smashed it home from a decent angle. The volume gets turned up in Emirates. Goals tend to do that at home. Especially two goals in two minutes and 24 seconds.

64 mins: GOAL Arsenal!!! Giroud finds himself free on the back post from a free kick and just nods it into the net with very little effort. Game on again.

60 mins: Henderson SCORES for Liverpool. Sheer persistence. Santos was not strong enough, was fended off, and Henderson has a crack, gets the rebound back after Szczesny charges out and then Henderson slots it into an open net. Liverpool leads 2-0.

57 mins: Lucas argues his point saying he got a piece of the ball as Wishere falls flat on his face. No arguing will chance the official's mind and it's a free kick in a dangerous position - eight yards outside the box. Podolski gets two bites of the cherry but the wall does its job both times.

54 mins: Magical bending ball into the back post is met by a charging Walcott, his head flies just over the bar.

51 mins: Podolski goes down in the area amid screams for a penalty but there was nothing in that. Arsenal with some quick feet in tight to work themselves into the chance.

47 mins: Well it came to nout but that was great play from Liverpool with Sturridge injecting himself down the left then Suarez , Downing and Henderson all involved as the play swept across the park - Arsenal only able to watch.

46 mins: Second spell is underway, no changes.

HALFTIME - Arsenal 0 v Liverpool 1

44 mins: Ohhhh Santos plays the Liverpool players on and Szcezesny is caught in no man's land... Henderson puts a foot on it to kill it dead, looks up at the open net and floats it... ohhh, too high. Should have been 2-0 there.

42 mins: Wishere too sharp for Lucas and he combines with Walcott, back to Wilshere... back and forth about and then Giroud gets a good header to it. Straight to Reina and he pads it down.

38 mins: Arsenal with the change as Gibbs is taken off and Santos comes on at the back. Dangerous ball in from the free kick tests that defence but Agger is caught offside. Class that from the Arsenal backline as they step up and extinguish the fire.

34 mins: Ramsey wins another Arsenal corner. It's a swinger, hits Agger on the legs and he's then able to clear. That flew past about three Arsenal heads and none were able to get a dangerous touch on it. Could that be the order of the day for the home side?

31 mins: Suarez bustles Sagna off the ball in defence. Sick of writing his name already - but Suarez is everywhere.

29 mins: Suarez with acres of room as he marshals himself all over the park. He shoots, wide. Arsenal aren't using a man marker and passing him on which is creating plenty of opportunities up front for the Uruguay international, particularly off the break.

27mins: Mertesacker gives the ball away and as a result it's Suarez swathing through the penalty area - foot in for a corner. From the corner Szczesny didn't get there... Agger heads to the open net but the post guards do their job.

25 mins: Walcott free again but his first touch takes the round thing away from goal and the advantage is lost. That was a ripper through ball from Cazorla.

24 mins: Roberto Mancini in the stands checking out City's next EPL opponents (Liverpool). Nice hat Roberto, why didn't you just wear a bucket on noggin?. He would have loved Gerrard clearing the danger ball then. Podolski with a break 10 yards inside touch down the left and tries to centre, enter Gerrard with a telling clearance as the scarmble was on.

20 mins: Whoaaaaaa Walcott with the afterburners on just going around Liverpool players like they are statues stuck in mud... then delivers a poor cross directly to the willing arms of Reina.

17 mins: Wilshere with an intruding dribble through the heart of the defence showing some silk, an Agger boot in foils what could have been. Arsenal starting to pitch some tents in the Liverpool half. It's like this, pass, pass, turn, pass... dribble (Wilshere), pass, pass, pass, foot on ball, pass, dribble (Wilshere), pass, pass, foot in, throw, Arsenal. Giroud blasts one over the top and Liverpool set for their first defensive corner - away by Agger but not for long as gaps open up in the 'pool defence. Vermalen with the first chance then Walcott tries to bend one bottom corner but Reina is too good for that.

 

10 mins: Game starting to open up a touch and Suarez has opened up the Arsenal defence a couple of times with some telling balls... Giroud now though for Arsenal with a chance that's sprayed wide of his right peg after Podolski offered some good work down the left-hand touch. The fast break is on at either end.

