An incident packed encounter at Anfield ended 1-1 with both Arsenal and Liverpool finishing the game with ten men as debutants from either side were dismissed. Liverpool were within a couple of minutes of a famous victory as their ten men seemed on the verge of holding out against Arsenal at Anfield.

With the visitor's looking a spent force the game entered its final minute and an embarrassing mistake by Reds keeper Pepe Reina handed the Gunners an unexpected share of the spoils.

Liverpool had been reduced to ten men on the stroke of a fairly tepid first half when Joe Cole, playing his first Premier League game for his new club, was dismissed by referee Martin Atkinson for a rash challenge on Arsenal debutant Laurent Koscielny.

Within two minutes of the restart the hosts took the lead as David Ngog fired home after being set up by Javier Mascherano.

With Arsenal struggling to make their extra man count Reina seemed to be dazzled by the sun and fumbled the ball over the line as it came back off a post.

Steven Gerrard almost restored the lead with a free kick in an eventful last couple of minutes and there was still time for Koscielny to receive a harsh second yellow for an early bath.

LIVERPOOL 25 Reina 02 G Johnson 05 Agger 23 Carragher 37 Skrtel 08 Gerrard (yellow card) 10 J Cole (red card) 20 Mascherano (Lucas 78) 14 Jovanovic (Maxi 65) 18 Kuyt 24 Ngog (Torres 74)

Substitutes 01 Cavalieri, 06 Aurelio, 34 Kelly, 17 Maxi, 21 Lucas, 09 Torres, 19 Babel

ARSENAL 01 Almunia 03 Sagna 05 Vermaelen 06 Laurent Koscielny (yellow card, red card) 22 Clichy 27 Eboue (Walcott 59) 02 Diaby (Van Persie 76) 08 Nasri 19 Wilshereyellow card (Rosicky 60 yellow card) 23 Arshavin 29 Chamakh

Substitutes 21 Fabianski, 28 Gibbs, 07 Rosicky, 14 Walcott, 17 A Song, 10 Van Persie, 11 Vela

Venue: Anfield, Liverpool

Attendance: 44,722 Referee: Martin Atkinson Assistant referees: Peter Kirkup & Stephen Child Fourth official: Phil Dowd