By Myles Palmer

Why do managers rest goalkeepers?

The FA Cup Third Round is a big game, especially if the home team are the holders of the trophy, so Benitez and Wenger played their strongest available teams.

But they rested Reina and Lehmann, using Almunia and Dudek.

And Dudek was very rusty.

Let's face it, Arsenal's 3-1 win at Anfield was a huge surprise. Few thought they would win and nobody dreamed they would win 3-1.

It was an interesting contest which told us a lot about the two clubs who will probably be fighting for third place in the next 17 Premiership games.

Rafa Benitez found himself outRafad by Wenger, who used two holding midfielders because Fabregas was suspended. Rafa probably thought thast if Hamann or Sissoko had been playing, neither of Rosicky's goals would have been scored.

With Gilberto and Flamini covering the middle, the visitors could afford to let Liverpool have the ball, and play on the break

Mainly, the game was interesting for these reasons.

1. LIVERPOOL's STRIKERS cannot partner each other.

None of them can play together, none of them improves the other, or provides passes for the other.Stylistically, Crouch is a one-off, so is Kuyt. And so is Bellamy, who warmed up all game but did not come on.

Tinkerman Benitez played 4-4-2 but Luis Garcia is NOT a winger and they created nothing in open play. Almunia's first save was from Kuyt in 92 minutes and they were 3-1 down by then.

2. HENRY has not changed

He strolled around for 80 minutes and then switched to turbo and zoomed down the field and beat Dudek. The greatest spurt player I've ever seen. He has done that 50 times: walked around doing nothing while the other nine players run their lungs out, and then scored after 80 minutes or 84 or 89. Walk through the game, score against a tiring defence.

But, after showing electric acceleration, and shrewd anticipation to rob Carragher and cut inside Agger, he possibly mishit his shot, which went closer to the rusty Dudek than the Pole had expected. Dudek dived late and missed it.

Why does Henry whisper to van Persie 30 seconds before kick- off ? What on earth could Thierry have to say to Robin that he couldn't say to him in the dressing room or in the warm-up or five minutes ago ? He would love us to believe he can come back with a different head on. But he won't and he can't. He can never change. He is what he is. Thierry is Thierry, scorer of 233 goals in 362 games for Arsenal.

3. EBOUE won't make it.

In 29 minutes, he dithered, came infield with the ball and when challenged by Luis Garcia he smacked the little Spaniard in the face with his right arm. And Eboue, lucky boy, wasn't booked.

In 65 he kicked Luis Garcia when the ball was four yards away and then he sat down holding his shin. Having been booked, he sat down again as Arsenal prepared to defend a corner and caused a bit of angry argy-bargy with Crouch and others. The ref made Eboue leave the field but, incredibly, he walked back on the field as the corner was about to be taken. Gary Lewin grabbed him and pulled him off and shouted to the ref, "he's off." Lewin did this without examining the "injury".At that moment, Justin Hoyte was running on from the halfway line to help defend the corner.

Pretending to be injured when you have clearly fouled an opponent is wholly unArsenal and wholly unacceptable. Eboue an athletic idiot with no positional sense and he is not improving or learning from his mistakes.

He won't do, I'm afraid. Arsene may have harboured hopes that the West African powerhouse could develop into another Thuram. But he won't because his head isn't right. He was taken off because he was in danger of being sent off. He wasn't injured.

Eboue is a loose cannon who makes you realise how reliable Lauren's temperament was in the 159 Premiership games he played for Arsenal

4.TOURE has had a sticky spell in recent games and needed all the help he could get. Senderos was shaky when Liverpool attacked on the deck but good when they attacked in the air in the second half. He almost miskicked an own-goal late on.

5. ROSICKY is a world class player who should be playing within the width of the penalty area. Yes, he is wasted on the left wing but football is a fluid game and his starting position does not matter. What counts is that Rosicky can get in some right footed shots from outside or just inside the box.

His first goal was very well worked with Hleb, his mate.

Hleb speaks very little English so he was ecstatic when Rosicky, another German speaker, joined Arsenal last summer. Before that the burden of translating for him fell on Lehmann, who was also delighted that Arsenal had acquired another German speaker.

Rosicky has scored one goal for Arsenal in 2006 and two in 2007.

VERDICT : a fantastic victory, a surprise victory, the first team to win at Anfield in 29 games. If you can beat Liverpool 3-1 without Fabregas, you can win the FA Cup.

And Gilberto was the best player on the pitch.

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