An uncharacteristic blunder by Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina gifted Arsenal a point at Anfield after Roy Hodgson’s men had taken and held on to a lead despite being down to ten-men for the entire second half.

Liverpool overcame Joe Cole’s dismissal in first-half stoppage time for an overzealous challenge on Arsenal new boy Laurent Koscielny when David Ngog beat Manuel Almunia at his near post with a well-struck right-foot drive on 46 minutes.

And they held on until the 90^th minute when Reina misjudged a Tomas Rosicky cross, lost the ball in a challenge with another debutant. Marouane Chamakh and diverted it into his own net after it hit the post.

Koscielny himself was dismissed for two bookings in two stoppage time minutes at the end of the game.

It had been a quiet affair until Cole’s attempted block challenge on Koscielny was deemed reckless by referee Martin Atkinson and worth a straight dismissal.

Glen Johnson and Ngog went closest for Liverpool while Thomas Vermaelen’s long-range free-kick was Arsenal’s best first-half moment.

And Liverpool restricted Arsenal to a handful of second-half opportunities, with Reina producing a wonderful finger-tip save to deny Rosicky, moments before his mistake undid his good work.