Heavily bandaged Liverpool defenders Martin Skrtel headed a goal deep in stoppage-time to spare the Reds another deflating Premier League defeat as they snatched a 2-2 home draw with Arsenal on Sunday.
Though they were the inferior side for most of the match, Arsenal led with goals from French duo Mathieu Debuchy and Olivier Giroud, after Philippe Coutinho had put the hosts deservedly ahead.
However, Slovakian Skrtel, who required six minutes of treatment on a gashed head after being kicked by Giroud, thundered in a late header from Steven Gerrard’s corner to deny Arsenal and give the Anfield faithful some pre-Christmas cheer.
Photo: Reuters
Despite failing to earn all three points, Arsenal moved back into sixth spot on goal-difference above London rivals Tottenham Hotspur with 27 points from 17 games, four behind fourth-placed West Ham United in the last UEFA Champions League spot.
Leaders Chelsea can restore their three-point advantage over Manchester City if they beat Stoke City away yesterday.
Arsenal have now lost just one of their past seven meetings with Liverpool, who are languishing in mid-table after having lost 3-0 at Manchester United the previous weekend.
Photo: EPA
A lack of killer instinct seemed about to haunt them again on Sunday, as they enjoyed 65 percent possession and had four times as many goal attempts as the Gunners.
With each failure to find the net, thoughts inevitably drifted back to last season when, with Daniel Sturridge and Luis Suarez in harness, they blew Arsenal away 5-1.
In the end, they needed a defender to salvage something from all their hard graft.
Even Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger admitted that three points for his side, had Skrtel not equalized, would have been fortunate.
“We regret to concede on a set piece in the last minute, but overall maybe a fair result,” Wenger told Sky Sports.
The Reds dominated the opening half, but had to wait until the 45th minute before Coutinho punished Arsenal for conceding possession, switching the ball to his right foot and drilling past Wojciech Szczesny via the post.
The defensive gremlins that have also undermined Liverpool’s season returned immediately as Debuchy headed an unlikely equalizer in first-half stoppage time.
Giroud struck what looked like being the winner after a slick Arsenal counterattack, converting from close range in the 64th minute from Santi Cazorla’s cut back.
However, Skrtel’s last-gasp intervention leveled the score again to put Liverpool above Everton into 10th place on 22 points.
In St James’ Park, it was Sunderland’s Adam Johnson who played the decisive role in getting his team a 1-0 win at Newcastle United, but only after persuading manager Gus Poyet to let him stay on the pitch.
Poyet was about to substitute the winger after he missed an excellent chance in the closing stages, but changed his mind and was rewarded by a goal in the 90th minute.
It was a fitting goal to decide a high-octane derby and end Sunderland’s 10-match win drought.
Johnson, who has now scored on his last three visits to Newcastle said: “We’ve won three years in a row now, they must hate me here, three wins, three clean sheets.”
Poyet has come out on top in his past five meetings with Newcastle boss Alan Pardew while in charge of Brighton and Hove Albion and Sunderland, but was reluctant to gloat.
“I need to be careful and show respect to everyone at Newcastle,” he said. “There is no more confidence than you can get from beating your local rivals at their place, so there are no excuses now for next week.”
Pardew has now suffered the ignominy of becoming the first Newcastle manager to lose four successive Tyne-Wear derbies.
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