Reina wants a shirt!

Results

Date	Time	C	Opponent	F	A	R	S
14 Aug	3:00 PM	P	Liverpool (A)	1	1	Draw

Well, it cannot be Arsenal we love and watch if it wasn't for an action-packed opener, with the heart-stopping moments well and truly under way very much from the first to the final whistle.

Looking at the line-ups ahead of kick-off, I must say that I was not fully confident of our chances; especially bearing in mind that losing on Sunday would have arguably dealt our title hopes a telling blow from day 1.

No Fàbregas, no Song, no van Persie, and with Manuel Almunia in goal, I have to say I feared the worst, a thought shared by several Gooners watching on whose company I shared for the clash.

But the first half came and went, going fairly well for both sides, up to Liverpool debutant Joe Cole's dismissal for a rash (and that's being kind) challenge on Laurent Koscielny, cue the stretchers and cue the fear of facing upto losing half of our summer deals.

Thankfully, Kos manned up to come out for the second half. But, if we thought that this was our match for the taking, wrong! Liverpool launched from the off, and David N'Gog lashed one in past our favourite Spanish waiter. 1-0 down at Anfield, Almunia to carry on for the remainder of the match (and probably the season) and 10-man Liverpool in the ascendancy. Great.

Thankfully, we showed the mettle and strength to fight back and rescue a creditable result from one of English football's fortresses, with our superior possession from the first half carrying on to more telling opportunities in the second.

Not before a brief period where we were rocked, however, thus rendering the late comeback all the more commendable. First Thomas Vermaelen had a sniff of goal, before strikes from effective subs Theo Walcott and Tomas Rosicky were cleverly kept out by Pepe Reina in the Liverpool goal.

However, it was hero to zero time for the Liverpool goalkeeper right at the death, illustrating the sort of irony that so often makes football the addictive game that is, making Manuel Almunia look like Peter Shilton in turn!

A punt out wide from Rosicky was nodded onto the post by Marouane Chamakh. And Reina did the rest, gifting us a priceless point, the sort of point our possession and endeavour deserved.

Of course, there was then Koscielny's late sending off, ensuring that we are virtually out of centre halves already for clash against new boys Blackpool.

The manager was understandably delighted following the drama, stating the need to add to the squad along the way, whilst refusing to comment on links to keepers Mark Schwarzer and Shay Given. That, coupled to Arsenal.com's piece quoting Wenger stating that Sunday's goalkeeper would be the number 1, sadly implies that we are stuck with what we've got, and that any positive results from anywhere may well be deemed irrelevant come May.

Harsh as it may sound on Messrs Almunia and Fabianski, but I'm sorry, the two gentlemen have had ample opportunities and, in turn, went on to cost us many points and trophy chances along the way over the past three years. And personally, I'm having none of it and, praying that a positive announcement is made on that front very soon.

But for now, let us take the positives from our opening day draw, hoping that we can build on that and yield six points from our next couple of games, and hoping that we can see more returning stars line up alongside our captain in the near future.

Speaking of which, perhaps Cesc can reward Reina's contribution by gifting him an Arsenal shirt; a shirt he apparently craves on Sunday's showing...

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