27 October 2024
Arsenal 2-2 Liverpool
The Gunners welcomed Liverpool to The Emirates for the glamour tie of the weekend. Many saw this as the biggest test of Arne Slot’s reign as Reds’ manager. Mikel Arteta loves to play the victim card and in the build-up to this game had been lamenting how many injuries his team have and how hard done by they are, but it was in fact the visitors who had more key players missing for this game.
If you had believed the pre-match ramblings of the Spaniard, then Saka and Timber had returned from the dead to make the starting line-up. As both teams started to feel each other out, they were struggling to breach each of their respective defensive lines. They had plenty of possession and were passing the ball around but with no penetration.
As a result, White opted for a long ball over the top of The Reds’ defence. Saka used his pace to get on the end of it and cut onto his left foot, leaving Robertson for dead. He drilled the ball into the top corner at the near post to give Arteta’s side an early lead. North London erupted as the ghost of Bukayo Saka broke the deadlock. Kelleher will not want to see that one again.
Merino then gave the ball away in a dangerous area. It broke to Salah on the edge of the box, who opted for a first-time effort. His shot was curling away from goal but he really should have done better by his standards. It was a warning to Arteta’s side that they cannot afford to switch off at any given stage against a team like Liverpool.
The visitors soon forced a corner. As the cross was whipped in, Diaz flicked it on at the near post. Van Dijk reacted the quickest and headed the ball home to draw his side level. It was Arsenal who are supposed to be the set-piece specialists but on this occasion, they had been undone by their opponents. The Reds had showed that they were not willing to lie down in this game.
Saka continued to win free kicks for the hosts with very soft decisions. It seemed Anthony Taylor was buying everything the winger sold him. It doesn’t take much of a challenge to send the Arsenal talisman to the floor but rarely do officials pander to his antics. As the resulting free-kick was swung in, Martinelli went to ground demanding a penalty. On this occasion the protests were waved away and the replay showed that Konate had won the ball.
Just before the break, Rice swung in a free kick and Merino headed home at the back post. To be fair the hosts had deserved their goal as they had started to put Liverpool under some severe pressure. The visitors created another chance before the interval but Mac Allister headed straight at Raya. As a result, The Gunners went in with a slender lead.
As the teams came out for the second half, you felt the next goal was crucial in this game. Slot’s side seemed a lot more positive from their first-half showing. They were still struggling to create clear-cut chances and Gravenberch opted to shoot from distance but his effort was always curling away from the Arsenal goal.
The same could be said for The Gunners also. Havertz tried his luck from the edge of the box but did not connect well and the effort was never troubling Kelleher in the Liverpool goal. At this stage of the game, you wondered whether we were going to have a goalless second-half. While this would suit Arteta’s side, The Reds needed to find a way back into this game.
Martinelli then lost the ball to Konate. Alexander-Arnold picked it up and threaded a ball through to Nunez out wide. He drove into the box and unselfishly squared the ball to Salah in the middle. The Egyptian King slotted home to silence The Emirates. It was a clinical attack from the visitors as they got the goal they had craved.
Arsenal managed to push forward late in the game and Havertz looked to lift a cross into the back post. The angle was too tight for Jesus to do anything but force a corner. As the cross was half-cleared it dropped to the striker on the edge of the box. The Brazilian managed to get a shot away but Kelleher tipped it over the bar to deny him.
The Gunners had a late goal ruled out, much to the annoyance of everyone linked with the club. The reality is, looking at the replay, there were three fouls in the build-up to the ball ending in the net. Firstly, Kiwior clatters into Szoboszlai. Then Havertz controls the ball with an arm before lifting it over Kelleher. Alexander-Arnold seems set to clear off the line before the German bundles him into the goal.
Justice was served as the goal was disallowed. No doubt Arteta will tell the media that everyone is against their club but you really could pick any one of the three fouls as rationale to rule it out. The rivals shared the points and the visitors will see this as a big test of their credentials passed, having come back from behind twice.
It meant that Man City remain at the top of the Premier League table, with The Reds a point behind them in second place. The Gunners are in third spot, five points behind Pep Guardiola’s side. There is a long way to go in this title race but Mikel Arteta’s side can ill-afford to give the defending champions any greater lead than they currently have.
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