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  • Crouch (4), Crouch (35), Agger (60), Crouch (81)
  • Gallas (73)
  • Date:2007-03-31
  • Kick-off:12:45
  • Venue:Anfield
  • Attendance:43958
  • Referee:Bennett, S

Live Commentary

90mins

FULL TIME: Steve Bennett brings the game to a close and Anfield erupts as Liverpool have their first win over Arsenal after three failed attempts, thanks to a sublime performance from Peter Crouch.

90mins

Liverpool are going in search of another and Aurelio wins his side a corner, which is taken short by Alonso and held in the corner by Riise

90mins

The fourth official indicates three minutes of added time.

88mins

Aurelio plays an intricate one-two with Kuyt and flashes the ball across the face of goal, forcing a fine save out of Lehmann. The keeper does not get the credit for the save however, as the linesman flags for a goal-kick!

85mins

Arsenal will be happy to finish this match and put it behind them fairly rapidly, as they have a big match against West Ham at home next Saturday

83mins

Riise makes an immediate impact and strikes a trademark shot from distance but fails to beat Lehmann.

81mins

Emmanuel Eboue appears to have picked up a knock and is replaced by Justin Hoyte

81mins

John Arne Riise gets a run out for the final ten minutes and replaces Javier Mascherano

80mins

GOAL: PETER CROUCH picks up the loose ball and shows superb footwork, providing himself with an easy chance which he takes to notch his first club level hat-trick.

77mins

Liverpool are being worked a little harder than they probably expected in the closing stages of the game, and look a little uneasy. Ljungberg wins his side a corner, but it comes to nothing.

75mins

Arsenal work the ball well and look a lot more comfortable now. Toure ends the move with an ambitious effort from 25-yards which he drills wide of the target.

73mins

GOAL: Liverpool fail to deal with a Fabregas corner and Ljungberg's shot is parried by Reina into the path of WILLIAM GALLAS who eases the ball into the back of the net.

71mins

Ljungberg chips the ball over the head of Agger and Rosicky tries to get on the end of it, but Agger tracks back well and ushers the midfielder away from goal

68mins

Boudewijn Zenden takes the place of Mark Gonzalez

67mins

Carragher's clearance only goes as far as Eboue, 25-yards from goal and he strikes the ball on the volley but does not trouble Reina

64mins

The ineffective Julio Baptista makes way for Fredrik Ljungberg, who is still searching for his first Premiership goal this season.

64mins

Vassiriki Abou Diaby leaves the field and is replaced by Tomas Rosicky, who scored two goals at Anfield earlier on in the season.

63mins

Adebayor has looked like Arsenal's biggest threat today. He gets a head to a cross and Reina pulls off a magnificent fingertip save to tip the ball onto the post

62mins

Fabregas takes two corners in quick succession, both of which are good deliveries but his team-mates fail to capitalise.

60mins

GOAL: Fabio Aurelio whips a free-kick into the mixer and DANIEL AGGER makes it three with a delicate, flicked header from close range.

57mins

Gallas delays the pass and loses out to Crouch who nicks the ball and tries to slide a pass through to Kuyt, but Gallas recovers and gets a good challenge in

55mins

Steven Gerrard rather reluctantly walks off the pitch to be replaced by Dirk Kuyt - Rafa Benitez clearly looking to rest the skipper with Tuesday's Champions League clash in mind.

54mins

Xabi Alonso is cautioned for a tackle from behind on Fabregas.

53mins

Arsenal regain possession and go on a break. Adebayor performs a wonderful turn and strike on the edge of the box and hits the post with a low shot.

52mins

Gonzalez crosses for Gerrard who strikes the ball goal-wards and forces a good save out of Reina.

50mins

Arsenal have started the second-half a little less lethargically, but play still seems to be breaking down for them when they reach the final third.

48mins

Cesc Fabregas is shown his eighth yellow card of the season for a lunge on Xabi Alonso

46mins

Mark Gonzalez runs at Eboue and puts a low cross into the path of Crouch, but he cannot control the ball and Lehmann gratefully collects it

45mins

The second-half is underway and Liverpool kick-off

45mins

HALF TIME: Peter Crouch established Liverpool an early lead before adding to it ten minutes before half-time. It is a deserved lead for the home side who have looked much more threatening than the visitors.

