Liverpool 3-6 Arsenal
Stunned Liverpool were humbled in their own back yard by Arsene
Wenger's youngsters and sent tumbling out of the Carling Cup on the
back of a 6-3 hiding.
On Saturday they had been knocked out of the FA Cup by Arsenal's
senior stars, but four days later Thierry Henry and Co were not
needed to secure a League Cup semi-final showdown against
neighbours Spurs.
Liverpool's misery was compounded by seeing Mark Gonzalez and Luis
Garcia carried off on stretchers with serious leg injuries, but not
even that could explain away such an embarrassment.
The Kop blamed referee Martin Atkinson for some debatable
decisions, but this reverse was too emphatic for that to be used as
an excuse.
Julio Baptista scored four and saw a penalty saved Liverpool's
defence was torn to shreds.
Arsenal have now beaten Liverpool three times this season, and
scored 12 goals in the process, underlining their superiority over
a shell-shocked Anfield outfit.
At the weekend boss Rafael Benitez complained that Arsenal had been
able to buy expensive match-winners beyond his means, but now the
north Londoners have shown their youth production line is pretty
good too.
Arsenal sent out a side with six teenagers in the starting line-up
and just two of the team that beat Liverpool 3-1 in the FA Cup on
Saturday, but interestingly only Justin Hoyte who had come through
their academy system, the rest being young imports.
Liverpool, also with initially only two retained from their FA Cup
exit - and Steven Gerrard would not have played if this tie had not
taken on such an importance - were left shell-shocked by a
four-goal first-half blast.
Misfortune started after just five minutes for Liverpool when
Gonzalez was carried off.
The Chile winger attempted a tackle and went down with his left leg
buckled under him. He needed five minutes of treatment, oxygen on
the pitch and fears of a serious leg injury.
Luis Garcia was instantly into the fray, giving Liverpool a far
more experienced look than Arsenal, even if the Merseysiders had
local lads Danny Guthrie and Lee Peltier on show.
The Gunners were ahead on 27 minutes. Kolo Toure lifted a long ball
down the left channel, and Jeremie Aliadiere glided into a massive
gap between Peltier and Gabriel Paletta before beating a startled
Jerzy Dudek at the second attempt.
Alexandre Song was booked for a trip on Robbie Fowler, and that
paved the way to a Liverpool equaliser five minutes later.
Fabio Aurelio, in a midfield role, drilled in a free-kick that was
pushed away by Manuel Almunia only for Luis Garcia to square the
ball for Fowler to neatly flick home from a yard out.
Arsenal were fortunate to win the free-kick that saw them take the
lead on 40 minutes, Denilson making a meal of a collision with
Paletta that enraged Gerrard, who was waving angrily for the
Brazilian to get on his feet.
But that did not stop Julio Baptista curling a fine free-kick over
the wall and just inside the post, leaving Dudek stranded.
But the real damage was done in the six minutes of injury time -
most of it for Gonzalez - when Arsenal scored twice in front of a
stunned Kop.
First Dudek missed a Cesc Fabregas corner, the ball hitting Sami
Hyypia and bouncing into Song before finding the net.
Two minutes later Aliadiere looked fractionally offside when he
played a one-two with Baptista, allowing the big Brazilian to
sidefoot into an empty net.
It could have been worse on 56 minutes when Hyypia was adjudged to
have brought down Aliadiere in the box, but Dudek produced a fine
save to his right to beat away Baptista's penalty.
Xabi Alonso was on soon after in place of Stephen Warnock, who was
still struggling with a back injury from the first period.
But Baptista soon had his hat-trick, taking a cross from Aliadiere
that evaded Gerrard before driving a 20-yard shot perfectly inside
Dudek's left-hand post on 60 minutes.
There was still some fight left in Gerrard, and he pulled one back
with a fine hooked volley from a Paletta pass in the box seven
minutes later.
Liverpool suffered another bad injury when Luis Garcia went down
heavily after a challenge by Hoyte.
The Spaniard was also carried off, his right leg immobilised, Jamie
Carragher coming on as substitute.
Arsenal also brought on Abou Diaby, back after eight months out
with a broken ankle, for Theo Walcott.
Liverpool still kept coming forward and after Gerrard's free-kick
had hit the bar, Hyypia headed home Paletta's cross on 80
minutes.
Peltier had a goal disallowed, Carragher saw a drive tipped over by
Almunia, but it was little more than bravado as Arsenal's new
generation stormed to an emphatic victory. Soccernet.
