Fate it seems is not without a sense of irony. As the desperately unfortunate Chris Kirkland lay at home with his knee and his season in ruins, his replacement Jerzy Dudek produced arguably his finest performance in a Liverpool shirt to earn the reds a point against Arsenal.
Emile Heskey’s late strike sent Anfield into fits of delirium, but it was the inspired display from the rejuvenated Pole that proved decisive at Anfield last night. Time and time again the much-maligned goalkeeper denied the Champions as Thierry Henry ran riot in the finest game of football Anfield is likely to see all season.
Liverpool will take most pleasure from twice being able to drag themselves back into the game after falling behind, when so many times their deficiency has been the failure to do so from a single goal.
Following a plethora of criticism in recent years for the lack of a positive approach, Liverpool really took it to their superior visitors tonight, but were hit early on by a typical Arsenal counter attack on just 8 minutes. Henry seemed certain to score as found himself clean though after being played in by Bergkamp, but Dudek saw his magnificent save rebound to Pires, who tucked the ball home.
After their start this was the last thing that the reds deserved, so many times against the top teams, Gerard Houllier’s side’s great undoing has been a tendency to allow teams to come on to them early in games, tonight they were looking to win the game from the first whistle to the last. Very encouraging.
Michael Owen and the inspired Emile Heskey both had opportunities to bring the reds level and both should have done better, but Henry, who is undoubtedly the worlds finest footballer at the moment continued to torment the Liverpool back line with his exhilarating pace and skill.
Several chances came his way, but Dudek was equal to them. The reds did not defend at all badly but the Frenchman is simply unstoppable as he passed like road-runner past the forlorn figures of Jamie Carragher and Stephane Henchoz. I fail to remember the last time Jamie Carragher was beaten by anybody, let alone totally left for dead.
The score could easily have been 3-3 at the break, but it was Liverpool who would have been more relieved as the half-time whistle blew.
The reds started the second period with much the same purpose and intention and should have been level as John Arne Riise wriggled his way through, but shot straight at Seaman, with his weaker right foot. The young Norwegian had an excellent game and is beginning to show the marauding form that made him such a hit at Anfield last season.
He made amends for his miss, just two minutes later as he drove a magnificent left-footed effort past the despairing dive of the pony-tailed one – who on possibly his final visit to Anfield received a great reception from the Kop – to send an already loud Anfield crazy.
The champions began to uncharacteristically panic and the earlier jibes of ‘Hoof’ from the hordes of arrogant Londoners – is there anything worse? – returned to haunt them as their side began to launch the ball to safety as the reds surged forward.
If Dudek was unlucky with the first goal, then the second simply rubbed salt in to the wound. Less than 10 minutes after pulling off a wonderful save from Henry’s free kick, Jerzy was forced to pick the ball out of the net again as Dennis Bergkamp’s weak 20-yard effort deflected off Henchoz, leaving the ‘keeper stranded.
Both sides continued to push forward at a frenetic place. Liverpool’s deliberate attacking style versus the lightning speed of the visitors’ counter-attacks. Dudek saved Liverpool twice more, once from Henry and another magnificent stop to push Gilberto’s long-range strike onto the crossbar.
Liverpool kept fighting, with Steven Gerrard driving the reds on and the introductions of Diao and Baros in place of the – for once – disappointing Murphy and the highly frustrating Bruno Cheyrou freshened things up somewhat.
It was Diao’s inch perfect cross in stoppage time that found Heskey at the back post who guided a header past Seaman for a dramatic late equaliser and his second league goal in successive games. A deserved goal it was too and his celebrations showed how much it means to him. Too often this season this kind of passion has been difficult to detect in games, but tonight, there was no hobbling and no sulking. Lets hope this is a sign of things to come.
Both sides would have taken a point before kick-off I’m sure, but it will be Gerard Houllier who emerged the happier of the two French bosses, with his team showing a never-say-die spirit that has been so lacking from their game this season. Liverpool have turned so many corners this season that they are starting to become dizzy, but this performance against the finest side in England and probably Europe, can only breed belief and confidence. This season is very much alive.
