Goalkeeper Jose Reina scored a last-minute own-goal as Liverpool, who had had Joe Cole sent off, drew 1-1 with Arsenal on Sunday.
David Ngog, much maligned last season, got the only goal in the first minute of the second half, Cole having been dismissed in the final minute of the first.
The challenge was reckless rather than malicious, as the former Chelsea forward tried to block a Laurent Koscielny clearance.
Both feet were off the ground, and he ended up scissoring Koscielny’s standing leg.
The French defender was stretchered off, but was fit to start the second half. He was sent off in injury-time after collecting two bookings in quick succession.
Liverpool defended with great resolution, but were undone in the final seconds in farcical circumstances, Reina fumbling the ball over his own line as it came back off the post.
In Roy Hodgson’s first Premier League game in charge, Liverpool lined up much as they had under Rafa Benitez, in a 4-2-3-1 shape, although with Steven Gerrard as one of the two holders, with Joe Cole taking the captain’s former position behind Ngog.
Cesc Fabregas missed out for Arsenal with a chest infection, while Robin van Persie was left on the bench, with manager Arsene Wenger apparently feeling he is not yet fully fit having been given additional time off following the World Cup.
Until its final minute, the first half was engaging rather than thrilling. Arsenal probably just about had the better of it, although their only meaningful shot on goal was an early free-kick from Thomas Vermaelen that Jose Reina beat away with relative ease.
With Cole struggling to get into the game, Liverpool offered little, although Milan Jovanovic was presented with a presentable chance when a long clearance caught out Arsenal’s offside trap.
Perhaps not realising how much time he had, though, the Serbia international snatched at an awkwardly bouncing ball and sliced his shot well wide.
But then, in the final minute before half-time, Glen Johnson brought a fine tip-over from Manuel Almunia with a speculative drive, and Gael Clichy was forced to clear an Ngog header off the line from the resulting corner.
And in injury-time came further drama. It had not been a spiteful game at all; Jack Wilshere drawing the only booking of the first half with a late tackle on Javier Mascherano, but Cole lunged at Koscielny and could have few complaints about his red card.
It was Liverpool, though, who took the lead in the first minute of the second half. Arsenal squandered possession, Dirk Kuyt laid in Ngog, and he beat Almunia at his near post with a ferocious drive.
Almunia, who looked uncomfortable throughout, then flapped at a free-kick, and was fortunate Martin Skrtel’s header drifted wide.
The longer the game went on, the greater was Arsenal’s dominance.
Vermaelen headed a Tomas Rosicky cross just wide, and Reina then made a fine diving save to his left to keep out Theo Walcott’s free-kick, before turning over a Rosicky effort with his fingertips.
But in the final minute, Chamakh got to Rosicky’s cross in front of Reina, the ball hit the post and the retreating goalkeeper couldn’t react quickly enough to do anything other than shovel the ball over the line.
