Liverpool 1 Arsenal 1
Jurgen Klopp knew that his side had the chance of spending Christmas at the top of the table if they could beat Arsenal at Anfield. At a ground where they haven’t won for a decade, Mikel Arteta knew this was going to be a test of their title credentials.
The visitors started in positive mood and as Saka’s cross was palmed out by Alisson, Jesus shot from the edge of the box, only to see his effort deflected over the bar to deny him a pre-birthday goal. Arsenal continued to press Liverpool high up the pitch as they struggled to find any rhythm.
As Odegaard whipped in a free kick from out wide, Gabriel met the cross to head home to send The Gunners’ fans into delirium. It was his first goal of the season and silenced the Anfield crowd after only four minutes of the game.
Salah started to prove to be a thorn in the side of the visitors. As he looked to take the ball around Odegaard, he handled the ball in the box and the players and fans demanded a penalty. VAR reviewed it and decided it was not the case as the Arsenal skipper had slipped.
Credit: @Arsenal
This is everything that is wrong with the review process. They try and take things into consideration that should not be part of their decision making. Odegaard may have slipped, but he still handled the ball, it was a stonewall penalty. Whether he meant to do it is neither here nor there.
Zinchenko continues to try and impersonate a defender for Arsenal, very unconvincingly, and Salah took full advantage as he skipped past him to drill the ball into the visitors’ goal. Anfield erupted as the Egyptian King got them back on level terms.
Then came the most bizarre moment of the game if not season. Saka pushed Tsimikas off the pitch who then wiped out his manager, sending Klopp up into the air like a German SpaceX mission. Sadly for The Reds, the defender damaged his collarbone in the process and had to be rushed to hospital.
Saka had the chance to rub salt in the wound as he ran through on goal moments later but took the ball wide of the goal as Alisson came out to meet him. Martinelli picked up the loose ball, with the keeper still out of position but dragged his shot wide of the post.
As the second half started, Klopp’s side started to put some pressure on the visitors. Joe Gomez ran into the box and, with no other options, tried to bend one in the far corner. It went inches wide of the post with David Raya at full stretch.
Liverpool were in the ascendancy now and as Harvey Elliott ran towards goal, he unleashed a shot which defected off Gabriel and struck the post, with Raya well beaten. The Arsenal defender was so close to scoring for both sides in the game.
Credit: @LFC
Each team was intent on trying to find a winner and Arteta’s side forced a corner. As Liverpool cleared it, Salah ran from one end of the pitch to the other, with three players to his right and only one defender in front of him. He laid it off to Alexander-Arnold who struck the crossbar when it seemed a goal was certain.
Arteta’s side had a brief glimpse of goal but Havertz went to ground under the challenge of Alexander-Arnold. VAR reviewed it and decided it was another case of the German going down easier than the Bismarck.
Saka, who had already been booked, then wiped out Gravenberch with his studs showing. The referee decided it was not intentional as the Arsenal winger had slipped, which seemed a sensible decision in all fairness.
The points were shared between the two sides and Arsenal remained top of the Premier League table. Fortunately for Mikel Arteta the two ‘dancing on ice’ moments went their way when the officials let them off with the ‘hand of Od’ and his wingers rash challenge on Gravenberch.
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