Six-three to the Arsenal. It is unlikely to be quite so evocative as the one-nil chant that came to define Arsenal’s successes under George Graham in the early 1990s, but, for Rafael Benítez and Liverpool’s supporters, given a second unwanted glimpse in four days into Arsène Wenger’s brave new world, it is a scoreline that will be the cause of many a restless night over the coming weeks.
Injury accompanied insult for Liverpool, with Mark González and Luis García leaving the field on stretchers, but nothing can have hurt more than the sight of their team capitulating and allowing Arsenal’s youngsters not only to emulate but to surpass the performance of their seniors in winning 3-1 on the same ground in the FA Cup on Saturday evening.
Júlio Baptista, at 25 their oldest outfield player, scored four times and missed a penalty, while Jérémie Aliadière also excelled, but it was their all-round performance that prompted the glum-faced home supporters to applaud them off at the final whistle.
Coming against a Liverpool team that featured Steven Gerrard, Sami Hyypia, Robbie Fowler and Craig Bellamy, it was quite some result.
Wenger called it one of his proudest evenings as manager of Arsenal — “the future of this club is very, very promising”, he said in typically measured terms afterwards — but, for Benítez, it was a depressing evening that prompted him to apologise to the club’s supporters. His 2½ years in charge at Anfield have featured some exhilarating highs, most obviously the Champions League victory in May 2005, but this was without question a low ebb.
No one has fallen farther than Jerzy Dudek since that glorious night in Istanbul. Admittedly no one had farther to fall than the hero of the penalty shoot-out victory over AC Milan, but, as he was beaten four times in front of the Kop in the opening period, the Poland goalkeeper may have wondered whether these two games were merely an exercise in torture. While he redeemed himself slightly with a penalty save from Baptista in the second half, the evening on which he became the first Liverpool goalkeeper to concede six goals at Anfield since 1930 may prove to be his last act for the club before his contract expires in the summer.
Given his chance in the domestic cup competitions on the back of a promise from Benítez in pre-season, Dudek was questionable for at least one of Arsenal’s three goals on Saturday, but that was nothing to compare with his misery here.
For the first goal, in the 27th minute, the defence was at fault as Aliadière raced on to Kolo Touré’s pass and prodded the ball past the goalkeeper at the second attempt. Five minutes before the interval Dudek was more culpable as he was beaten by a Baptista free kick that was well struck, but looked eminently stoppable.
The nadir came in stoppage time as he went to intercept a Francesc Fabrègas corner and missed the ball completely, allowing Alexandre Song to bundle the ball home. Then, with Anfield pleading for the half-time whistle, came the fourth, Arsenal’s forwards strolling through the home defence as Baptista, with a typically powerful run, exchanged passes with Aliadière before shooting this time past a blameless Dudek.
Of course it was not entirely down to bad goalkeeping or defending, but, if Arsenal’s attacking play was ruthless on Saturday, here it looked like a training-ground exercise, albeit one in which Baptista and Aliadière in particular excelled.
While Wenger has preferred to trust Thierry Henry, Robin van Persie and Emmanuel Adebayor in the Barclays Premiership, here was evidence that Baptista, on loan from Real Madrid, is finally coming to terms with English football and that Aliadière is ready to reignite a talent that has been dimmed by injury in recent years.
Looking at the size and shape of Arsenal’s youngsters, it was tempting to reflect on how the game has changed since a skinny youngster named Fowler announced his arrival as a Liverpool first-team player with five goals against Fulham in this competition in 1993. Fowler scored to equalise at 1-1 here, a clever flick from García’s cross after Manuel Almunia had parried Fabio Aurélio’s free kick, but this was a night when he and Hyypia, his fellow thirtysomething, may have felt like a relic.
Baptista was denied by Dudek from the penalty spot in the 57th minute, but his hat-trick came moments later as he struck a low shot past the goalkeeper from 25 yards. Gerrard, otherwise largely subdued, and Hyypia reduced the arrears in the closing stages to make it 5-3, but the last word fell to Baptista with a goal that summed up the evening as he was left unmarked to beat Dudek after more good work by Aliadière.
Pain compounded for Benítez
Liverpool’s misery was compounded last night by injuries to Stephen Warnock, Mark González and Luis García, with the last due to undergo a scan today to determine the extent of a knee injury that Rafael Benítez regarded as the most serious of the three.
González, the Chile winger, and Luis García, who had replaced González, were both carried off on stretchers, while Warnock went off with a rib injury. González’s shin injury is less serious than was first feared, but Luis García is the biggest worry for Benítez before matches against Chelsea and Everton, as well as Barcelona in the last 16 of the Champions League.
Liverpool (4-4-2): J Dudek — L Peltier, G Paletta, S Hyypia, S Warnock (sub: X Alonso, 58min) — D Guthrie, S Gerrard, F Aurélio, M González (sub: L García, 11; sub: J Carragher, 75) — R Fowler, C Bellamy. Substitutes not used: P Crouch, J M Reina.
Arsenal (4-4-2): M Almunia — J Hoyte, K Touré, J Djourou, A Traoré (sub: M Connolly, 88) — Denilson, A Song, F Fàbregas, T Walcott (sub: A Diaby, 74) — J Baptista, J Aliadière. Substitutes not used: H Lansbury, M Randall, M Poom. Booked: Song.
Referee: M Atkinson.
8 Successive home matches Liverpool had played without conceding a goal before letting in nine against Arsenal in four days
9 Number of goals Liverpool have conceded in their other 16 home games in all competitions this season
12 Number of goals that Liverpool have let in during the three games against Arsenal this season
16 Goals in the two Carling Cup games at Anfield this season — Liverpool beat Reading 4-3 in the third round
1930 The last time Liverpool shipped six goals at home — they were thrashed 6-0 by Sunderland in the league
