Saturday 5 April 2008 12:45 FA Barclays Premier League
"Arsenal"	1 - 1	"Liverpool"
	(0-1)
GOAL
Bendtner 54		Crouch 42
24  Manuel Almunia  10  William Gallas (c)   5  Kolo Toure  31  Justin Hoyte  27  Emmanuel Eboue  30  Armand Traore  19  Gilberto Silva   4  Francesc Fabregas  23  Mathieu Flamini  32  Theo Walcott  26  Nicklas Bendtner  Subs:   1  Jens Lehmann  22  Gaлl Clichy  13  Alexander Hleb  17  Alexandre Song Billong  25  Emmanuel Adebayor		25  Jose Reina  17  Alvaro Arbeloa  37  Martin Skrtel   3  Steve Finnan   6  John Arne Riise  23  Jamie Carragher (c)  16  Jermaine Pennant  11  Yossi Benayoun  47  Damien Plessis  21  Lucas Leiva  15  Peter Crouch  Subs:  30  Charles Itandje   4  Sami Hyypia   8  Steven Gerrard   9  Fernando Torres  10  Andriy Voronin
SUBSTITUTIONS
Hoyte (Adebayor 57)  Traore (Clichy 72)  Flamini (Hleb 81)		Pennant (Gerrard 66)  Benayoun (Voronin 75)  Crouch (Torres 81)
OFFICIALS & BOOKINGS
Referee: Phil Dowd
Booked: Eboue 67		Booked: Riise 30, Pennant 54
VENUE		MANAGERS
Emirates Stadium (60,432) Attendance: 60,111		Arsene Wenger (Arsenal) Rafael Benitez (Liverpool)

  Price: J

  Notes:

  - Damien Plessis makes his LFC debut

  CROUCH EARNS REDS EMIRATES DRAW

  Liverpool have extended their cushion in fourth spot to six points after a thoroughly deserved draw at the Emirates.

  Goals from Peter Crouch and Nicklas Bendtner left the scores at 1-1, though Rafa Benitez's weakened side had a raft of chances to bag all three points.

  The fixture provided the meat in a Champions League sandwich, and with the Reds going into the match with a comfortable lead in fourth, Benitez did what most fans expected by resting many of his stars ahead of Tuesday night's Euro showdown.

  Perhaps one surprise among the eight changes was the inclusion of 20-year-old midfielder Damien Plessis.

  The French debutant lined up in a 4-1-4-1 formation which included Crouch for the first time since the Barnsley defeat 10 games ago.

  The striker was the first to threaten for either side, testing Manuel Almunia on four minutes with an audacious hit from 40 yards.

  Liverpool were enjoying a bright start, Plessis getting plenty of possession and looking every bit the cultured holding midfielder we've seen for the reserves this season.

  Crouch too was seeing his fair share of the ball and used it to good effect on 18 minutes when he found John Arne Riise sprinting into the box. It should have been 1-0 but, with only Almunia to beat, the Norway international blazed over.

  Plessis was next to have a crack after the excellent Lucas teed him up on the edge of the box. Not this time, Damien.

  Lucas and Crouch then worked a wonderful opening for Yossi Benayoun, but again Liverpool's composure proved an Achilles' heel.

  For 30 minutes, groans of frustration echoed round the Emirates until finally the hosts, themselves with five changes from Wednesday night, came to life.

  Nicklas Bendtner had a gilt-edged chance to open the scores just after the half-hour mark following some intricate play around the Reds box.

  The forward, who saved Liverpool's bacon with an unfortunate goalline block at the wrong end three days ago, should have buried it but instead hit a tame effort straight into the grateful arms of Pepe Reina.

  Emmanuel Eboue then surged down the right before spying Cesc Fabregas in the six-yard box. It looked like a certain goal until the recalled Steve Finnan came from nowhere to make an outstanding challenge.

  Just as the home fans were ruing their side's wastefulness, Liverpool drew blood.

  The goal prompted comparisons with Fernando Torres' strike against Fulham earlier in the season, when Pepe Reina turned provider with a precision kick upfield.

  With El Nino on the bench, it was Crouch who took advantage, latching onto a Benayoun touch before turning William Gallas and smashing a low drive right into the bottom corner.

  Even by Emirates standards, it was a beautiful goal.

  The big fella had a brace of chances within six minutes of the restart, first with a speculative hit, then when Finnan found him with a pinpoint cross.

  Both went begging but all the signs were there that Liverpool could get a second.

  Perhaps they'd need one. Down at the other end Kolo Toure came within inches of an equaliser with a header from a corner. It turned out to be a warning, for just minutes later Reina's net was breached, again from a set-piece.

  It was Bendtner who rose above Crouch et al on 54 minutes before heading beyond the Reds stopper.

  Now the Emirates smelt victory. Arsene Wenger signalled his intent by throwing on Emmanuel Adebayor.

