Arsenal	2	0	Liverpool
Lauren (7), Henry (89)		-
Subs: Kanu (Bergkamp 75)			Subs: Owen (Smicer 70), Murphy (Barmby 76), Meijer (Heskey 79)
Vieira (70), Bergkamp (75)		BOOKED		Barmby (6), Hamann (36), Henchoz (44), Carragher (70)
Vieira (73)		SENT OFF		McAllister (38), Hamann (78)
Attendance: 38,014			Referee: Graham Poll - Tring
League Position		9th	8.00pm BST - Mon 21st August 2000
Venue: Highbury (Capacity:38,500)
Team Managers: Arsène Wenger (Arsenal),   Gérard Houllier (Liverpool)

The Game was a disaster

Gary McAllister and Dietmar Hamann were both sent off on a night of high drama at Highbury as Liverpool went down to their first defeat of the season.

McAllister, making his first start for the Reds, was dismissed late in the first half for a tackle from behind on French midfielder Patrick Vieira while Hamann also saw red after the break for a second bookable offence.

Patrick Vieira was also sent off for the second game in succession for a reckless challenge on Dietmar Hamann, but the Gunners deservedly picked up the three points thanks to goals from Lauren in the first half and Thierry Henry in the final minute of the game.

Liverpool can rightly claim they were hard done by throughout the opening period as they had a penalty claim turned down and also saw Arsenal score from a corner kick which never should have been awarded.

Referee Graham Poll failed to see that Cameroon international Lauren turned the ball behind the goal-line for what should have been a goal-kick, and instead signalled for a corner. From the resultant corner kick Lauren was on hand to sweep the ball home after Sander Westerveld had failed to collect the high ball.

In fact, Lauren could already have netted twice before he did break the deadlock following an explosive start by the Gunners.

Liverpool, who included Gary McAllister and Jamie Carragher as their two changes from the side which defeated Bradford at Anfield on Saturday, were indebted to ‘keeper Westerveld who saved with his legs when Lauren was through on goal, and shortly after the new Arsenal winger was again foiled by Westerveld when he looked certain to score.

Gérard Houllier’s side made little impression throughout the first 45 minutes, although they had claims for a penalty waved away when Nick Barmby went down in the penalty area under challenges from both Silvinho and Tony Adams.

McAllister’s dismissal eight minutes before the break put Liverpool on the back foot and Giles Grimandi almost doubled the lead in the final minute of the first half with a blistering shot which flew past the Liverpool goal.

Stephane Henchoz was forced to head off his own goal line ten minutes after the break when the Gunners again threatened to double the lead and it seemed to be just a matter of time before Arsene Wenger’s team killed the game off.

Michael Owen was introduced after 70 minutes to inject more life into Liverpool’s attack, and when Vieira was sent off four minutes later the Reds must have thought they were in with a chance of forcing a precious equaliser.

But when Dietmar Hamann became the third player on the night to be sent off for an innocuous challenge on Robert Pires it was always going to be difficult for Liverpool to save the match.

Hamann is likely to serve a one game ban, while fellow midfielder Gary McAllister will miss three matches after being handed a straight red card by referee Graham Poll.

Thierry Henry, Arsenal’s top scorer last season, settled the match as a contest in the final minute when he clipped the ball into the net after his initial shot had been brilliantly saved by Sander Westerveld.

Ultimately it was a night to forget for Liverpool as they went down to defeat to Arsenal for the first time in six years.