Reds Rue Missed Chances as Arsenal Rally to Snatch a Draw | OneFootball

Liverpool 2 – 2 Arsenal – The Postmortem

With the Premier League title long since sealed, Liverpool entered their penultimate home match of the season looking to surpass the 90-point mark (with three more wins required for 91 points), a huge potential achievement in Arne Slot’s first campaign on Merseyside. For Arsenal, however, the stakes were far more tangible and potentially damaging to a team self-proclaimed as the best in Europe, curiously. Locked in a fierce race for a top-five finish alongside Manchester City, Chelsea, Aston Villa, Newcastle, and Nottingham Forest, every point was vital for the team that had just been eliminated by PSG at the semifinal stage of the Champions League. Despite their superior motivation, Mikel Arteta’s side again faltered under pressure, surrendering more vital points to a Liverpool team playing freely but not without flaws.

The Starting Elevens

Liverpool:

• GK – Alisson Becker

• RB – Conor Bradley

• CB – Virgil van Dijk (c)

• CB – Jarell Quansah

• LB – Andy Robertson

• CM – Ryan Gravenberch

• CM – Curtis Jones

• CM – Dominik Szoboszlai

• RW – Mohamed Salah

• CF – Luis Díaz

• LW – Cody Gakpo

Arsenal:

• GK – David Raya

• RB – Ben White

• CB – William Saliba

• CB – Jakub Kiwior

• LB – Miles Lewis-Skelly

• CM – Thomas Partey

• CM – Mikel Merino

• RW – Bukayo Saka

• RCM – Martin Ødegaard (c)

• LW – Gabriel Martinelli

• CF – Leandro Trossard

Substitutes:

Darwin Núñez – Cody Gakpo – 67’

Alexis Mac Allister – Curtis Jones – 67’

Trent Alexander-Arnold – Conor Bradley – 67’

Diogo Jota – Luis Díaz – 79’

Harvey Elliott – Ryan Gravenberch – 83’

Goals (Assisted by):

Liverpool 1 – 0 Arsenal

Cody Gakpo (Andy Robertson) – 20’

Liverpool 2 – 0 Arsenal

Luis Díaz (Dominik Szoboszlai) – 21’

Liverpool 2 – 1 Arsenal

Gabriel Martinelli (Leandro Trossard) – 47’

Liverpool 2 – 2 Arsenal

Mikel Merino – 70’

Match Statistics

Possession – Liverpool 44% – 56% Arsenal

XG – Liverpool 2.39 – 2.58 Arsenal

Total Shots – Liverpool 14 – 15 Arsenal

Shots on Target – Liverpool 8 – 4 Arsenal

Corners – Liverpool 3 – 1 Arsenal

Fouls – Liverpool 13 – 10 Arsenal

Yellow Cards – Liverpool 1 – 1 Arsenal

Red Cards – Liverpool 0 – 1 Arsenal

Saves – Liverpool 4 – 3 Arsenal

First Half

Liverpool began with purpose, pressing high and forcing mistakes from an anxious Arsenal backline. It took just 20 minutes for the hosts to strike with Andy Robertson crossing for Cody Gakpo to score at David Raya’s near post, as he nodded in to create jubilant cheers from the home support. It took a mere minute for that lead to double as Mohamed Salah placed an inch-perfect ball into the path of the Hungarian skipper, Dominik Szoboszlai, who drove into the box before squaring a lovely assist for Luis Díaz to score into an empty net.

The tempo and intensity of the reds was emphatic as wave after wave of attack was unleashed upon a staggered away side. With chances emanating from wide positions into central locations, the half should have ended with a three or four-goal margin for the newly crowned Premier League champions.

Second Half

Arsenal came out stronger in the second period, showing the urgency expected from a team in a scrap for the top five. They got their reward in the 47th minute when former Brighton forward Leandro Trossard was allowed far too much space by Conor Bradley, as he drifted over a pinpoint cross to Gabriel Martinelli, who was able to head into the far corner.

As substitutions flowed onto the pitch, it was the introduction of the soon-to-be departed fullback, Trent Alexander-Arnold, who created huge discontent from the home support. As a flurry of boos erupted around Anfield, the mood and atmosphere allowed Arteta’s men to equalise. Following a stunning long-range effort from Martin Ødegaard, the excellent save by Alisson Becker saw the rebound fall to the feet of Mikel Merino, who scored from close range.

The game shifted from end to end as each team had their chances, with the second yellow card for Merino allowing the Reds more opportunities to find a winner. Arne Slot thought his men had attained the encounter’s fifth goal when Virgil van Dijk saw his powerful header from a corner prodded home by Andy Robertson. The Scot may well have been offside, however, a foul in the build-up was the reason for VAR and on-field officials to disallow the late winner.

The match ended all square, and Liverpool maintained their fifteen-point lead over a side still fighting for Champions League qualification.

Final Thoughts

Liverpool may not have had much on the line, as they petered off in the second half. A lack of training and purpose was clear, whereas the Trent saga was also detrimental.

With two games remaining, Liverpool sit on 83 points within a race that never materialised. Arsenal, on the other hand, are left clinging to a top-five spot, watching the pack close in behind them.

Steven Smith’s Score Prediction:

Liverpool 3 – 1 Arsenal