If Gooners had not enough astonishing results this season, the score Tottenham ealier in the year at the Emirates repeated. Arshavin gave the Londoners another terrific appearance netting four, being the last time an Arsenal player did this was, curiously enough, against Livepool away courtesy of Julio Baptista in 2007 Carling Cup's edition.
After a taste of glory against Villareal and a disaster against Chelsea the Gunners made another thunderous performance against Liverpool at Anfield. Bad news for the Gunners were Adebayor and van Persie muscular injuries and if there is something that Arsenal could have in favour next season should not be luck or anyhting like that but an injury-free squad. Many of the problems that Arsneal faced this season, as many previous, is the injury-spree in which some players, if not the entire team, has brought up. Long time absentees Eduardo and Silvestre could have made an impact in the season if it were not for the common groin and harmstring tormentors. Cesc and Theo's injuries were enough to sideline them a full round of the tournament but their impact was lesser than, lets say, Adebayor. I will not talk about Bischoff nor Rosicky for they are directly headed into the Jav's Arsenal injured players awards.
To me the prospect of facing current title contenders was enough to hope that at least the Londoners could have been beaten by a wide mark but the visitors stood ferociously and by far gave us the best match in the season. If there were any contenders this time the winner seems to be one, if, in any case we are not surprised in late May.
Liverpool began the match in the most outrageous of ways: a Torres shot at 3', while numerous attempts from Reina to find the Spaniard in front. Toure did enough to keep twice or thirce the goal of Arsenal. Cesc remained now in the loosest position in front of the midfield that has ever be seen on an Arsenal game. Still the Torres threat was wandering the box while Arsenal's centerbacks were confused by his deceiving movements. The Liverpudlians recurred several times to the long balls and while their possession increased the visitors showed some actions worth of a lead. Late in the first half the lead came from the Russian Arshavin at the 36th minute. Nasri talented pass and dribbling set Fabregas on side who put Arshavin and netted past Reina. In one of the most beatiful plays of the season and due to the mistake by Mascherano Liverpool gave the lead far too easily. The half ended with tempestuous attempts by Livepool, all safe by Fabiasnki.
With seven goals in forty five minutes another spree of mistakes and talented sparks came from both sides of the pitch. The early equalizer by 'Niño' Torres came by yet another defensive distraction by Arsenal defense. Sagna and Toure gave away the second goal, by Benayoun at 52', while Fabiasnki looked defeated in front of the goal. It was obvious that with the defensive wreckage that home squad was about to get the lead in any minute. Walcott came in for Denilson whose dismal and fainted appearance brought Cesc again to the midfield position. But exactly the opposite happened when in two minutes Arshavin completed his hattrick: the first after another defensive mishap and with a thunderous volley added the second mark to his toll at 67'; the third came by yet another defensive mistake that was endorsed by the miscare of Aurelio this one at 70'. The best of the match was yet to come. Torres, added to his personl account the second, when he gave a class of an inbox definition. The match, equalized at three, was certainly becoming one of the best matches of the year if not the season.
The last ten minutes of the match were a taste of the best football in the world. Gibbs saved Arsenal's goal while Liverpool's push was too much for certain players, as Silvestre, to handle. The animated Gunners reached as well as Liverpool the final goal that put any of them ahead. But both teams negate themselves. Arshavin's dramatic and unbelievable fourth goal came on 90' when Theo set him after a counter. Benayoun, at 93' equalized again. In one of the most dramatic and epic matches Liverpool lost the title, but in what way! As Juan Manuel Pons stated Liverpool lost the title against Arsenal in the same way that the Gunners lost their chance over a year ago.
The final part can lead us to certain conclusion about the current state of world football, not just the way it is played, one-touch with agile forwards but with the strikers themselves. The best players for each team were Arshavin and Torres. This gives us a hint that the best footballers in the pitch were strikers and that the fact that these point takes us is that there are two options; that both are extremely talented or that the defenses are all over the place. Well, dialectically enough are both. I will explain it later in a post about the current state of world football, a qualitative study.
Reactions among media were not exaggerated since as I do, many people would find an eight goal thriller far more than just amusing. Arsenal's official page put many links although the best was a recount of the scorers to reach an away 4-goal or 5-goal mark. In the blog and internet community things resulted calmer. For example Arseblogger referred to the match as "an extraordinary game of football" . While at Another Arsenal Blog, though not 1979 Gooner, mentioned "incredibly entertaining, yet somehow not very fulfilling".
And my main reference to Gunner criticism, David Young at Soccernet's Blogs, described the match as "kamikaze football." Strangely enough he ignored the match, and maybe this new format of blog post is decreasing both quantity and quality of one of the most asserted football critics in the net. If there was one time when he managed to deploy endless columns with criticsm now he is reduced to a post-like theme, with a word limitation.
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