Arsenal 2-2 Liverpool: Report & Ratings | OneFootball

Written by Mark Strickland

Arsenal 2-2 Liverpool: Mohamed Salah rescued the Reds a point in the 81st minute after a poor first half in which they trailed twice.

Bukayo Saka – who passed a fitness test – had given Arsenal a ninth-minute-lead when cutting back inside to fire home before Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk responded nine minutes later.

Mikel Merino – making only his second start of the season – put Arsenal back in front from another successful Gunners set-piece routine before Salah’s late show.

The hosts took the lead when Ben White floated a ball over the top to Saka who beat Andy Robertson before firing past Caoimhin Kelleher in style.

Sadly, Robertson struggled and question marks have been raised as to whether he is no longer the Reds’ first-choice left-back. Kostas Tsimikas would replace him in the 63rd minute.

Saka then almost turned provided when he played the ball infield to Merino who misscontrolled and allowed Salah to hit it first time but swept it off target.

Beginning to get a foothold, from Trent Alexander-Arnold’s corner, Luis Diaz flicked on and Virgil van Dijk stooped – on his century of appearances as captain.

After giving away another free kick in a dangerous area, Declan Rice delivered an inviting delivery, but Merino’s contact was like a clearance for a corner, not a goal attempt, on this occasion at least.

It was a mirror image 23 minutes later, except Merino’s bullet header was past Kelleher before he could react, the goal standing following a lengthy VAR review for offside that deep-lying Van Dijk leg.

Alexander-Arnold played a lofted through ball to Darwin Nunez who got his pass right to Salah. The Egyptian King duly slotted into the corner to level once more and show The Reds’ powers of recovery to their fullest.

Player Ratings

XI: Caoimhin Kelleher 7, Trent Alexander-Arnold 7, Ibrahima Konate 7, Virgil van Dijk 8, Andy Robertson 6, Ryan Gravenberch 6, Alexis Mac Allister 6, Curtis Jones 6, Mohamed Salah 8, Darwin Nunez 8, Luis Diaz 7

Subs: Dominik Szoboszlai 7, Kostas Tsimikas 8, Cody Gakpo 7, Wataru Endo 6