Arsenal stay top after thrilling Liverpool draw

4 months ago 92
Mohamed Salah of Liverpool scores against ArsenalNo Premier League fixture has featured as many goals (home and away) as Liverpool v Arsenal (186).

Arsenal maintained their place at the top of the Premier League after a thrilling draw with Liverpool at Anfield.

Victory for either side would have put them top of the table at Christmas but they had to settle for a share of the points in an entertaining encounter.

Arsenal delivered the perfect start when defender Gabriel headed home from Martin Odegaard's free-kick after only four minutes.

However, Liverpool regrouped and were level after 29 minnutes when Mohamed Salah thrashed a finish high past Gunners keeper David Raya at his near post after collecting Trent Alexander-Arnold's raking pass.

In between, Liverpool looked to be denied a clear penalty when Odegaard handled and after that Jurgen Klopp's side had the better opportunities, although Arsenal were always a threat.

Substitute Harvey Elliott grazed the outside of the post while Alexander-Arnold wasted the best chance of the half when he blasted against the bar after Liverpool swamped Arsenal on the counter-attack.

Liverpool v Arsenal as it happened, plus reaction and analysisHow did you rate Liverpool's performance? Have your say hereWhat did you make of Arsenal's display? Send us your views here

Liverpool miss cutting edge

Liverpool were left counting the cost of the failure to find the finishing touch for the second successive league game at Anfield.

They were held to a draw by a stubborn Manchester United last Sunday and had to settle for a point once more in a contest of much higher quality against Arsenal, responding to Gabriel's early strike with another magnificent goal from Salah.

Manager Jurgen Klopp will reflect on two big moments which mean his side stay behind the Gunners going into Christmas after an often-frenetic meeting at Anfield.

Liverpool will be furious that they seemed to be denied a clear penalty when Odegaard handled in the first half and Alexander-Arnold should have buried what could have been the match-winner late on.

They restricted Arsenal's opportunities in the second half but this is an outcome that will satisfy Mikel Arteta's side and perhaps, most of all, new Club World Cup champions Manchester City.

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Liverpool

Squad number1Player nameAlisson

Squad number66Player nameAlexander-Arnold

Squad number5Player nameKonaté

Squad number4Player namevan Dijk

Squad number21Player nameTsimikas

Squad number8Player nameSzoboszlai

Squad number3Player nameEndo

Squad number17Player nameJones

Squad number11Player nameMohamed Salah

Squad number18Player nameGakpo

Squad number7Player nameDíaz

Squad number2Player nameGomez

Squad number9Player nameNúñez

Squad number19Player nameElliott

Squad number38Player nameGravenberch

Arsenal

Squad number22Player nameRaya

Squad number4Player nameWhite

Squad number2Player nameSaliba

Squad number6Player nameGabriel Magalhães

Squad number35Player nameZinchenko

Squad number8Player nameØdegaard

Squad number41Player nameRice

Squad number29Player nameHavertz

Squad number7Player nameSaka

Squad number9Player nameGabriel Jesus

Squad number11Player nameGabriel Martinelli

Squad number14Player nameNketiah

Squad number19Player nameTrossard

Line-ups

Liverpool

Formation 4-3-3

1Alisson66Alexander-Arnold5Konaté4van Dijk21TsimikasSubstituted forGomezat 35'minutes8Szoboszlai3EndoBooked at 45mins17JonesSubstituted forGravenberchat 68'minutes11SalahBooked at 84mins18GakpoSubstituted forNúñezat 68'minutes7DíazSubstituted forElliottat 68'minutes

Substitutes

2Gomez9Núñez19Elliott38Gravenberch42Clark53McConnell62Kelleher78Quansah84Bradley

Arsenal

Formation 4-3-3

22Raya4WhiteBooked at 90mins2Saliba6Gabriel35Zinchenko8Ødegaard41RiceBooked at 49mins29HavertzBooked at 45mins7SakaBooked at 38mins9Gabriel JesusSubstituted forNketiahat 78'minutesBooked at 86mins11MartinelliSubstituted forTrossardat 68'minutes

Substitutes

1Ramsdale10Smith Rowe14Nketiah15Kiwior17Cédric Soares19Trossard20Jorginho24Nelson25Elneny

Live Text

Match ends, Liverpool 1, Arsenal 1.

Second Half ends, Liverpool 1, Arsenal 1.

Darwin Núñez (Liverpool) wins a free kick on the left wing.

Foul by William Saliba (Arsenal).

Foul by Oleksandr Zinchenko (Arsenal).

Harvey Elliott (Liverpool) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Corner, Arsenal. Conceded by Joe Gomez.

Attempt blocked. Bukayo Saka (Arsenal) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Martin Ødegaard.

Ben White (Arsenal) is shown the yellow card for hand ball.

Hand ball by Ben White (Arsenal).

Foul by Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool).

Eddie Nketiah (Arsenal) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Ryan Gravenberch (Liverpool) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Foul by Bukayo Saka (Arsenal).

Foul by Ryan Gravenberch (Liverpool).

Martin Ødegaard (Arsenal) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Eddie Nketiah (Arsenal) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

Foul by Eddie Nketiah (Arsenal).

Wataru Endo (Liverpool) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Corner, Arsenal. Conceded by Dominik Szoboszlai.

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