FULL TIME: ARSENAL 3-3 LIVERPOOL- A Christmas Football

FULL-TIME

Arsenal 3-3 Liverpool

YES to Christmas football.

YES to entertainment.

NO to goalkeeping and defending.

• Coutinho heads opener (26)
• Salah curls home second (52)
• Sanchez gives Gunners lifeline (53)
• Xhaka thunders in equaliser (56)
• Ozil completes turnaround (58)
• Firmino levels things up again (71)
• Arsenal revert back to PL XI
• Ox on bench as ‘fab four’ start

ARSENAL 3-3 LIVERPOOL

And breathe! The referee calls time on a yet another pulsating Premier League encounter involving Arsenal and Liverpool. The visitors looked well on their way to another away win when goals from Coutinho and Salah put them two to the good. But a stunning Arsenal comeback turned the game around inside five minutes with goals from Sanchez, Xhaka and Ozil. The Gunners pushed for a fourth but back came Liverpool as Firmino’s strike provide another twist in this fascinating fixture. And that is how it ended as both sides settled for a point both will feel they could have won.

FOUR MINUTES added on. Plenty of time!

90 Mins; Jurgen Klopp looks at his watch and has a little laugh to himself. Not enough? Too much?Theo Walcott is on by the way, on for Alexis Sanchez.

88 mins: CLOSE! Theo Walcott is coming on now, but here come Liverpool again. Arsenal have no answer to the run through the middle from Gini Wijnaldum, he finds Mohamed Salah, who shoots into the side-netting!

Arsenal haven’t had that man in midfield for, ooh, years?

87 mins: As a neutral: CAN YOU PLAY THEM EVERY WEEK…?

85 mins; Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is roundly booed – but also applauded by some – as he comes on for Liverpool against his old club.

Time to win it?

81 mins: The error count in this game must be in the hundreds. The intensity of the game has forced so many of those errors but also led to a very entertaining game indeed. Mesut Ozil falls over and loses the ball and Emre Can gallops up the turf in the middle, he finds Mohamed Salah on the right but he can’t connect with his man in the middle.

79 mins:  CLOSE!

Good move from Arsenal though, freeing Hector Bellerin on the overlap and his shot is touched over. It was going over already in fact.

Danny Welbeck is on for Alex Iwobi.

SUBSTITUTION

Arsenal 3-3 Liverpool

Danny Welbeck is coming on, just to calm the game down a touch. Liverpool are back on the swingometer now, the momentum is with the men in the stewards’ orange kit.

74: What a game we have on our hands here – the pace at which these sides are playing is incredible. Mark my words, there will be more goals in this game. It’s a straight shootout for whoever can take their chances.

GOAL! ARSENAL 3-3 LIVERPOOL (Firmino, 71)

Liverpool haul themselves as Firmino lashes an effort towards goal from the edge of the area which proves too hot for Cech to handle. The Arsenal goalkeeper looks to have saved the initial effort but the momentum on the shot carries it over the line. Game on!

68: CHANCE! Ozil is really coming to the fore for Arsenal as he leads a counter which so nearly results in a fourth goal. The German breaks before spreading the play out to the right where Bellerin is released on the overlap. He fires the ball into Lacazette but Klavan is on hand to turn it behind for a corner.

“Teams always have belief they can get back into the games because of this Liverpool team’s reputation – they throw a lead away and we’ve seen it so often now. They keep teams believing there’s a chance they can come back.”

62: CHANCE! Liverpool have been on the ropes but their first venture forward since their defensive collapse nearly yields an equaliser as Firmino’s stunning cross with the outside of his boot finds Mane at the far post, but Cech stays big to thwart his effort.

GOAL – Arsenal 3-2 Liverpool

Mesut Ozil

Make it stop!

What a crazy, crazy, crazy game! Liverpool have fallen apart now! Mesut Ozil plays it into the feet of Alexandre Lacazette, his backheel is brilliant back into the German’s run and he clips it over Simon Mignolet and into the net.

Four goals in SIX minutes!

56 mins

 GOAL – Arsenal 2-2 Liverpool

Granit Xhaka

Keeper! What a game…

Granit Xhaka has been having a poor game but he’s pulled one out of the fire, thought this has to be filed as a Danny Baker Christmas blooper.

Xhaka takes aim from a good 25 yards, hits hit hard with his left foot, loads of movement on the ball but Simon Mignolet should save it. It’s in the middle of the goal, he tries to punch it with one hand and the ball whizzes into the net.

