Arsenal have their relief and, with it, a timely reminder that their title pursuit might still be credible. Arsène Wenger had demanded a response from his team, seeking proof that they boast the mental fortitude to recover poise after demoralising defeats by the division's leading lights. In this victory the Frenchman has his evidence.
This was hardly the scintillating performance the manager would normally crave but the persistence and conviction his players displayed were still admirable. They chiselled a single clear-cut chance from a mess of a match, that second-half opportunity crafted superbly and converted gleefully by Abou Diaby, then survived a furious finale to prevail. Their reward, with points shed by Chelsea and Manchester United above them, is unlikely re-entry into the title race.
Six points is still an onerous gap to make up, yet Arsenal will not confront any of the clubs in the top four again this season and the top two are still to collide at Old Trafford. There is genuine cause for optimism. "We believe in our chances," said Wenger. "I don't see any mathematical reason why we shouldn't believe [we can still win the title]. But let's just be consistent and try to win our next game. We had a big shock in our last two games but it was important to come back and win. It is a fantastic night for the club."
It felt more so after recent toils. Wenger pointed to the physical and mental toll of a fixture list that had scheduled successive contests with Aston Villa, United, Chelsea and then Liverpool. That had understandably left his side jaded, their confidence rendered brittle by defeats that appeared to have condemned them to the periphery of the title race. To have recovered from those painful set-backs with victory has served to inject conviction back into this challenge.
Arsenal were stubborn rather than slick, ruggedly attempting to prise apart opponents who had shipped only one goal in their previous seven league matches. Initial anxiety, perhaps born of a desperation to appear unaffected by those recent traumas, eventually eased. William Gallas headed wastefully over the bar and Tomas Rosicky's heavy touch denied him a clear shot on goal. That had prompted howls of frustration from those freezing in the stands, yet the Czech made amends.
Cesc Fábregas's break and the restored Nicklas Bendtner's brawn offered a route behind Liverpool's rearguard. The Dane duly squeezed Rosicky into space vacated by Emiliano Insúa near the by-line and his cross was headed emphatically into the corner by Diaby. Rafael Benítez might wonder how a defence so watertight over a seven-match unbeaten run had been bypassed so easily, Diaby having trundled unchecked into the void between Martin Skrtel, Dirk Kuyt and Philipp Degen. Jamie Carragher, departed with a groin complaint, might have patrolled that space more expertly.
The score ignited the match. The Arsenal assistant manager, Pat Rice, was livid as Gerrard crumpled too easily in the penalty box after Diaby's challenge, venting his spleen at the fourth official, Phil Dowd. The England midfielder, Liverpool's principal threat as he glided effortlessly through the mishmash in the centre, tumbled again deep into stoppage time.
The referee, Howard Webb, then penalised Fábregas for a foul on Kuyt with the Spaniard booked for dissent, then unpunished when he deliberately handled in the defensive wall from Gerrard's free-kick. "There were many incidents that [Webb] got wrong, a lot against us, a lot against them," said Fábregas. "I maybe touched it a little bit with my hand but I would have touched it with my head anyway."
"It is a handball and has to be a penalty," said Benítez, though replays suggested Fábregas was not inside the area when the ball slapped his hand. "The referee was there, it was clear. We've had some decisions this year which we're not happy about. Today was another but we cannot waste time talking about this."
The Liverpool manager has more pressing matters to address. His side never came closer to scoring than the substitute Ryan Babel's swerved attempt from distance that Manuel Almunia tipped wonderfully on to the woodwork. Their other opportunities were infrequent and prised out on the break, Gallas summoning a fine recovery tackle to suffocate David Ngog as the Frenchman edged clear and Lucas Leiva battering high and wide when liberated from Arsenal's back-line. In that context, lost in a scrappy contest, Gerrard's tumble was a reflection of underlying frustrations.
Those same sensations have eased somewhat at Arsenal, even if Andrey Arshavin will require a scan on a hamstring injury that could hamper their pursuit of the top two. "But to have recovered after two massive disappointments with this win shows the team are solid," added Wenger. Hope has flared again.
