Hodgson peps up Pepe

Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson has given Jose 'Pepe' Reina his full backing after the goalkeeper's gaffe gifted Arsenal a last-gasp point at Anfield.

The Reds looked like they had sealed a precious win against the Gunners until Reina turned the ball into his own goal after Marouane Chamakh had hit the post.

But Hodgson refused to blame the Spanish shot-stopper after the game, believing there had been a lot of positives to his overall performance.

The Reds boss told the club's official website: "He took it hard because he is a very serious professional who really believes in himself and the team.

"He will be the first one not to try and apportion blame to other people, so of course he's taken it hard.

"But I thought he played well considering he didn't have an awful lot to do - and what he did have to do came very spasmodically. His concentration was good, his kicking was excellent.

"He's had a shoulder injury and came back quicker than we thought he would, so there are an enormous number of positives.

"The one negative, unfortunately, was he let in a goal which in normal circumstances he would have kept out."

This story has been reproduced from today's media. It does not necessarily represent the position of Liverpool Football Club.