Injury-hit Arsenal deserve credit for Liverpool draw but title hopes suffer huge blow

ARSENAL 2-2 LIVERPOOL: The Gunners person yet managed to unit themselves among the Premier League elite but it already looks acceptable to beryllium a play of vexation for Mikel Arteta's side

Mikel Arteta would surely person settled for a constituent earlier the game.

But by the end, Arsenal were cursing much dropped points and mislaid crushed successful an unforgiving rubric contention with Manchester City the large winners from a thrilling gully astatine the Emirates. City are ominously 5 points ahead, Liverpool showed large resilience to doubly travel from down and snatch a gully to suggest they volition be Pep Guardiola’s closest challengers alternatively than Arsenal.

You person to springiness Arsenal immense recognition for their show which saw them decorativeness the crippled with a patched-up defence successful which NONE of their archetypal prime defenders were playing successful their mean positions. And they besides played brilliantly successful the archetypal half, the archetypal 45 minutes was arguably arsenic good arsenic Arteta’s men person played each season. Declan Rice, Mikel Merino and Thomas Partey were superb.

But the driblet disconnected successful the 2nd fractional was alarming due to the fact that they look to person tally retired of state - arsenic good arsenic players - earlier the extremity of October. That is the bigger concern.

Liverpool were held to a gully for the archetypal clip successful their opening 9 games and Arne Slot volition beryllium blessed because, portion they are not mounting the satellite alight, they are remarkably accordant and efficient. Mo Salah got the precocious equaliser to gully level with Robbie Fowler’s Premier League full of 163 goals and, with the Egyptian king arsenic prolific arsenic ever, they volition surely beryllium successful the premix this season.

Arsenal person had a frightening database of injuries and William Saliba was suspended this clip and yet Bukayo Saka and Jurrien Timber came consecutive backmost and were besides terrific. But determination were much injuries by the extremity arsenic Brazil centre fractional Gabriel went disconnected with a genu injury and Timber went disconnected with cramp to beryllium replaced by youngster Myles Lewis-Skelly who enactment successful a fearless show arsenic a precocious substitute.

It does not get immoderate easier for Arsenal and Arteta besides could hardly incorporate his vexation aft Kai Havertz had the shot successful the nett lone for referee Anthony Taylor to stroke for a foul by Jakub Kiwior connected Dominik Szoboszlai. It did not look it.

Taylor had a mediocre crippled mostly from the infinitesimal that helium missed Virgil van Dijk kicking retired astatine Havertz aft conscionable six minutes. On a antithetic time successful a antithetic stadium, that could person been a reddish card.

Who was the man-of-the-match successful Arsenal's gully with Liverpool? Share your thoughts successful the comments beneath

Arsenal did transmission their frustrations into their ninth infinitesimal opener. Ben White’s shot implicit the apical released Saka, the England winger chopped wrong Andy Robertson and past rifled a changeable into the apical corner. What a start.

Incredibly, it was Saka’s 50th successful the Premier League and makes him the youngest Arsenal subordinate - astatine 23 years and 52 days - to scope that milestone.

But Liverpool roared backmost - successful keeping with a brilliant, rollercoaster barnstormer of a game. Trent Alexander-Arnold’s superb country was flicked connected by Luis Diaz astatine the adjacent station and van Dijk glanced a header into the acold corner.

However, Arsenal regained the pb earlier fractional time. Declan Rice whipped successful a curling escaped kick, Mikel Merino chased circular the backmost and headed successful with van Dijk’s outstretched ft playing him onside. It took painfully agelong for VAR to cheque and grant the goal.

It got worse for Arsenal erstwhile Gabriel went disconnected injured aboriginal successful the 2nd fractional but their levels dropped mostly and Liverpool stepped up a gear. Alexander-Arnold’s shot guardant played successful Darwin Nunez, his debased transverse was cleanable for Salah to slot successful astatine the backmost post. Arsenal did not springiness up but could not find different and Liverpool conscionable ran retired of time.

Ultimately, it was honours adjacent aft a cracking encounter. Arsenal volition beryllium cursing but Liverpool’s resilience and content volition lone beryllium strengthened by doubly coming from behind.

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