Liverpool against Arsenal

GOAL: The other midfield genius here today has made his mark on the game. Fabregas makes a darting run in to the area just in time to meet a neat through ball from Hleb. He picks his spot behind Reina before rushing to the Arsenal fans just to the right of the goal.

Bendtner and Fabregas combine in the Liverpool area then the Gunners scream for a penalty. Carragher had his hands all over Fabregas and the Livepool man is making a habit of avoiding detection with these infringements. Joleon Lescott nods sagely in recognition somewhere not too far away.

Riise's controls with his chest before an effort twenty yards out which is neat and well executed but just dips over the bar.

Gilberto and Nicklas Bendtner are to replace Clichy and Eboue (who leaves the field to a chorus of boos ringing in his ears).

Riise tries to slip the ball through to Crouch but his pass is hurried and is behind the big substitute.

Adebayor sprays a ball over to Hleb on the eighteen yard line but he is crowded out before he can decide what to do with it.

Another fine tackle from Carragher who has been a rock in the Liverpool defence so far.

Alvaro Arbeloa has replaced Alonso who is limping.

Walcott's first touch is inventive and positive as he finds Eboue in the Liverpool area. The defender has made a habit of disappointing this afternoon though and it is a trait he does not change here.

Theo Walcott has entered the field of play, Thomas Rosicky departing it.

Goal-line clearance from Toure but Alonso had handled it anwyay so it didn't count. If a goal-line clearance does count in the great scheme of things.

Voronin is then replaced by Yossi Benayoun.

Voronin plays in Crouch with a fine weighted pass which allows Crouch an angle to turn it back across Almunia. He hits it well, but it is just wide.

Adebayor is offside again.

Nice run from Gallas but you can sense him panicking as he advances towards the stoney faced Liverpool backline. He has too much to do and loses out to Liverpool's numerical advantage.

Not wanting to second guess the man, but Arsene Wenger must be thinking about making a change soon. I would be. I am. Although all I can change is the way I am sitting.

Clichy wins a corner which Arseanl take quickly. They play it short but Rosicky loses it and Liverpool gratefully accept it back. Gerrard takes on Eboue at the other end but loses out as the Gunners get the goal-kick.

Mascherano is booked for a two-footed challenge and is fortunate his punishment is so lenient.

Blimey! Fantastic build up play from Arsenal sets up Eboue who whacks a shot against the post. The ball breaks to Fabregas, at some speed, and he seems fooled by the velocity the ball is travelling at, missing an open goal from twelve yards out. Should have scored.

At the other end, Crouch announces his arrival with an excellent strike from outside the area which Almunia has to fling himself across to tip behind for a corner. Arsenal deal with this, but they can thank their keeper for keeping the scoreline 1-0.

Hleb feeds Eboue on the right but his cross in is weak and ill-thought out.

Rosicky is booked for a bad tackle on Mascherano.

Kuyt lumbers somewhat in trying to get the ball to Voronin and the ball is caught under his feet in a decent area fifteen yards from goal.

More slick play from the Arsenal midfield but they are unable to find a killer ball in towards the Liverpool goal.

Mascherano - who is playing - wins a good ball in midfield to break up an Arsenal move which ends before it really begins in their own half.

Excellent close control from Hleb down the left but he has too much to do and Liverpool crowd him out.

Liverpool start the game again. They will be aware that one goal may not be enough here as Arsenal have looked dangerous since the goal.

Peter Crouch re-appears at Anfield minus his tracksuit which can mean only one thing. He has taken it off. It also means he replaces Torres, who seems to be carrying an injury.

HALF-TIME: Cracking stuff. Gerrard's goal is the only difference between two great sides. Arsenal at times are playing with the sort of graceful regality they are rightly renowned for, whilst Steven Gerrard's lung-bursting effort and commitment are the rallying point for Liverpool's endeavours. Hard to call this one.

Adebayor's touch again is heavy when Rosicky was hoping to receive the ball back from him in the Liverpool penalty area.

He's on his feet again but more of this and he is ulikely to last the ninety minutes.

Torres gives a poor pass to nobody in particular and Liverpool's star striker is having a quiet afternoon thus far. Even quieter now, as he is on the deck nursing an injury.

Adebayor for once is not caught offside and, seeming to panic at this novel twist in the day's proceedings, he gets a wee bit flustered when making his pass across goal, scuffing it when he had options available.

Gerrard's free-kick from the left is crying out - very quickly crying out - for a Liverpool head to be put on it. It's a fraction too high for everyone though and instead slams in to the advertising hoarding behind the Arsenal goal.

