On April 21st 2009, Liverpool and Arsenal produced one of the most unforgettable matches in Premier League history, playing out a breathless 4-4 draw at Anfield.
This was not just another point on the board for Liverpool in the title race, but a fiercely contested result earned in one of the most dramatic games the competition has ever seen.
Rafa Benitez’s side were chasing the Premier League crown and would eventually miss out by four points to Manchester United, illustrating just how much was at stake that night. In a very different era for Liverpool, this meeting with Arsenal became an instant classic and a draw that still feels impossible to top.
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Liverpool 4-4 Arsenal: The greatest Premier League draw ever
Liverpool were the better side for long spells early on and created the clearer chances, with Fernando Torres repeatedly testing Lukasz Fabianski as Arsenal struggled to cope with the pressure.
But despite all that dominance, it was Arsenal who struck first in the 36th minute when Andrey Arshavin finished off a sharp move by crashing his effort in off the underside of the bar, giving the visitors a fortunate half-time lead.
The response from Benitez’s men was immediate. Four minutes after the restart, Torres powered in a header from Dirk Kuyt’s cross, and by the 56th minute Liverpool were ahead when Yossi Benayoun headed home after Arsenal failed to clear.
Anfield was rocking and Liverpool looked ready to seize a massive win, only for the game to take yet another turn. Arshavin pounced on a defensive mistake to make it 2-2 in the 67th minute, then completed his hat-trick just three minutes later after more slack Liverpool defending.
Yet still Liverpool came again. Torres made it 3-3 in the 72nd minute with a brilliant turn and finish, but the drama was not done there either. In stoppage time, with Liverpool throwing bodies forward, Arsenal broke from a corner and Arshavin raced through to score his fourth of an astonishing night in the 90th minute, seemingly winning it.
But even that was not the final twist, because Benayoun bundled in a 93rd-minute equaliser to rescue a point and complete an eight-goal spectacle.
Given how the game played out, a draw was well received around the ground, but it’s fair to say Liverpool should have got more from the game.
It was an Anfield classic, a title-race gut punch, and the gold standard for a good draw.
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