Title bid back on after Arsenal beat Liverpool

Arsenal 1 Liverpool 0. So much for pretty football. In a week in which Chelsea star Michael Ballack had publicly criticised Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger for putting pretty football before winning matches, the Gunners 'won ugly' against Liverpool at the Emirates last night.

The 1-0 victory – courtesy of an Abou Diaby goal on 72 minutes – ended Arsenal's recent run of three league outings without a win, and also checked Liverpool's  charge up the table. This was the Merseysiders' first defeat in eight games and leaves them in fourth place, eight points adrift of Arsenal in third.

With leaders Chelsea going down 2-1 to Everton at Goodison Park, and Manchester United held to a 1-1 draw away at Aston Villa, perhaps Arsenal's title bid isn't quite the terminal case everyone assumed after their 2-0 defeat to Chelsea on Sunday had cut them nine points adrift of the Blues.
 
Certainly Wenger, much happier in the presence of the press last night than he had been the previous day when he'd accused them of twisting his words, believes the title challenge is far from the two-horse race predicted by many a few days ago.

Describing the defeat of Liverpool as a "massive result" the Arsenal boss went on to say: "No-one realises how hard it is to play United, Chelsea and Liverpool in three straight games," said Wenger. "It's massive and you have to recover physically and mentally. Everybody drops points everywhere so let's see what happens. The most consistent side will win it. We will fight until the last second of the season."

Arsenal will also be encouraged by the fixture list in the final months of the season. United and Chelsea clash in a potentially title-deciding match on April 3, while the pair must also play Manchester City and Liverpool, both of whom will be fighting tooth-and-nail to make fourth place and gain that elusive Champions League spot. The Gunners, on the other hand, have a much easier run-in, meeting only two of the top seven teams between now and May 9 (Tottenham away and Manchester City at home).

Suddenly it seems a faint pulse has been detected in Arsenal's title aspirations."I don't see any mathematical reason why we shouldn't believe. It can change quickly," said Wenger. "We are just trying now to win our next game and if they slip up ... there's a chance."

Not that many people watching the first-half last night would have given Arsenal much chance of coming away with a win against a Liverpool side that seemed devoid of attacking ambition. The opening 45 minutes was duller than a winter's day on the Wirral though things improved marginally in the second-half.
 
Andrey Arshavin rifled a shot into the Liverpool side-netting and Lucas couldn't keep his effort from going over the Arsenal bar before Steven Gerrard created the best chance of the night when he put David Ngog clear. The Frenchman seemed certain to score as he bore down on goal but William Gallas saved the day for the Gunners with a wonderfully-timed tackle.

Then came the goal that might prove to be the most important of Arsenal's season. Nicklas Bendtner, looking sharp since his return from a groin operation, picked out Tomas Rosicky on the right and his curling cross found the head of Diaby who gave Pepe Reina no chance in the visitors' goal.

Liverpool fought hard to defend their honour in the closing stages, with Ryan Babel forcing a brilliant save from Manuel Almunia, but the Gunners held on for Arsene Wenger's 300th league victory. Pretty it wasn't, but the Arsenal boss was too relieved to care. ·