44mins

Lehmann is booked as the players leave the pitch.

43mins

Javier Mascherano has been everywhere this first half, winning challenge after challenge and again prevents Arsenal from catching Liverpool on the break with a good interception.

41mins

Adebayor got a nudge from Carragher during the aerial battle for Clichy's cross, and play has stopped for the time being while he receives treatment.

39mins

Gael Clichy gets forward again and puts a cross into the six-yard box, but Adebayor misses the header and Liverpool clear the danger

36mins

Arsenal do not look like getting back into the game at the moment and their football is a little sloppy. Arsene Wenger may be forced to make changes to his side at half-time

34mins

GOAL: Mark Gonzalez receives the ball on the left flank and curls an exquisite cross into the danger area. PETER CROUCH leaps and produces a stunning header into the top right corner of Lehmann's goal

31mins

Adebayor pulls out to the left flank and receives the ball before running at the Liverpool defence. He slides the ball through to Baptista who slices his shot wide

28mins

Liverpool are a constant threat at the moment and look much more the dangerous side going forward

26mins

Liverpool come forward again with Crouch, who bursts into the box before striking a speculative effort goal-wards, but sends the ball wide.

25mins

Gerrard takes the corner and finds Carragher wide open at the far post, but he does not make the most of the opportunity and misses the target.

24mins

Gonzalez gets to the byline and crosses for Crouch who looks set to bag his second goal, but William Gallas puts in a vital interception, almost scoring an own goal in the process

21mins

Pennant takes the resulting free-kick and almost picks out Gerrard with a whippped cross. Arsenal fail to clear their lines, and the ball falls to Crouch who performs an acrobatic bicycle kick to get the shot away, but does not beat Jens Lehmann

20mins

Vassiriki Abou Diaby receives the first booking of the game for a rash challenge on Steven Gerrard

18mins

Gael Clichy crosses from deep but sends the ball straight into the arms of Jose Reina

16mins

Fabregas takes an Arsenal corner and picks out Emmanuel Adebayor whose header is inches away from levelling the scoreline

14mins

Arsenal are the comeback kings of the Premiership, bagging 18 points after coming back from a losing position, and so they should not be phased by the scoreline

11mins

Julio Baptista, who netted four goals at Anfield earlier on in the season, tries to break through the Liverpool defence after a good pass from Cecs Fabregas, but Jamie Carragher stops him in his tracks

9mins

Liverpool aren't giving the visitors any time on the ball and also look happy to pass the ball around patiently

6mins

Arsenal are shellchocked after the dramatic start to the game, and Liverpool go in search for another as Gonzalez crosses for Crouch again, but this time Kolo Toure is first to the ball

4mins

GOAL: Alvaro Arbeloa plays a neat one-two with Jermaine Pennant on the right flank before sliding a cross into the six-yard box and PETER CROUCH stabs the ball home

3mins

Fabio Aurelio slides the ball into the path of Mark Gonzalez, but Emmanuel Eboue stands his ground and prevents the winger reaching the ball

1mins

Liverpool win the ball early and Steven Gerrard tries his luck from range, but makes a mess of the shot and sends it high over the crossbar

0mins

These two sides have met three times already this season and Arsenal have come out on top each time, netting 12 goals along the way. The new Liverpool owners watch from the stands as referee Steve Bennett gets the game underway

0mins

Alvaro Arbeloa and Mark Gonzalez make the starting line-up, filling in for Steve Finnan and John Arne Riise. Peter Crouch returns from a broken nose, and Jermaine Pennant and Xabi Alonso take the places of Craig Bellamy and Momo Sissoko

0mins

Emmanuel Eboue returns from a three match ban and takes the place of Gilberto. Justin Hoyte, Tomas Rosicky and Fredrik Ljungberg drop to the bench, making way for Gael Clichy, Alex Hleb and Denilson.

0mins

LIVERPOOL STARTING XI: Reina, Arbeloa, Carragher, Agger, Aurelio, Pennant, Alonso, Mascherano, Gonzalez, Gerrard, Crouch. SUBS: Dudek, Riise, Fowler, Kuyt, Zenden

0mins

ARSENAL STARTING XI: Lehmann, Eboue, Toure, Gallas, Clichy, Hleb, Fabregas, Diaby, Denilson, Julio Baptista, Adebayor. SUBS: Almunia, Senderos, Rosicky, Ljungberg, Hoyte

Match Preview

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez could be forgiven for having half an eye on the full-time whistle during Saturday's early-kick off.

