MISSED OPPORTUNITY

It was a strange old game in north London.
We settled pretty well and looked the better of the two sides until a moment of stunning class from Van Perise placed us on the back foot.
Initially, I thought Carragher had been found wanting, but there are times when you've got to sit back and appluad a moment of sublime skill.
The chest control, spin, control and right foot drive was out of the very top drawer.
But if the Dutchman's strike was exemplary, the same could be said for Robbie Keane's thunderous leveller.
What a goal this was. One long hopeful punt, two bounces, and a wallop into the roof of the net.
Gallas, one of the best centre halfs in the world had no answer.
It was great for Keane who, let's be honest, is being right royaly screwed over by the boss at present.
It was palpably obvious he was in good form after the PSV game, which made his absence against Hull all the more puzzling.
So, taking off Keane as we pressed for the winner was depressingly predictable by an AWOL Benitez, but just as mind-boggling as the week before at Anfield.

At all square, there was only one team in it - Kuyt crossed for Gerrard who was inches away and our midfield was swarming all over theirs, Alonso, Gerrard and Lucas picking up every loose ball.
The sending off, however, changed the game, but not, as you'd imagine, in our favour.
From being in total control, we suddenly were second best, and there was a infuriating lack of adventure throughout the side.
Players weren't busting a gut to get forward, we strolled around and hardly pushed to make our extra man tell.
Arsenal, to their credit, raised their game. Nasri was outstanding, but our midfield failed to raise their level.
As a result, we frittered away 30 minutes with a one-man advantage, an advantage which if we had pressed forward, could have got us the extra goal, and three points, to send us four points clear.
The best chance we fashioned was an Agger thunderbolt and a header from El Zhar right at the death.

So, to the sending off.
It was an interesting dismissal. Firstly, Adebayor's intent doesn't look too clever as he goes in with raised foot and baring studs.
However, it doesn't make any sufficient contact, and so we move onto the hand in Arbeloa's face.
He does catch him, but any damage caused is derisory, and it was a pretty pathetic dying swan routine from the Spaniard.
The big Togo frontman can count himself a little unlucky, but as his first yellow card for his raking challenge on Insua showed, he needs to cut out his tendency to go into challenges with foot up.
But as the red card raised the Gunners heckles, so it galvanized their players, and we criminally failed to respond.
The game petered out to a disappointing draw. Babel was introduced to predictably show little interest in making an impact.
Rafa's patience with the talented but lifeless winger-cum-forward must be wearing dangerously thin.

On the plus side, the performance of Insua at left-back was very encouraging. He was tough, positionally sound and he showed willingness to get forward with composure and pace in advanced positions.
If ever there was a sign that this lad is the most skilled left back at the club it was here for all to see.
Never mind Aurelio, the Argentinian needs to be given a ten game uninterrupted run in the first team.

The Keane saga is so infuritating that it's just plain boring now. How we didn't have two up front with a man advantage, Kuyt and the Irishman working together, with Riera and Bal attacking them from both flanks, is anybody's guess.
But then that would have meant invention and positivity from Liverpool which we lacked in abundance.
Even wth Rafa hundreds of miles way back on Merseyside, he still managed to haul Keane off in customary fashion.
It seems the bewildered striker can't escape this skewed logic even when the boss is flat out on his sick bed.