Arsenal vs Liverpool: Goalkeepers star in stalemate at Emirates

Liverpool's 100 per cent start to the season ended with a hard-fought goalless draw against top-four rivals Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Monday.

Arsenal were indebted to goalkeeper Petr Cech - at fault for West Ham United's goals in a 2-0 opening-weekend defeat - in the first half after he produced a string of stunning saves to keep an impressive Liverpool at bay.

Arsenal improved and enjoyed the better of proceedings in the second half but were unable to breech a stingy Liverpool defence which has yet to concede in three matches this season.

Liverpool sit third with seven points - two behind early pace-setters Manchester City - while Arsenal, touted as serious title contenders before the season, have had an indifferent start and are ninth with four points.

"When you start your first game with a new club and everything goes wrong for you individually you need to go back to work and bounce back and this is what I tried to do," Cech told Sky Sports.

"I was in the right place at the right time and I helped the team overcome difficult moments in the first half. It's hard to believe after all the chances it finished 0-0"

Having been humbled 4-1 on their last visit to the Emirates Stadium, Liverpool made an early statement on a wet night in north London with Philippe Coutinho rattling the crossbar in the third minute.

That early scare brought Arsenal to life and only the narrowest of offside decisions denied Aaron Ramsey an opening goal five minutes later.

Arsenal were without experienced defenders Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny and their replacements Gabriel Paulista and Calum Chambers looked nervous against the physical Christian Benteke and skilful Coutinho.

Arsenal commanded the majority of possession but it was Liverpool who carried the greatest threat against the hosts' disjointed defence.

Cech was called into action to deny first Benteke, with a stunning reaction save, and Roberto Firmino in quick succession.

Cech had to be at his brilliant best again to tip Coutinho's goal-bound shot onto the woodwork as Arsenal desperately held on before halftime.

The Gunners came out with far more conviction after the break and Santi Cazorla and Olivier Giroud combined to create a the space for Alexis Sanchez to fire against the post.

Liverpool were proving a tough nut to crack with Giroud, Ramsey and substitute Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain were all denied by Simon Mignolet as the visitor's defence stood firm.

FULL-TIME

Arsenal 0 Liverpool 0

In what was an electrifying match which however failed to produce a goal, Arsenal and Liverpool played out a goalless draw at the Emirates Stadium on Monday night.

Petr Cech, it was, who stole the limelight in the first half, making amends for his goof ups against West Ham in the Gunners' opening match, by bringing off some eye-catching saves, while the second half belonged to his counterpart Simon Mignolet who hogged the show with some outstanding saves thus making it an electrifying match which had everything but a goal to add the icing on the cake.

95" That's the final whistle and it's goalless.

93" Mignolet again in te spotlight diving to his left to parry away Gabriel's shot.

92" Dejan Lovren covers some 60 yards with the ball but on reaching the Arsenal box surrenders it.

90" Four extra minutes added.

87" Arsenal have Liverpool on the rack here but Mignolet is standing tall in goal, once again rising high to deflect a ball which unmarked Sanchez was waiting for.

84" Chamberlain has his first touch and almost makes it count wiith his bullet-like shot which goes a bit wide.

82" Mignolet shows quick reflexes to save a certain goal as he is wrong-footed diving first to his right and then to his left after the ball deflected off a defender.

78" Substtutions by both teams. Theo Walcott replaces Giroud and Chamberlain does so for Coquelin. For Liverpool, Jordan Rossiter comes in for Lucas Leiva.

76" YELLOW! Jow Gomez is booked.

71" If Cech was brilliant in the first half it's Mignolet's turn to receive plaudits as he brings off another good save to deny Ramsey's 25-yard shot from entering his net.

69" Mignolet pulls off a blinder from close to deny Giroud from scoring what looked like a sure goal.

65" Arsenal are pressing Liverpool deeper and deeper and the cracks are starting to show in the visitors' rearguard. Olivier Giroud is only a whisker away from poking home a teasing low cross.

64" Firmino is replaced by Jordon Ibe.

64" YELLOW! Gabriel is booked.

60" YELLOW! Skrtel is booked, making it the first booking of the match.

