Martin Skrtel's thumping header earns 10-man Liverpool a 2-2 draw with Arsenal at Anfield

Martin Skrtel's thumping header earns 10-man Liverpool a 2-2 draw with Arsenal at Anfield

Liverpool's heavily-bandaged Martin Skrtel headed a goal deep in stoppage time to spared them another deflating Premier League defeat ... 13:21

Liverpool's heavily-bandaged Martin Skrtel headed
a goal deep in stoppage time to spared them
another deflating Premier League defeat as they
snatched a 2-2 home draw with Arsenal on
Sunday.
Inferior for most of the match, Arsenal still led with
goals from French duo Mathieu Debuchy and
Olivier Giroud after Philippe Coutinho had put the
hosts deservedly ahead.
But 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 at least give
the Anfield faithful some pre-Christmas cheer.
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 who hold the last Champions
League spot.
Leaders Chelsea can restore their three-point
advantage over Manchester City by beating Stoke
City away on Monday.
While Arsenal have now lost just once in their last
seven meetings with Liverpool, Sunderland have
won four in a row against north east rivals
Newcastle United after Adam Johnson's late goal
gave them a 1-0 win in the day's other fixture.
A riveting Tyne-Wear derby at St James Park
featured more than 30 goal attempts but
Newcastle-born Johnson was the only one to find
the net a minute from time to give Sunderland their
third win of the season and lift them away from
danger.
"There are different ways to win a game and to win
a derby and I think a winning goal in the last
minute is a special way to do it," Sunderland
manager Gus Poyet said.
FAIR RESULT
Liverpool, languishing in mid-table, lost 3-0 at
Manchester United the previous weekend when
they created chances at will.
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 visitors.
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 three
points for his side, had Skrtel not equalised, 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.
"Last year was a bit in our mind and our flow was
not there. We are playing a bit with the handbrake
on."
Liverpool completely 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.
DEFENSIVE GREMLINS
The defensive gremlins that have also undermined
Liverpool's season returned immediately as
Debuchy headed an unlikely equaliser in first-half
stoppage time.
Giroud struck what looked like being the winner
after a slick Arsenal counter-attack, converting
from close range in the 64th minute from Santi
Cazorla's cut back.
Liverpool had substitute Fabio Borini sent off late
on but Skrtel's last-gasp intervention earned them
a point to move them above Merseyside rivals
Everton into 10th place on 22 points.
"They (Arsenal) had three shots on target today
and we had 23 efforts on goal," Liverpool boss
Brendan Rodgers told Sky Sports. "Performance
wise we are moving back to where we have been
over the last couple of years."
Sunderland won for the first time in 10 league
matches and it could not have been better timed.
Johnson, who has now scored on his last three
visits to Newcastle, slammed in the winner after 89
minutes -- shortly after Moussa Sissoko almost
won it for hosts Newcastle.
"We've won three years in a row now, they must
hate me here, three wins, three clean sheets," said
Johnson.