Feelgood factor remains despite draw, says Gerrard
The Reds were on course to open their domestic campaign with a win when Jose Reina allowed the ball to squirm from his grasp and into the net in injury time of a pulsating clash.
It was a deflating blow, but after a positive summer following the appointment of Roy Hodgson as manager, Gerrard says it will take a lot more to damage revitalised spirits.
“I can feel the optimism, and rightly so,’’ he said. “If we can keep everyone fit I am very confident we can have a completely different season to last year.
“There is a real buzz about the place and if we had got three points it would have been a magnificent start.”
Liverpool’s performance against Arsenal was all the more commendable after the dismissal of Joe Cole on the stroke of half-time.
The England midfielder had a home league debut to forget as he received a straight red card for a reckless lunge at Arsenal new boy Laurent Koscielny.
Cole will now miss three matches after Liverpool decided against appealing against his dismissal. Cole will sit out matches against Manchester City, West Brom and Birmingham.
Liverpool responded well to Cole’s dismissal on Sunday to go ahead through David Ngog but Arsenal finished strongly and claimed a late reward.
Gerrard said: “We were very unlucky not to see it out and take maximum points. I’m very proud of all the lads, I thought they put a tremendous shift in.
“To lose a man with a half to go and still get something out of the game, I’m really pleased. I thought they were disciplined and looked very fit.
“It was a shame we lost Joe. I think he was unfortunate, maybe a yellow would have been more sensible.”
It proved an eventful afternoon for Arsenal’s two debutants, Koscielny and Marouane Chamakh.
Koscielny, a £9.7 million (€11.8m) signing from Lorient, was carried off on a stretcher after Cole’s controversial challenge, but returned for the second half. The defender was later sent off himself in injury time for two bookable offences in quick succession.
Chamakh, a free transfer from Bordeaux, struggled to make an impression up front for most of the game but had a huge hand in the equaliser.
Chamakh got in ahead of Reina to meet Rosicky’s cross and the ball rebounded off him, the post and the goalkeeper to earn Arsenal a point.
Manager Arsene Wenger was pleased with the contribution of both players.
Wenger said: “Chamakh showed by ‘scoring’ the goal he is not afraid to put his head and body in. I feel the two players who we bought have done well, I believe Chamakh and Koscielny had an impressive performance.
“We need a bit more penetration in the final third to take care of our possession. We are still a bit short defensively.”
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