That's what cost Liverpool two crucial points after 4-4 draw with Arsenal at home, feels Reds boss Rafael Benitez
That's what cost Liverpool two crucial points after 4-4 draw with Arsenal at home, feels Reds boss Rafael Benitez
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez cursed the "massive" mistakes which cost his side victory at home to Arsenal and handed the initiative back to Manchester United in the English Premier League title race.
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Liverpool's Fernando Torres heads home to put his team ahead during their Premiership match against Arsenal yesterday. pic/AP |
The Reds came from behind three times to snatch a 4-4 draw in the third minute of stoppage time.
However, the result hands a huge advantage to United, who are second only on goal difference and have two matches in hand the first tonight at home to Portsmouth.
"It is really disappointing because we conceded four goals and normally we were not conceding these kind of goals," he said.
"We made massive mistakes. It is difficult to explain because it was different players in different stages of the game.
"You don't remember any save from Pepe (Jose Reina), it is just four chances and four goals and all of them have been our mistakes.
Liverpool paid a high price for a number of uncharacteristic defensive errors.
Having dominated play for more than half an hour Javier Mascherano gave away possession on the edge of the penalty area and Cesc Fabregas crossed for Andrey Arshavin to fire in off the underside of the crossbar.
Within 11 minutes of the second half kicking off the hosts were ahead after headers from Fernando Torres and Yossi Benayoun.
Alvaro Arbeloa failed to control Jamie Carragher's defensive header and Arshavin nipped in to blast a second and the Russian completed his hat-trick when Fabio Aurelio played the ball into his path 10 yards from goal in the 70th minute.
Torres scored his second with a smart turn to beat Mikael Silvestre, Arshavin converted an injury-time counter-attack to put Arsenal 4-3 up but there was still time left for Benayoun to score another equaliser very late on.
