LONDON — Arsenal slipped additional off the tempo within the Premier League title race by twice throwing away the lead in a 2-2 draw in opposition to Liverpool on the Emirates on Sunday. Mikel Arteta’s staff, who’ve completed runners-up to Manchester Metropolis in every of the previous two season, at the moment are 5 factors adrift of Pep Guardiola’s facet.
Bukayo Saka had given Arsenal a ninth-minute lead after embarrassing Liverpool full-back Andrew Robertson to attain, and Mikel Merino restored the Gunners’ lead with a Forty third-minute header after Virgil van Dijk had equalised on 17 minutes. Mohamed Salah‘s 81st-minute equaliser lastly secured some extent for the guests.
What was already a disappointing day for Arsenal was additional tarnished by centre-back Gabriel Magalhães limping out of the sport on 54 minutes with a suspected knee damage.
Liverpool present resilience to go first large check
Arne Slot has repeatedly mentioned that his Liverpool staff can’t be judged till they’ve confronted a giant check in opposition to a giant opponent, however the Reds’ supervisor will now know that his facet have resilience in abundance after combating again twice to earn a draw at Arsenal. Final Sunday’s Anfield win in opposition to Chelsea was a check in opposition to an enhancing staff, however the journey to the Emirates was the primary time Liverpool confronted an opponent occupying a top-five spot this season.
The fact is that Arsenal had been the higher staff and the one which displayed most creativity and carried the better risk. Regardless of that, although, and regardless of Arsenal twice taking the lead, Liverpool nonetheless emerged with some extent that allows them to remain forward of the Gunners as Manchester Metropolis’s closest challengers on the prime of the desk.
Slot’s Liverpool are a special proposition to Jürgen Klopp’s staff — the facet the German referred to as his “Mentality Monsters.” They play a extra disciplined 4-3-3 formation and midfielders Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister occupy the defensive slots in entrance of the again 4. As a consequence, they’re more durable to beat, however the flip facet is that Slot’s Liverpool lack the fantasy of his predecessor’s facet.
After 9 video games in cost, although, Slot’s staff are second within the desk and only one level behind champions Metropolis. They misplaced on the Emirates final season after they had been too open, however Slot has bolted the again door a bit tighter, and he’s getting his rewards.
This was one other check handed. — Mark Ogden
Arsenal’s patched-up defence collapses
William Saliba performed each single minute of Arsenal’s Premier League marketing campaign final season. His absence right here — the product of a pink card in opposition to AFC Bournemouth — posed Arteta a brand new downside in reshuffling his defence.
The Gunners boss opted to companion Ben White with Gabriel at centre-back whereas midfielder Thomas Partey began at right-back and Jurriën Timber recovered from a muscular downside to start at left-back.
That quartet — Arsenal’s sixth completely different again 4 in 9 league video games — coped admirably within the circumstances, however Arsenal’s issues deepened within the second half. Gabriel was compelled off 9 minutes after the restart and later returned to the dugout to look at the remainder of the sport along with his left leg closely strapped.
The final Premier League match through which neither Gabriel nor Saliba was on the sector was the ultimate 4 minutes of Arsenal’s 4-1 win over Crystal Palace in March 2023.
Jakub Kiwior was launched, however Liverpool stepped up their seek for an equaliser, and Timber — beginning his first recreation for 26 days — pale, forcing the introduction of teenager Myles Lewis-Skelly. Salah’s equaliser got here down that flank. Darwin Núñez evaded Lewis-Skelly and Kiwior bought caught out of place as Salah darted infield to equalise.
Saliba will return from suspension however Arsenal’s defence — so typically a secure and dependable composition in latest seasons — is being examined to the restrict at current. — James Olley
Salah’s purpose illustrates what he does finest
Salah’s 81st-minute equaliser for Liverpool was a basic instance of what he does finest — and in addition a touch to Slot that he wants give the ahead extra scope to do it. Slot’s Liverpool play a extra inflexible formation than Klopp’s free-flowing facet, and the draw back of that strategy is that it has taken away the liberty that Salah loved underneath Slot’s predecessor.
Towards Arsenal, the 32-year-old spent nearly the entire recreation on the correct of the Liverpool entrance three and he performed to directions by occupying the correct flank of the pitch when the staff went ahead. At occasions, he minimize a pissed off determine, wanting like nothing greater than a regular proper winger obediently staying in his place and making certain that the staff form remained strong.