  Benitez was quick to respond in kind, though the sight of Jermaine Pennant clutching his hamstring no doubt forced the Spaniard's hand in introducing Steven Gerrard.

  The skipper nearly drew an error from Almunia with a teasing cross, while Crouch hit a spectacular hooked effort narrowly over the bar.

  Substitute Andriy Voronin had his head in his hands after dinking over from close range, this after man of the match Crouch pretty much put the ball on a plate.

  The Ukraine international recovered his composure minutes later to round Almunia only to slip at the crucial moment.

  At the other end Flamini forced Reina into a low save with 20 minutes left on the clock, while a last-ditch tackle was needed from Jamie Carragher after Bendtner smashed the ball across goal.

  With the match looking as if it could go either way, Benitez tried one final roll of the dice. It landed on number nine: Fernando Torres. The Spanish ace had 10 minutes to make the difference.

  Within five he was away, bursting down the right with only Gallas to beat. Gerrard busted his lungs to get into the box but Torres' cross went askew.

  It wasn't to be. Still, anyone looking at the teamsheet at 12.45pm on Saturday would doubtless have taken a 1-1 draw.

  Stay logged on to .tv for highlights on Sunday.

  Teams

  Arsenal: Almunia, Traore, Gallas (c), Toure, Hoyte, Flamini, Fabregas, , Eboue, Bendtner, Walcott. Subs - Adebayor, Clichy, Hleb, Lehmann, Song.

  Liverpool: Reina, Arbeloa, Carragher (c), Skrtel, Finnan, Riise, Leiva, Plessis, Pennant, Benayoun, Crouch. Subs - Gerrard, Hyypia, Itandje, Torres, Voronin.

  Referee: Phil Dowd

  Conditions: Unavailable

  Attendance: Unavailable

  Liverpoolfc.tv Man-of-the-Match: Peter Crouch

  Breakdown

11:48 GMT : Match Starts
1 min : Liverpool get the game underway in their white away kit
2 mins : Crouch goes for goal from distance and brings a fine save from Almunia
3 mins : The corner is swung into the area but the referee calls a foul against Skrtel
8 mins : Crouch tries to get behind the Liverpool defence but is flagged offside. It was close
9 mins : Liverpool enjoying a lot of possession in the early stages
11 mins : Liverpool clear a corner as far as Eboue who scuffs a shot well wide
16 mins : Another decent attack as we get the ball into the box and Lucas just overruns it into the path of Almunia
17 mins : Best chance so far as Crouch slips it into Riise but the right footed shot is over the bar
20 mins : Bendtner threatens to get behind the Reds defence but Carragher is well placed to avert the danger
23 mins : Crouch lays the ball into the path of Plessis who smashes a long range drive well over the goal
25 mins : Another chance for Liverpool as Pennant has a hit from distance but he drags the shot wide. We're the better side so far
29 mins : First Booking: John Arne Riise:
32 mins : Benayoun is clear down the right but misses the target with his low shot which beats the far post
35 mins : Arsenal's first real chance comes to nothing as Reina saves easily when Bendtner is clean through on goal
38 mins : Eboue escapes down the right but Finnan is well placed to clear from inside the six yard box
42 mins : GOAL! Peter Crouch: Great skill from Crouch to create space and smash a shot low into the corner
12:35 GMT : Half Time Reached

12:51 GMT : Second Half Begins
46 mins : Arsenal get the second half underway
47 mins : Crouch heads down in the area but the Gunners clear
48 mins : Walcott's long range drive takes a deflection off Carragher before going wide
48 mins : From the corner Toure heads just wide of the far post with Reina beaten
53 mins : First Booking: Jermaine Pennant:
54 mins : GOAL! Nicklas Bendtner: Bendtner rises unmarked to head the equaliser from Fabregas' cross
58 mins : Substitution: Emmanuel Adebayor for Justin Hoyte:
61 mins : Plessis wins a crunching challenge with Walcott in the middle of the field
66 mins : Substitution: Steven Gerrard for Jermaine Pennant:
66 mins : First Booking: Emmanuel Eboue:
70 mins : Flamini has space on the edge of the box but Reina makes a decent save from the low shot
71 mins : Substitution: Gael Clichy for Armand Traore:
74 mins : Substitution: Andriy Voronin for Yossi Benayoun:
77 mins : Terrific defending from Carragher to get in the way of a cross from Bendtner down the left
80 mins : Great chance for Voronin to regain the lead for the Reds but his volley clears the bar
80 mins : Substitution: Fernando Torres for Peter Crouch:
80 mins : Substitution: Alexander Hleb for Mathieu Flamini:
83 mins : Voronin drifts past the goalkeeper but can't pull the ball back to the waiting Torres
90 mins : Three minutes left of an absorbing game

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