58" Quality stuff from Arsenal. Cazorla finds Giroud in the box. He stretches his left leg to fend the ball to Sanchez who has a crack from 8 yards but hits the side netting.

At the other end Coutiunho tests Cech with a long range shot and the goalkeeper shows a safe pair of hands.

53" Arsenal are looking a transformed side, getting into the Liverpool box time and again. But that finishing touch is missing as Giroud showed on two occasions kicking poorly.

50" For the first five minute Arsenal seem to be playing with a bit more purpose in the second half. Some quick, precise and controlled passing has the Liverpool players running in circles. But Arsenal will need to make that count.

Half-time

Arsenal 0 Liverpool 0

Petr Cech made some brilliant saves and the crossbar too came to Arsenal's rescue on a couple of occasions as the Gunners managed to keep a clean slate (0-0) in the first half against Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium.

Philippe Coutinho struck the crossbar as early as the 3rd minute and again against the run of play when his curling shot should have found the net but for Cech's brilliant lunge to get his fingertips to it and crash it against the post.

Benteke was Liverpool's culprit when he missed from close but credit to Cech again for making a save.

Arsenal had just one good chance when Sanchez hearder from close sailed over.

45" The long whistle is blown and it's half-time.

43" Coutinho beats an outstretched Cech but is denied a goal by the post. Liverpool can't believe their luck.

37" Benteke misses a sitter with only Cech to beat and makes a mess with Cech coming up with a brilliant save. Off the corner Cech is again tested and comes out with flying colours.

33" Gabriel does well to avert danger as Coutinho was in the clear after the Arsenal players were left appealing for off side which wasn't the case.

28" Ramsey tries to find Sanchez with a curling pass. The Chilean lunges forward but can't get his head to it even as Mignolet is flummoxed as to which angle to cover.

24" Coutinho opens the Arsenal defence and Milner is on his way but ends up with a poor kick to give Cech time to make a save. Milner ends up holding his head in his hands.

22" Benteke feels cheated. He expected a penalty after he went down from a tackle by Coquelin. It did look close though as the tackle was from behind.

17" Liverpool counter attack from a corner. A good long clearance from Milner has Coutinho giving it a solid charge but Bellerin just pips him to the ball and clears it to safety. 

13" There's confusion in the Arsenal box now as Cech relays the ball to Bellerin who tries to find Coquelin but Benteke swoops onto the ball. Luckily for Arsenal Coquelin retrieved the ball.

8" GOAL DISALLOWED! Cazorla breaches the defence with a lovely ball to Ramsey who beats Mignolet in goal and is in celebration mood until the linesman raises his flag for off-side.

7" There's chaos in the Liverpool box and Sanchez got his foot to it from the melee but there was no power or direction to the shot. 

5" It's Arsenal's turn to rock Liverpool as Monreal crosses from the left into the box. Giroud and Sanchez go for the header with the latter getting his head to it but nods over.

3" Liverpool almost struck first blood when Philippe Coutinho struck the crossbar with a shot from the top of the box. A minute earlier Coutinho had exposed the Arsenal defence with a breakthrough to find Benteke who muffed his shot kicking wide from close.

The match gets under way at the Emirates Stadium.

A sell-out crowd braved the rains to attend the match. Wenger walks across to wish Rodgers as the stage is set for what should be a mouth-watering clash.

Kick-off in 5 minutes. It's been raining at the venue.

Both the teams are out limbering up with 10 minutes to go for the start of play.

We are 30 minutes away from kick-off at the Emirates Stadium.

The situation reads like this before the match. If Arsenal lose tonight they will be six points behind Manchester City, while victory would put Liverpool on par with City, six points ahead of the Gunners, five ahead of Chelsea and two ahead of Manchester United.

Arsenal make two changes with Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker making way for Gabriel and Calum Chambers.

Roberto Firmino makes his first Liverpool start with Emre Can and Lucas Leiva bolstering midfield.

STARTING XI

Liverpool: Mignolet, Clyne, Skrtel, Lovren, Gomez, Milner, Can, Lucas, Firmino, Coutinho, Benteke.

Arsenal: Cech, Bellerín, Gabriel, Chambers, Monreal, Coquelin, Cazorla, Ramsey, Ozil, Sanchez, Giroud 

TEAM NEWS

Mathieu Flamini is a doubt with an ankle problem for Arsenal otherwise Arsene Wenger is likely to keep faith with the team that sealed their first win of the season.