7 mins: Ohh Walcott with the chance to put things back on level terms - should have done better. Found himself all and eying Reina in the Liverpool goal but couldn't get a clean strike on it.

5 mins: GOAL Liverpool. Suarez tucks it away. That was a mess. Sagna fell over and Johnson got away down the left, crosses and Sturridge should have scored himself but his shot is deflected to Suarez who tucks it away after a deflection.

2 mins: Arsenal with the early ball as each try to feel the other out... Emirates in full voice. Suarez with his first touch wins a corner as Sagna does some great defending. Giroud away partially with the header and Sturridge stutters the ball into touch.

We're underway...

Arsene Wenger asked if making six changes from a winning side is harsh... his response, "It is." Wenger says he can't afford to drop points anymore. Liverpool's Brendan Rodgers bantering about the club's new signing... fleshed passed Oldham after taking the blame himself for shifting the team about and it's time to move on and get a result at Emirates.

It doesn't really matter what's at stake - this is Arsenal V Liverpool, it's on.

The teams are in... Arsenal: Szczesny; Sagna, Mertesacker, Vermaelen, Gibbs; Ramsey, Wilshere; Walcott, Cazorla, Podolski; Giroud Liverpool: Reina, Johnson, Agger, Carragher, Wisdom, Lucas, Gerrard, Henderson, Downing, Suarez, Sturridge

Kick off is not far away but in the meantime, for the Liverpool fans out there wanting to forget about the Oldham Athletic match, watch the 5-0 thrashing of Norwich.

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Possible teams

Arsenal (from): Szczesny, Gibbs, Koscielny, Mertesacker, Sagna, Podolski, Cazorla, Walcott, Ramsey, Wilshere, Giroud, Mannone, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Santos, Arshavin, Jenkinson, Diaby, Rosicky.

Liverpool (from): Reina, Jones, Gulacsi, Wisdom, Agger, Skrtel, Johnson, Enrique, Gerrard, Lucas, Henderson, Sterling, Sturridge, Suarez, Carragher, Coates, Robinson, Shelvey, Suso, Downing, Borini, Allen.
Referee: Kevin Friend; Assistants: S Ledger, D England; Fourth official: J Moss

Pregame Banter

Ahead of the club's Premier League match at home to Liverpool, manager Arsene Wenger said he was not worried about a potential response from the Merseysiders following their shock FA Cup exit at the weekend - Liverpool lost 3-2 to Oldham, who reside in England's third tier of football.

Once Premier League heavyweights and regular title contenders, Arsenal and Liverpool are struggling to even secure the minimum achievement of qualifying for the Champions League ahead of their meeting at Emirates Stadium.

Both teams have been left behind in recent years because of the continued excellence of Manchester United and the rise to prominence of big-spending Manchester City and Chelsea.

That trio is fighting for the title once again this season, leaving fourth place - and the final Champions League spot - as the best Arsenal and Liverpool can realistically hope for with 15 matches remaining.

Liverpool can move level on points with sixth-place Arsenal by winning at the Emirates for the second straight season and start making amends for the team's humiliating FA Cup loss to third-tier club Oldham.

"Everyone in the dressing room is completely devastated," Liverpool midfielder Joe Allen said. "It's the worst feeling in football. It hurts and I feel sorry for the fans."

Arsenal scraped past second-tier club Brighton 3-2 to avoid joining the glut of Premier League teams to be humbled by lower-league opposition in the FA Cup this weekend.

Olivier Giroud scored twice that game, adding to his double against West Ham in Arsenal's 5-1 win last Wednesday. With his tally now up to 13 for the season, the tall France striker is slowly beginning to find his feet in English football after his move from Montpellier.

"He could have played 20 years ago in England, he could played 10 years ago in England and he can play today, because he has everything you need to play centre forward," Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said of a striker who is being described as a typically English No. 9.

"He has great physical presence. Usually we go more for mobile players who are just on the move but he gives us something different."

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