Silly push from Eboue on Torres and he picks up a needless yellow card.

Fabregas sends in a decent free-kick but Carragher gets to it first to head it out.

Adebayor is clutching his midriff as if Ricky Hatton has been practicing on him when in fact he has received a slight brush from Hyypia's elbow. If the penalty for such play-acting was several minutes in the ring with the meaty Mancunian, it would swiftly eradicate such nonensense. Write to your MP's.

Clichy's high cross is intended for the lanky frame of Adebayor but Reina teasingly takes it from his head as he leaps for it.

Sublime passing from the Arsenal midfield as Fabregas, Flamini and Eboue all play it simple but oh so effectively with a series of quick one touch passes. Sagna then crosses but the ball is too close to Reina.

Another full-blooded tackle from Gerrard who stopped Rosicky in his tracks on the edge of the Liverpool penalty area.

Carragher appeared to knock slightly in to Eboue and the Arsenal man makes like Dida, clutching his face in mock agony once he rises from the turf. Carragher's choice of words show what he thinks of the Arsenal man's antics.

Liverpool are unable to make the next corner count and Arsenal weather the period of pressure they had to endure. There was a suspicion of handball from Sagna as it was played across but it would have been harsh.

Arsenal make a real meal of dealing with the corner and Kuyt's little header tees up Gerrard perfectly on the edge of the box. He does not think twice and hits another trademark shot which is close to Almunia, who tips it over the bar.

Liverpool have a corner and will be glad for the respite. Gerrard takes it and they then win another on the opposite side.

Rosicky now finds himself in space in the Liverpool penalty area but the angle is too acute for him to trouble Reina.

Toure breaks from defence and plays it out wide to Sagna whose return pass is too far ahead for Toure and brings a dirty glance from the central defender.

The away fans can be heard now in the far corner of the Anfield Road stand as they respond to their team's football. Arsenal are playing with the authorty of the home team now.

Great last ditch defending by both Sammi Hyypia and Carragher as both use their heads (and legs) to get Liverpool out of trouble. Arsenal are putting some nice moves together now.

Fabregas is unlucky not to get a free-kick after he beat two men and seemed to be impeded.

Clichy goes on a bit of a run which seems to go longer than he anticipated but Jamie Carragher's clearance ends it and allows Clichy to scamper back to defence.

Adebayor is just caught offside again as the Liverpool back-line held their position well.

Having said that, he then shows great feet to beat his man and set up Adebayor for a good chance which Reina does well to keep out. Perhaps the Arsenal man should have done better.

Fabregas loses possession again and the little Spaniard has not made the greatest of starts in the middle of the park so far, an area which Gerrard has bossed.

Eboue receives the ball just in side Liverpool's penalty area but his ball with the outside of his boot fails to find a team-mate.

Gerrard is covering a lot of ground so far and chasing every ball with the vigour of a man who has a point to prove.

Clichy comes charging from his left-back berth to meet Steve Finnan head on with a determined challenge.

Fabregas looks up to see Adebayor calling for it and hits a long pass but his intentions are spoiled by the unwelcome sound of a whistle signalling the striker is offside.

The Gunners will have to come and attack now and this could make for some great football today. Hleb gets a chance to take a shot at goal, but he snatches at the ball from twenty yards, curling it wide.

GOAL - He won't get subbed today! Steven Gerrard has scored a blistering goal. The ball is played short to him by Riise and Gerrard unleashes an unstoppable shot which flies past Almunia. His name is being sung around Anfield and rightly so. Great goal.

Gerrard does brilliantly to win the ball in midfield with a great tackle before playing a neat one-two with Finnan. Gerrard gets it back and his shot is parried out by Almunia. When the ball breaks, Arsenal are forced to concede a free-kick just outside their penalty area.

Voronin has picked up his first booking in the English game. Congratulations Andriy.

Jamie Carragher takes down Emmanuel Adebayor and should have conceded a free-kick. The ref decides otherwise. Carragher appears to be slightly injured though, which is justice of a sort. A bad sort really. For both teams.

Kuyt and Gerrard are unable to find any space down the right and the Gunners get a goal-kick. Which the not-world-class-in-any-way Manuel Almunia takes for the visitors. How Arsene Wenger must relish Jens Lehmann's creative analysis.

Arsenal start the game attacking the Kop in their changed strip and immediately concede possession to Liverpool who return the favout by booting the ball carelessly out of play.

Arsene Wenger has opted for just one up front with Emmanuel Adebayor operating as the lone man. Expect to see rising star Theo Walcott come from the bench if the Gunners are chasing things in a game which is their biggest domestic test of the season so far.

