A game that had been notable only for a trio of injuries sustained by Liverpool players ended up finishing in high drama as Kenny Daglish's Reds earned a 1-1 draw at the Emirates Stadium. Despite Liverpool losing Fabio Aurelio to a hamstring problem early and then seeing Jamie Carragher stretchered off after a head injury, they defended ferociously and looked good value for the draw that would surely end Arsenal's title hopes, especially after Robin van Persie missed the Gunners' best chance of the match in the 85th minute, shooting straight at Pepe Reina when put clean through by Samir Nasri. Sure, Arsenal had in general had the better of the chances, most notably when Laurent Koscielny hit the crossbar in the first half, but they hadn't really done much to really earn those three points.
Arsenal Vs. Liverpool: Last-Gasp Penalty Denies Arsenal 3 Points
However, there was plenty of the match left to be played - Andy Carroll had also been forced to seek medical attention in the second half, and when that time was added to Carragher's lengthy spell on the floor before the defender was carted off the pitch, we ended up with eight minutes added on. In the sixth, Jay Spearing foolishly took out Cesc Fabregas in the Liverpool penalty box in full view of referee Andre Marriner, who had no choice but to award the hosts a spot kick. Van Persie stepped up to slot home, sending Reina the wrong way in the process. The Emirates erupted in anticipation of three points, but there was one final twist in the saga.
Liverpool bombed straight back down the pitch, trying to force something, anything, as time expired. The quickly earned a foul literally inches away from the edge of Wojciech Szczesny's penalty area, which looked like their last chance of earning an equaliser - one which Luis Suarez promptly smacked straight into the wall. But that wasn't the final story either, because no sooner was the ball bobbling away to something that looked like safety than Emmanuel Eboue was bundling over Lucas in a foolish attempt to clear it away entirely.
The whistle blew, Marriner pointed at the spot, and Dirk Kuyt slammed the ball into the back of the net to send Liverpool home with a point and end Arsenal's challenge for the title. What a crazy game that turned out to have been.
