Aldridge sums up Liverpool’s Arsenal draw in a way few would expect | OneFootball

Liverpool’s trip to the Emirates was framed as a chance for Arsenal to send a message, but the post-match conversation has instead focused on what we quietly showed under pressure.

John Aldridge offered his verdict on social media shortly after the final whistle, reacting to our 0-0 draw in north London via his X account.

“A really good disciplined performance, the best this season!” the former Liverpool striker wrote.

“A fair result, if anything we shaded it, just glad I wasn’t on that pitch or in the tunnel after when Martinelli did that to Conor! Disgraceful. We move on.”

Aldridge reaction highlights Liverpool discipline at Arsenal

(Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

The Ireland international’s emphasis on discipline reflected what unfolded across the 90 minutes.

We arrived without our top scorer Hugo Ekitike and with several other attackers unavailable, yet still limited the league leaders to few clear chances.

Arsenal dominated possession in the first half, but after the break Arne Slot’s side flipped the pattern, enjoying more of the ball and completing more than double the number of passes in the final third than the home side.

That control aligned with what Roy Keane later said on Sky Sports, when he praised how we “took the energy out of the stadium” while also noting the lack of cutting edge.

Aldridge’s reference to Gabriel Martinelli’s clash with Conor Bradley also touched on a moment that could easily have escalated, yet we kept our composure throughout.

That restraint mattered on a night when many expected Arsenal to overwhelm us.

Aldridge verdict backs Liverpool progress under Slot

(Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

Pre-match, Gary Neville suggested Liverpool could still cause Arsenal problems despite our inconsistency, and that prediction proved accurate in a low-margin contest.

We came closest to scoring when Conor Bradley chipped David Raya, only for the effort to rebound off the crossbar before Cody Gakpo failed to convert the follow-up.

Arne Slot will likely take encouragement from another clean sheet against Mikel Arteta’s side, who remain winless against the Dutchman in league meetings.

Aldridge’s comments echoed a growing theme around this squad, one that also surfaced when Keane described our midfield control as champion-like despite the absence of goals.

In isolation, a 0-0 draw may look unspectacular.

In context, and as Aldridge made clear, it was a performance built on organisation, control and maturity, qualities that suggest we are closer to consistency than the table alone might imply.

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