Rafa Benitez has set out his ever changing stall with a team selection that boasts three strikers. Fernando Torres, Dirk Kurt and Andriy Voronin start at Anfield, with the latter two expected to occupy wide roles.

Keep it here for all the action. The match kicks-off at 4pm UK time.

Hoping for a quiet game will be referee Howard Webb from the beautiful county of South Yorkshire!

And for Arsenal: Almunia, Sagna, Toure, Gallas, Clichy, Eboue, Fabregas, Flamini, Hleb, Rosicky, Adebayor. And on the bench: Lehmann, Diarra, Silva, Bendtner, Walcott.

Team sheets for this afternoon showdown of the Premier League only two remaining unbeaten sides are in, first Liverpool: Reina, Finnan, Hyypia, Carragher, Riise, Mascherano, Alonso, Gerrard, Voronin, Kuyt, Torres. And the subs: Itandje, Benayoun, Crouch, Arbeloa and Babel.

Clichy wins a corner which Arseanl take quickly. They play it short but Rosicky loses it and Liverpool gratefully accept it back. Gerrard takes on Eboue at the other end but loses out as the Gunners get the goal-kick.

Mascherano is booked for a two-footed challenge and is fortunate his punishment is so lenient.

Blimey! Fantastic build up play from Arsenal sets up Eboue who whacks a shot against the post. The ball breaks to Fabregas, at some speed, and he seems fooled by the velocity the ball is travelling at, missing an open goal from twelve yards out. Should have scored.

At the other end, Crouch announces his arrival with an excellent strike from outside the area which Almunia has to fling himself across to tip behind for a corner. Arsenal deal with this, but they can thank their keeper for keeping the scoreline 1-0.

Hleb feeds Eboue on the right but his cross in is weak and ill-thought out.

Rosicky is booked for a bad tackle on Mascherano.

Kuyt lumbers somewhat in trying to get the ball to Voronin and the ball is caught under his feet in a decent area fifteen yards from goal.

More slick play from the Arsenal midfield but they are unable to find a killer ball in towards the Liverpool goal.

Mascherano - who is playing - wins a good ball in midfield to break up an Arsenal move which ends before it really begins in their own half.

Excellent close control from Hleb down the left but he has too much to do and Liverpool crowd him out.

Liverpool start the game again. They will be aware that one goal may not be enough here as Arsenal have looked dangerous since the goal.

Peter Crouch re-appears at Anfield minus his tracksuit which can mean only one thing. He has taken it off. It also means he replaces Torres, who seems to be carrying an injury.

HALF-TIME: Cracking stuff. Gerrard's goal is the only difference between two great sides. Arsenal at times are playing with the sort of graceful regality they are rightly renowned for, whilst Steven Gerrard's lung-bursting effort and commitment are the rallying point for Liverpool's endeavours. Hard to call this one.

Adebayor's touch again is heavy when Rosicky was hoping to receive the ball back from him in the Liverpool penalty area.

He's on his feet again but more of this and he is ulikely to last the ninety minutes.

Torres gives a poor pass to nobody in particular and Liverpool's star striker is having a quiet afternoon thus far. Even quieter now, as he is on the deck nursing an injury.

Adebayor for once is not caught offside and, seeming to panic at this novel twist in the day's proceedings, he gets a wee bit flustered when making his pass across goal, scuffing it when he had options available.

Gerrard's free-kick from the left is crying out - very quickly crying out - for a Liverpool head to be put on it. It's a fraction too high for everyone though and instead slams in to the advertising hoarding behind the Arsenal goal.

Silly push from Eboue on Torres and he picks up a needless yellow card.

Fabregas sends in a decent free-kick but Carragher gets to it first to head it out.

Adebayor is clutching his midriff as if Ricky Hatton has been practicing on him when in fact he has received a slight brush from Hyypia's elbow. If the penalty for such play-acting was several minutes in the ring with the meaty Mancunian, it would swiftly eradicate such nonensense. Write to your MP's.

Clichy's high cross is intended for the lanky frame of Adebayor but Reina teasingly takes it from his head as he leaps for it.

Sublime passing from the Arsenal midfield as Fabregas, Flamini and Eboue all play it simple but oh so effectively with a series of quick one touch passes. Sagna then crosses but the ball is too close to Reina.

Another full-blooded tackle from Gerrard who stopped Rosicky in his tracks on the edge of the Liverpool penalty area.

Carragher appeared to knock slightly in to Eboue and the Arsenal man makes like Dida, clutching his face in mock agony once he rises from the turf. Carragher's choice of words show what he thinks of the Arsenal man's antics.

