<!--Article Start--> <h3 style="text-align: justify"><strong>Arsenal FC and Liverpool FC had to settle for a point each after a richly entertaining game of two halves beneath the Emirates Stadium drizzle implausibly finished 0-0 on Monday.</strong></h3> <p style="text-align: justify">With Arsenal centre-backs Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny absent -- the former ill, the latter laid low by a back problem -- Liverpool FC dominated the first half, hitting the woodwork twice and seeing Petr Cech produce an astonishing save to deny Christian Benteke, although Aaron Ramsey also had a goal contentiously ruled out for Arsenal FC.</p> <p style="text-align: justify">The hosts took control in the second half, Alexis Sanchez striking the post, but Liverpool held firm for a result that left them two points below leaders Manchester City -- the only team in the Premier League to have won their first three games -- and three points above Arsenal FC.</p> <p style="text-align: justify">"I thought we were outstanding. We showed everything. You heard Petr Cech getting a round of applause for the saves he made," Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers told Sky Sports.</p> <p style="text-align: justify">"Overall we kept a good clean sheet, but we're disappointed we didn't win."</p> <p style="text-align: justify">A goalless draw seemed an improbable outcome for much of the match, such was the sheer number of chances, but having seen his side beaten 2-0 by West Ham United in their first home game, it was Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger who would have been the most relieved to avoid defeat.</p> <p style="text-align: justify">"Liverpool had some chances in the first half and nothing in the second," Wenger said.</p> <p style="text-align: justify">"We had chances in both halves and were unlucky because we scored a regular goal that was ruled out and that was very difficult to understand.</p> <p style="text-align: justify">"We know we can score goals, but we need to do better in the final third."</p> <h3 style="text-align: justify"><strong>Mertesacker and Koscielny both missed a game for the first time in 3 years</strong></h3> <p style="text-align: justify">The evening's first bombshell landed when Arsenal FC's starting line-up was announced, revealing that Mertesacker and Koscielny would both miss a league game for the first time since a 2-1 loss at home to Wigan Athletic in April 2012.</p> <p style="text-align: justify">Their deputies, Calum Chambers and Gabriel, had never previously played together at centre-back and Liverpool FC lost little time attacking them.</p> <p style="text-align: justify">Inside the first three minutes, Benteke shot wide from Emre Can's pass and then teed up Philippe Coutinho for a shot that thudded against the crossbar.</p> <p style="text-align: justify"><a href="http://www.thehardtackle.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/04896722.jpg"><img class=" size-large wp-image-202056 aligncenter" src="http://www.thehardtackle.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/04896722-760x1024.jpg" alt="Arsenal v Liverpool" width="760" height="1024" /></a> . </p> <p style="text-align: justify">But Liverpool FC exhibited defensive frailties of their own and after Sanchez had headed over, Ramsey scored from a sensational Santi Cazorla pass, only to be denied by an offside flag.</p> <p style="text-align: justify">The Premier League has admitted that Benteke's goal in last Monday's 1-0 win over Bournemouth should have been ruled out for offside against Coutinho and here again, Liverpool FC looked to have received a favour from the officials.</p> <p style="text-align: justify">They also received a series of favours from Chambers, who gave the ball away with troubling regularity, obliging Francis Coquelin to produce a desperate last-ditch tackle on Coutinho on one occasion.</p> <h3 style="text-align: justify"><strong>Petr Cech pulled off a couple of astonishing saves</strong></h3> <p style="text-align: justify">It was then Cech's turn to dig his team out, the Czech goalkeeper pulling off an extraordinary stop to prevent Benteke from poking in Roberto Firmino's low cross at point-blank range and then brilliantly tipping a shot from Coutinho onto the post after the Brazilian had embarrassed Hector Bellerin.</p> <p style="text-align: justify">Arsenal FC belatedly settled in the second half, occupying the full width of the pitch when in possession and making deeper inroads in the Liverpool FC third.</p> <p style="text-align: justify">Olivier Giroud volleyed wide, before a slick combination involving Mesut Ozil, Cazorla and Giroud culminated in Sanchez bursting onto a lay-off from the Frenchman and slamming a shot against the post.</p> <p style="text-align: justify">In search of an extra out ball, Rodgers sent the pacy Jordon Ibe on for Firmino, but Arsenal FC continued to press, with visiting goalkeeper Simon Mignolet forced to claw away a close-range shot from Giroud and field a curler from Ramsey.</p> <p style="text-align: justify">Theo Walcott and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain joined the fray for Arsenal in the closing stages and the latter almost crafted a breakthrough, first via a low cross that Liverpool FC defender Martin Skrtel prodded just wide of his own goal and then with a skidding drive that Mignolet had to parry.</p> <h3 style="text-align: justify"><strong>BY AFP</strong></h3> <!--Article End-->