MX23RW : Thursday, April 25 23:27:38| >> :60:10:10:

Match Analysis: Arsenal 0-0 Liverpool

Sports Mole analyses the Premier League match between Arsenal and Liverpool at the Emirates.

Arsenal and Liverpool shared an entertaining goalless draw in the Premier League this evening.

Philippe Coutinho hit the bar early on for the Reds, before Aaron Ramsey had a goal harshly ruled out for offside.

Christian Benteke then saw a close-range effort saved by Petr Cech, and the goalkeeper pushed a strike from Coutinho onto the post, as the Reds made a strong end to the first half.

The Gunners dominated after the break, and Alexis Sanchez struck the post, but they were unable to find a breakthrough as they failed to score for the second home game running.

Here, Sports Mole takes a closer look at the events that unfolded at the Emirates.

Match statistics

ARSENAL
Shots: 19
On target: 5
Possession: 66%
Corners: 7
Fouls: 2

LIVERPOOL:
Shots: 15
On target: 8
Possession: 34%
Corners: 8
Fouls: 13

Was the result fair?

A draw was the fair result this evening, but both teams will feel that they could have won the match. Liverpool completely dominated the first half and had a number of opportunities to find the net. However, Coutinho was unfortunate to see two of his efforts hit the woodwork, while Cech made a couple of outstanding saves to keep the Gunners in the tie. Despite those chances for Liverpool, Ramsey had a goal ruled out early on for offside, when he looked to be in line with last defender.

Arsenal had been guilty of losing the ball cheaply in the opening half, but they came out strongly after the break and looked the side more likely to snatch the points. They had a great chance to take the lead when Sanchez hit the post, while Olivier Giroud forced Simon Mignolet into a fine save from his close-range strike. They continued to push Liverpool back deep inside their own half, but a winning goal proved elusive and they had to settle for a point.

Arsenal's performance

The Gunners were deprived of their first-choice central defenders this evening, as Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny were both ruled out, leaving Calum Chambers and Gabriel to fill the void. Their lack of playing time together was evident to see, as they made a nervy start to the match and were caught out of position frequently. Chambers was continuously guilty of giving the ball away in dangerous areas, and his performance rubbed off on those around him. Arsenal were fortunate to have Cech in such inspired form, as the keeper made some outstanding saves to ensure that the scores were level at the break.

Arsene Wenger must have had some strong words for his players at the interval, as they took a firm grip of the match in the second half and began to play their more familiar brand of football. Sanchez was able to get far more involved and he came close with a low strike that hit the woodwork. Although Wenger will have been pleased at the response from his side, he may be concerned by their lack of goals at this stage in the season, as they drew a blank at home for the second consecutive match.

Liverpool's performance

The Reds were good value for a point this evening, but they could easily have scored two or three goals in the opening half. However, they found Cech at the top of his game, while Coutinho saw two attempts his the frame of the goal. Benteke may feel that he should have scored with an effort from inside the six-yard box that was well saved, but the Belgian caused a number of problems for the Arsenal defence, who could not get to grips with his strength and direct approach.

Liverpool seemed to tire after the break, and they could not keep up the same intensity that they showed in the first period. They were pushed deep inside their own half of the pitch and endured long spells without the ball, as the Gunners put them under heavy pressure. It took a number of fine defensive displays and some good late saves from Mignolet to help them leave the Emirates with a point and a third clean sheet of the season.

Sports Mole's man of the match

Petr Cech:

The Arsenal goalkeeper was heavily criticised for his display in the club's opening-day defeat to West Ham United, but he proved his value with a superb performance this evening. He made a world-class save to deny Benteke from point-blank range, before tipping a powerful drive from Coutinho onto the post. Many pundits suggested that Cech would add a number of points to the Londoners' tally this season, and his saves tonight could prove crucial by the end of the campaign.

Biggest gaffe

Chambers must take a huge share of the blame for Arsenal's first-half display, after giving the ball away a number of times. He lost possession deep inside his own half and put his team under heavy pressure. The defender also struggled against Benteke, and he will be relived that his mistakes didn't cost his team this evening.

Referee performance

What next?

Michael Oliver and his officials got a huge decision wrong in the opening minutes, when Ramsey latched on to a pass from Santi Cazorla and slid the ball past the keeper, before seeing his goal ruled out. The replays showed that the Welshman was onside and it changed the complexion of the match.

Arsenal: Wenger's side are back in action on Saturday when they face Newcastle United at St James' Park.

Liverpool: The Reds are set to welcome West Ham United to Anfield in their next match on Saturday.

ID:241581: cacheID:241581:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:8402:No Data Analysis info
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Aaron Ramsey scores a goal for Arsenal that is disallowed for offside on August 24, 2015
Read Next:
Arsenal, Liverpool play out goalless draw
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
10am
Bublik
Carballes Baena
10am
Marozsan
Cerundolo
10am
Musetti
Seyboth Wild
10am
Paul
Klein
10am
Rublev
Bagnis
10am
Andreeva
Noskova
10am
Bronzetti
Rybakina
10am
Garcia
Wang
10am
Pavlyuchenkova
Saville
11.30am
Altmaier
Fils
11.30am
Martin Etcheverry
Shapovalov
11.30am
Alexandrova
Krueger
11.30am
Bucsa
Kasatkina
11.30am
Dolehide
Kalinina
11.30am
Jimenez Kasintseva
Paolini
11.30am
Linette
Sabalenka
1pm
Baez
Van Assche
1pm
Hurkacz
Draper
1pm
Bejlek
Kalinskaya
1pm
Cristian
Krejcikova
1pm
Kostyuk
Sherif
2pm
Zheng
Putintseva
2.30pm
Humbert
Van De Zandschulp
2.30pm
Darderi
Fritz
2.30pm
Boulter
Montgomery
3pm
Shevchenko
Alcaraz
3.30pm
Vondrousova
Rogers
4pm
Griekspoor
Daniel
4pm
Munar
Struff
5pm
Navone
Rune
7pm
Coric
Zverev
8.30pm
Collins
Danilovic
11.30am
Shang
Davidovich Fokina
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Arsenal34245582265677
2Manchester CityMan City33237380324876
3Liverpool34228475344174
4Aston Villa34206871502166
5Tottenham HotspurSpurs32186865491660
6Manchester UnitedMan Utd33165125150153
7Newcastle UnitedNewcastle331551369541550
8West Ham UnitedWest Ham34139125463-948
9Chelsea32138116157447
10Bournemouth34129134960-1145
11Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton331111115254-244
12Wolverhampton WanderersWolves34127154654-843
13Fulham34126165054-442
14Crystal Palace34109154456-1239
15Brentford3498175259-735
16Everton34118153648-1233
17Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest3479184260-1826
18Luton TownLuton3467214775-2825
19Burnley3458213769-3223
20Sheffield UnitedSheff Utd3437243392-5916


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!