Liverpool are unable to make the next corner count and Arsenal weather the period of pressure they had to endure. There was a suspicion of handball from Sagna as it was played across but it would have been harsh.

Arsenal make a real meal of dealing with the corner and Kuyt's little header tees up Gerrard perfectly on the edge of the box. He does not think twice and hits another trademark shot which is close to Almunia, who tips it over the bar.

Liverpool have a corner and will be glad for the respite. Gerrard takes it and they then win another on the opposite side.

Rosicky now finds himself in space in the Liverpool penalty area but the angle is too acute for him to trouble Reina.

Toure breaks from defence and plays it out wide to Sagna whose return pass is too far ahead for Toure and brings a dirty glance from the central defender.

The away fans can be heard now in the far corner of the Anfield Road stand as they respond to their team's football. Arsenal are playing with the authorty of the home team now.

Great last ditch defending by both Sammi Hyypia and Carragher as both use their heads (and legs) to get Liverpool out of trouble. Arsenal are putting some nice moves together now.

Fabregas is unlucky not to get a free-kick after he beat two men and seemed to be impeded.

Clichy goes on a bit of a run which seems to go longer than he anticipated but Jamie Carragher's clearance ends it and allows Clichy to scamper back to defence.

Adebayor is just caught offside again as the Liverpool back-line held their position well.

Having said that, he then shows great feet to beat his man and set up Adebayor for a good chance which Reina does well to keep out. Perhaps the Arsenal man should have done better.

Fabregas loses possession again and the little Spaniard has not made the greatest of starts in the middle of the park so far, an area which Gerrard has bossed.

Eboue receives the ball just in side Liverpool's penalty area but his ball with the outside of his boot fails to find a team-mate.

Gerrard is covering a lot of ground so far and chasing every ball with the vigour of a man who has a point to prove.

Clichy comes charging from his left-back berth to meet Steve Finnan head on with a determined challenge.

Fabregas looks up to see Adebayor calling for it and hits a long pass but his intentions are spoiled by the unwelcome sound of a whistle signalling the striker is offside.

The Gunners will have to come and attack now and this could make for some great football today. Hleb gets a chance to take a shot at goal, but he snatches at the ball from twenty yards, curling it wide.

GOAL - He won't get subbed today! Steven Gerrard has scored a blistering goal. The ball is played short to him by Riise and Gerrard unleashes an unstoppable shot which flies past Almunia. His name is being sung around Anfield and rightly so. Great goal.

Gerrard does brilliantly to win the ball in midfield with a great tackle before playing a neat one-two with Finnan. Gerrard gets it back and his shot is parried out by Almunia. When the ball breaks, Arsenal are forced to concede a free-kick just outside their penalty area.

Voronin has picked up his first booking in the English game. Congratulations Andriy.

Jamie Carragher takes down Emmanuel Adebayor and should have conceded a free-kick. The ref decides otherwise. Carragher appears to be slightly injured though, which is justice of a sort. A bad sort really. For both teams.

Kuyt and Gerrard are unable to find any space down the right and the Gunners get a goal-kick. Which the not-world-class-in-any-way Manuel Almunia takes for the visitors. How Arsene Wenger must relish Jens Lehmann's creative analysis.

Arsenal start the game attacking the Kop in their changed strip and immediately concede possession to Liverpool who return the favout by booting the ball carelessly out of play.

Arsene Wenger has opted for just one up front with Emmanuel Adebayor operating as the lone man. Expect to see rising star Theo Walcott come from the bench if the Gunners are chasing things in a game which is their biggest domestic test of the season so far.

Rafa Benitez has set out his ever changing stall with a team selection that boasts three strikers. Fernando Torres, Dirk Kurt and Andriy Voronin start at Anfield, with the latter two expected to occupy wide roles.

Keep it here for all the action. The match kicks-off at 4pm UK time.

Hoping for a quiet game will be referee Howard Webb from the beautiful county of South Yorkshire!

And for Arsenal: Almunia, Sagna, Toure, Gallas, Clichy, Eboue, Fabregas, Flamini, Hleb, Rosicky, Adebayor. And on the bench: Lehmann, Diarra, Silva, Bendtner, Walcott.

Team sheets for this afternoon showdown of the Premier League only two remaining unbeaten sides are in, first Liverpool: Reina, Finnan, Hyypia, Carragher, Riise, Mascherano, Alonso, Gerrard, Voronin, Kuyt, Torres. And the subs: Itandje, Benayoun, Crouch, Arbeloa and Babel.