Three goals in four minutes!

GOAL – Arsenal 1-2 Liverpool

Alexis Sanchez

Lifeline!

Just as you were thinking that this could get really ugly for Arsenal they find a way back in to the game, Hector Bellerin whips in an early cross, Joe Gomez has a nightmare at the far post, he waits and waits and waits for the ball, Alexis Sanchez doesn’t, dives in and heads through Simon Mignolet’s legs.

GOAL – Arsenal 0-2 Liverpool

Mohamed Salah

Brilliant.

Well, it’s wonderful attacking play from Liverpool but it’s also so easy, Arsenal are spineless.

Liverpool win the ball back 15 yards from their own goal, it’s played to Mohamed Salah who carries it down the line, before finding Roberto Firmino.

Firmino spins and plays a great ball back into the run of Salah, who is not tracked at all. Jack Wilshere is nowhere near him. Salah gets the shot away, it takes a deflection and curls into the bottom corner.

49: CHANCE! My word, in an instant Arsenal find themselves on the back foot as Sanchez’s poor corner releases the visitors on the counter. Salah finds Mane out wide and he plays the Egyptian through on goal, where he draws Cech into a fine save.

48: That’s more like ti from Arsenal! Lacazette bursts into the area and drives a low cross into a dangerous area which is frantically hacked away.

46: Wilshere looks sharp in midfield, skipping away from Mane before knocking the ball around Milner and winning a free-kick.

ARSENAL 0-1 LIVERPOOL

KICK-OFF! Arsenal get the second half underway!

HALF-TIME

Arsenal 0-1 Liverpool

Plenty of boos and jeers from the stands – Liverpool could be over the hills and far away by now…

45: Jurgen Klopp is now exploding on the sidelines after Sadio Mane is tripped and no foul is given. He’s fuming.

He probably can’t believe that Mo Salah hasn’t made it 2-0.

44: James Milner plays it through, Laurent Koscielny slips and Mo Salah is in on goal. He takes it on his left foot, saved by Petr Cech!

Should have scored. The rebound loops up, Sadio Mane goes for a Mark Hughes special, scissor kick, over the bar!

Seconds later Salah has an air kick at another chance. Arsenal are lucky, lucky, lucky boys…

42:A midfield of Jack Wilshere, Granit Xhaka and Mesut Ozil is one of many attributes – but graft, pace and mobility are not top of the list. I thought that before kick-off and it’s been the case, they can’t get back when Liverpool attack at all.

Wilshere and Xhaka were trailing behind Philippe Coutinho as he ran into the area to score.

39 mins

Liverpool really in control – they’ll be gutted to only go in 1-0 up given the momentum in the last 15 minutes or so.

Liverpool really in control – they’ll be gutted to only go in 1-0 up given the momentum in the last 15 minutes or so.

39: Liverpool really in control – they’ll be gutted to only go in 1-0 up given the momentum in the last 15 minutes or so.

35: Nacho Monreal goes down holding his shin after making a challenge on Philippe Coutinho, who will take the free-kick too. He scored at this end last season.

Crosses this one, Dejan Lovren in space – chance! Arsenal’s defence falls apart and had Lovren made a telling contact across the box he had two men in dayglo orange waiting for a tap in.

32: CLOSE!

Alexis Sanchez has lost possession 11 times already. Liverpool are purring along now, they are all over Arsenal – oh and that’s nearly two! Roberto Firmino in space on the edge of the area and he plants a curling shot onto the roof of the net! So, so close.

‘Arsenal need to concentrate’

Arsenal 0-1 Liverpool

Jermaine Jenas

Former Tottenham midfielder on BBC Radio 5 live

Liverpool’s balance is far better. Emre Can and James Milner are playing a much more supportive role, while Arsenal are getting caught ahead of the ball.

Arsenal look far the worse side at the minute.

It is a really important end to this first half for Arsenal. They need to concentrate, tighten up, one goal and the game will be away from them.

They look like a team lacking confidence, they look like a team that don’t believe.

30: Alexis Sanchez doesn’t even try to make a tackle as Sadio Mane gets away from him. All is not well in the hosts’ camp.

29: When Liverpool whacked Arsenal up at Anfield Granit Xhaka and Aaron Ramsey were singled out for not covering midfield runs and the pattern hasn’t really changed.

Swap Ramsey for Jack Wilshere. Arsenal get flooded by men in orange again and Sadio Mane has a shot blocked.