The Reds welcome Arsenal to Anfield but, with both clubs virtually assured of finishing inside the top-four and earning Champions League football again next season, the Spaniard will no doubt be thinking of the meeting he will have on Saturday afternoon with the club's new owners.

Benitez has been calling for talks with George Gillett and Tom Hicks for weeks and the American tycoons - who officially completed their takeover at Anfield this week - have scheduled a meeting with the Reds boss to discuss their plans for the future of the club after the match.

On the pitch, the Reds have stuttered in recent weeks and, despite the superb Champions League victory over Barcelona at the beginning of the month, they have won only one of their last five Premiership matches.

On their last outing two weeks ago they were held to a disappointing goalless draw by Aston Villa and Benitez will be looking for an improved showing in front of the new owners.

He will also be aiming for revenge on the Gunners after their three victories over his side already this season.

Back in December, the Gunners coasted to a 3-0 win at the Emirates Stadium, before back-to-back FA and Carling Cup exits at the hands of the Gunners in the space of three January days.

The latter was a 6-3 thrashing at Anfield which many Reds' fans found hard to stomach.

Arsenal travel north to Merseyside with a similar malaise in the Premiership hanging over their heads.

The Gunners slipped to a 1-0 defeat at Everton on their last outing in a sixth away defeat of the campaign, while captain Thierry Henry won't play again after picking up groin and hamstring injures in the Champions League exit at the hands of PSV Eindhoven earlier in the month.

However, manager Arsene Wenger looks set to freshen his side up by blooding more of the youngsters who performed so well in the club's run to the Carling Cup Final this season.

Wenger will also be boosted by the returns from suspension of Kolo Toure and Emmanuel Adebayor for their part in the Millennium Stadium brawl with Chelsea which cost both clubs a £100,000 fine this week.


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Match Report

Liverpool finally ended their Arsenal hoodoo with an emphatic 4-1 win at Anfield.

A brilliant hat-trick from an inspired Peter Crouch and a Daniel Agger header swept the Gunners aside in a deserved victory that banished painful memories of three earlier defeats for the Reds this season.

Liverpool raced out of the blocks with midfield maestro Steven Gerrard - playing as a make-shift striker - launching a pile-driver which flew over Jens Lehmann's bar in the first minute.

But only five minutes later Crouch capped off an exquisite move to fire Liverpool ahead.

Right-back Alvaro Arbeloa darted down the right wing before a deft one-two with Jermaine Pennant saw the Spanish newcomer surge into the box and cross for the gangly hit-man to slide in and score at the near post.

Crouch was in the mood and almost netted again, first with a trademark scissor-kick which Lehmann saved, and then with a deft chip after skillfully side-stepping Gunners centre-back Kolo Toure.

Arsenal should have scored when Julio Baptista was found unmarked in the box but the man known as "The Beast" - who single-handedly destroyed Liverpool in the Carling Cup - screwed his shot wide.

But Crouch was not to be denied, and the England striker put a rampant Reds 2-0 up ten minutes before the break.

Xabi Alonso found Fabio Aurelio on the left wing and the Brazilian crossed the ball to Crouch who towered above the Arsenal defence to plant a bullet header into the top corner.

Skipper Gerrard almost put the game beyond Arsenal ten minutes into the second half but his left-foot shot from a clever Mark Gonzalez cross was comfortable for Lehmann.

A minute later the Gunners swept up the field and came within inches of scoring, Emmanuel Adebayor's turn and shot struck the post as Jose Reina watched helplessly.

But the game was sealed on 60 minutes when Danish centre-back Agger met a curling Aurelio free-kick with a deft header that sneaked into the bottom corner.

The Londoners gave Rafa Benitez's men a scare with 17 minutes left when defender William Gallas headed in at the end of a goalmouth scramble.

This was Crouch's day though and the striker notched his first hat-trick for the Reds when he turned Toure inside out before slotting home past a despairing Lehmann.

Liverpool

Arsenal

Corners

27

Fouls

178

Goal attempts

1211

Shots off target

57

Offsides

03

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