Emre Can is fit for Liverpool but their captain Jordan Henderson is a major doubt after limping off against Bournemouth with a foot problem.

STAT ATTACK

Arsenal have lost just one of their last 15 Premier League home matches against Liverpool (W8, D6, L1).

Matches between Liverpool and Arsenal have produced five hat-tricks

Olivier Giroud's will make his 100th Premier League appearance today.

For Liverpool, Brendan Rodgers is winless in all four Premier League away matches as a manager against Arsenal

Martin Skrtel has scored three goals in his last two Premier League games against Arsenal.

Christian Benteke has scored 12 goals in his last 13 Premier League appearances.

Simon Mignolet has kept 11 clean sheets in 2015 - more than any other Premier League goalkeeper.

Preview

Liverpool lost Luis Suarez and Raheem Sterling in successive summers but Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has no sympathy for the club who refused to sell the Uruguayan to the Gunners in 2013.

Arsenal welcome the Merseyside club on Monday for a high-profile fixture at the Emirates Stadium and the Reds' rejection of the Gunners' offer of 40 million plus one pound for Suarez still seems to rankle Wenger.

"Liverpool can make their own decisions. They refused to sell us Suarez so I cannot feel too much sympathy for them," the 65-year-old Frenchman said.

Liverpool scored more than 100 goals in the 2013-14 season, largely thanks to Suarez, Daniel Sturridge and Sterling.

However, with two of the prolific trio having left the club and a third out injured, Wenger acknowledged the challenge his counterpart Brendan Rodgers faces.

"Let's remember two years ago with Suarez, Sturridge and Sterling they scored over a hundred goals. To score more than 100 goals in the Premier League, you need special quality to do that," Wenger said.

"Sterling was part of that. I personally rate Raheem Sterling. We will see that in the longer term. He's a quality player.

"But they bought (Roberto) Firmino. We will see what he will produce. He is a similar player," he added.

Liverpool have brought in 32.5 million pound ($51 million) man Christian Benteke to ease the goal-scoring burden on the team but Wenger is confident of keeping him quiet.

"We played a cup final against Benteke and we managed to deal with it. Then again, every game is a new challenge and we have to show that we can do it," Wenger said.

"We have dealt with him in a positive way before."

Belgian striker

Brendan Rodgers has defended the perceived change in Liverpool's playing style brought on by the inclusion of Christian Benteke and said the tall Belgian striker gives his side an element of unpredictability they were lacking last season.

Liverpool travel to the Emirates Stadium to take on Arsenal on Monday night hoping to maintain their perfect start to the season after two 1-0 victories in their previous fixtures.

The six-foot-four-inch (1.93 metres) Benteke, who joined from Aston Villa for a reported 32.5 million pounds in the close season, scored on his first appearance at Anfield for the Merseyside club to secure three points against Bournemouth last week.

"When you bring in a certain profile of player, it gives you other options," said Rodgers, who sold another tall target man in Andy Carroll after taking the reigns at Liverpool because the forward was deemed incompatible with the high-energy, quick passing style the manager wanted to implement.

"One of the key things in bringing Christian here was, first and foremost, that he can play football," the manager said.

"As you see already, his touch is good. His ability to bring players into the game, whether that's with his feet or a little cushioned header, is a great skill," the Northern Irishman added.

"What he gives us is that threat in the box; when the ball comes in, he's a striker that's in the area.

"There are other ways of keeping the game alive, but when you have a 6 foot 4 inch player like Christian when the ball comes into the box, because of his physicality and mobility it keeps the game alive that little bit longer," Rodgers said.

The manager denied that the 24-year-old Belgian's inclusion had resulted in a departure from the playing style he has tried to establish at the club over the past three seasons.

"It wasn't the case that we were smashing the ball into the box and playing off a second ball. I'm not against that. There's not a compromise," Rodgers said.

"I said at the beginning of the season that we want the unpredictability to our game.

"Our conditions of our game won't change but hopefully because of the different types of players we have, and different strikers in particular, it gives that unpredictability to our game, which is important," he added.
 

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