‘Salah does what he does best’

The young left back got caught out of position, he drifts into a midfield part of the pitch and Mo Salah does what he does best, gets wide and in a one v one situation with Laurent Koscielny.

It’s a nightmare for him to have to deal with. Who is tracking Philippe Coutinho?

Liverpool have been the better side anyway, Arsenal have not got going.

26: GOAL – Arsenal 0-1 Liverpool

Philippe Coutinho

Who had a Philippe Coutinho header down for first goal?!

James Milner starts it, lovely whipped pass down the line from deep to send Mohamed Salah away, he backs up a defender and though his cross is half cut out, it loops up and Coutinho is able to flick a header over Petr Cech, who is rather caught in no-man’s-land…

Deserved lead.

23: GREAT SAVE!: Lovely move! James Milner starts it, Philippe Coutinho is involved and it is sent out to Andrew Robertson on the left. His cross is excellent this time, deep and whipped, Roberto Firmino is free beyond the back stick and his header is clawed out by Petr Cech.It was asking a lot to score from that angle but a good effort. The home fans growing restless.

22: CHANCE! Robertson whips an enticing ball into the area which Firmino meets. He tries to turn a header beyond Cech at his near post, but the Gunners stopper tips it behind for a corner.

21: Iwobi looks to inject some urgency into the Arsenal attack – which has been on the back foot for the past five minutes or so – but having drawn several Liverpool players towards the ball, his wayward pass out wide runs out of play.

19: Milner picks up the ball on the edge of area and plays a neat one-two with Firmino that looks to have put him through on goal, but Monreal intercepts for the Gunners.

15: Coutinho threads Robertson in behind Bellerin and the Scot whips an enticing ball into the area which Koscielny brilliantly blocks before it finds Firmino.

14: Salah has a run at Maitland-Niles down the left, cuts inside and picks out Coutinho on the edge of the area, but his left-footed effort drifts wide of the target.

13: SUB! So Liverpool forced into an early change with Henderson unable to continue. As expected, James Milner replaces the Reds skipper.

12: SHOT! Liverpool are momentarily down to 10 while Milner gets changed, but they maintain an attacking threat as Mane’s drive at the end of a bursting run deflects off Firmino and into the arms of Cech.

9: Cause for concern on the Liverpool bench as their captain Jordan Henderson goes down clutching his hamstring. James Milner races off the bench to warm up and it looks like Henderson’s night is over inside 10 minutes.

 7: Maitland-Niles gets the better of Salah in his first duel with the in-form Liverpool man, but he just takes a touch too many, playing it behind for a corner. Thankfully for the youngster, Cech rises high to gather the set piece into the Arsenal area.

5: Arsenal come forward against Sanchez’s deflected effort loops into the air to keep Liverpool on the back foot. It’s then worked to Xhaka on the edge of the area but he fires a tame effort wide.

3: End-to-end stuff here as Lacazette tries to bundles his way through the Liverpool defence before he is dispossessed and a lofted long ball nearly breaks for Salah.

2: Intriguing start to the game as both sides frantically close each other down in midfield as they jostle for control. Liverpool are renowned for their blistering starts against Arsenal in recent years but the Gunners have done well to address that.

KICK-OFF

Arsenal 0-0 Liverpool

Away we go! The Festive Football Schedule is officially under way…

In less than one-hour actions will kick-off in the Friday English Premier League fixtures between  Arsenal and liverpool at Emirate Stadium.

Below are the team line-ups for the match that will be referred by Martin Atkinson (England).

Arsenal name the same starting XI as the one that beat Newcastle in their last Premier League game. That means Alexandre Lacazette leads the line with Jack Wilshere in midfield and Ainsley Maitland-Niles at full back.

Arsenal: Cech, Bellerin, Koscielny, Monreal, Maitland-Niles, Wilshere, Xhaka, Iwobi, Ozil, Sanchez, Lacazette. Subs: Ospina, Walcott, Mustafi, Welbeck, Kolasinac, Coquelin, Elneny.

Arsenal and Liverpool Line-ups.

Former Arsenal winger Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain will have to come off the bench to face his former side. He is one of two changes made by Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp with Georginio Wijnaldum also dropping to the bench. Emre Can and Sadio Mane come back in.

Liverpool: Mignolet, Gomez, Lovren, Klavan, Robertson, Mane, Henderson, Can, Coutinho, Salah, Firmino. Subs: Karius, Wijnaldum, Milner, Lallana, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Solanke, Alexander-Arnold.