The great thing about Salah, although, is his capacity to chop inside or roam freely throughout the ahead line. Consider all the good targets he has scored for Liverpool, and so many have been when he has glided off the wing and scored with an unstoppable left-foot shot.
On the Emirates, he did that when and it led to a vital purpose that earned some extent for Liverpool.
When Núñez chased a ball down the correct, Salah minimize inside, attacked the house and waited for his teammate to ship the go. Núñez laid it on a plate for Salah, who scored as soon as once more to make a big effect for Liverpool. — Ogden
Arteta’s secret Saka plan pays off
Arteta is usually evasive when answering pre-match staff information questions, however the north London membership went to particular lengths in retaining Saka’s availability underneath wraps.
Arteta claimed on Friday lunchtime that the England winger had not skilled as of that time, casting robust doubt over his possibilities of recovering from a hamstring damage in time to face Liverpool. Nevertheless, behind the scenes, Arsenal had been more and more hopeful all through the week that Saka might play some half and went to the weird step of coaching at Emirates Stadium on Saturday.
It’s the first time they’ve achieved so since April, and sources recommend a part of the pondering was to make sure the doubtless staff stayed a intently guarded secret with solely minimal workers allowed entry to the stadium in the course of the session.
Saka proved his health and began the sport, beating Robertson with ease to attain the opening purpose after 9 minutes. Aged 23 years and 52 days, Saka turned the youngest Arsenal participant ever to attain 50 Premier League targets, and he hit that milestone whereas sporting the captain’s armband.
His significance to Arsenal can’t be overstated, particularly with Martin Odegaard nonetheless sidelined, and Saka as soon as once more delivered when it mattered.
He was changed with 5 minutes to go, shortly after Salah’s second-half equaliser. Saka would by no means usually come off in such circumstances, maybe underlining simply how a lot of a threat it was for him to play within the first place. — Olley
Liverpool have a double full-back downside
Liverpool would possibly want to switch two full-backs subsequent summer season fairly than only one. All the main target proper now could be on Trent Alexander-Arnold and whether or not the right-back will signal a brand new contract at Anfield, however there are rising query marks over Robertson at left-back, too. This recreation on the Emirates urged each might quickly be phased out.
Robertson, who arrived at Liverpool in a discount £10 million switch from Hull Metropolis in 2017, has been as integral to the staff’s success lately as Alexander-Arnold on the other flank. The 2 defenders have been Liverpool’s full-backs now for nearly seven years.
They had been each poor on the Emirates, although, and it’s absolutely a sound query to ask whether or not they’re suited to the way in which Slot desires his staff to play.
Alexander-Arnold, 26, has needed to mood his attacking instincts to suit Slot’s system, however his defensive qualities have all the time been the weakest component of his recreation and he struggled in opposition to Arsenal’s Gabriel Martinelli, particularly within the first-half. With a lot scrutiny on his future and whether or not he’ll signal a contract that might nearly actually make him the membership’s prime earner, Alexander-Arnold wants to indicate extra defensively to show not solely that he’s well worth the funding, however that he’s Slot’s best choice in that place.
Robertson is 4 years older than Alexander-Arnold and it’s starting to indicate. The Scotland worldwide was simply outdone by Saka for Arsenal’s opening purpose and he had a rocky afternoon earlier than being changed by Kostas Tsimikas simply after the hour mark.
Liverpool want a brand new long-term resolution at left-back, however from a soccer perspective, they could additionally resolve to chop their losses by discovering a brand new right-back, too. — Ogden
Set items are Arsenal’s power — and in addition their weak point
Arsenal have rightly been lauded as one of many best exponents of set items in English soccer, however for the second consecutive weekend, they had been undone when defending a nook.
After Bournemouth broke the impasse in opposition to the Gunners with a well-worked routine of their very own, Liverpool achieved first-half parity with one other intelligent effort of their very own. Alexander-Arnold swung the ball into the close to publish the place Kai Havertz was overwhelmed within the air by Luis Díaz earlier than Van Dijk nodded in.
Havertz was additionally caught out in the same place in opposition to Bournemouth. Solely Wolverhampton Wanderers and Southampton have conceded extra targets from set items than the Gunners within the Premier League this season.
And but, they continue to be potent on the different finish. Declan Rice‘s fantastically whipped Forty third-minute supply discovered Merino, who produced a strong header to revive the house facet’s benefit. It’s the twenty seventh purpose Arsenal have scored from dead-ball conditions for the reason that starting of final season — a league excessive. — Olley