Liverpool and Arsenal battled to a 2-2 tie in a frantic match this afternoon at Anfield. Early goals from Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus weren't enough for the Gunners. Mohamed Salah would get the Reds back into the match just before halftime. And Roberto Firmino would rescue the point for Liverpool late in the second half.
The Reds might've been able to take all 3 points, had Salah not missed a penalty early in the second half. Before Firmino's rescue job, the penalty miss would have been the story for Liverpool today.
The whole game was played with intensity and every group of fans, Liverpool, Arsenal, or neutral, were treated to a great football match. The draw gives Liverpool 44 points and they remain in 8th place in the Premier League Table. For Arsenal, it gives them 73 points, still 6 points ahead of Manchester City, but one game ahead of City.
First Half
Arsenal came ready to start this game on time, but Liverpool did not. The Gunners dictated the early play from the first whistle, and they got the goal-scoring started early. Gabriel Martinelli scored in the 8th minute to put the visitors up, 1-0.
Bukayo Saka came streaking up the pitch and dropped it off to Martin Odegaard, who put it in off of Virgil van Dijk, into the path of Martinelli, who slotted it past Alisson with ease. Like much of the season, the Reds' backline was exposed by elite attackers.
Liverpool grew into the game around the 25th minute, however, there was more horror to come with the counterattack. The guts of the Reds' defence got ripped out again in the 28th minute. This time it was a perfectly weighted pass from Granit Xhaka that found Martinelli again.
The Brazilian winger, who was rampant down Liverpool's left flank, crossed it into the box, where it was finished by fellow Brazilian Gabriel Jesus through a header. Arsenal were up 2-0 before a half hour had elapsed.
Liverpool found their way back into the match just before the half, through Salah. In a chaotic build-up of their own, the Reds' striker managed to poke home a Jordan Henderson flick, which took a bounce off Jesus, into the Arsenal net in the 42nd minute.
The goal brought a seemingly lifeless Anfield back to life, which in turn brought Liverpool back from the dead. The Reds nearly scored again in first-half stoppage time but for a soaring save from Aaron Ramsdale.
It was a barn burner of a first half that saw some bad blood nearly boil over as the halftime whistle blew. You have to say Xhaka's ill-advised confrontation with Trent Alexander-Arnold right before Liverpool's goal, poked a sleeping bear.
The English FA have already said there will be an investigation into the apparent elbow by the linesman on Andy Robertson at the end of the first half. The video evidence is pretty damning and I don't expect that line-o to ever work in the Premier League again.
Second Half
Liverpool used the fire from the end of the first half to come out on the front foot in the second. They pressed the play for the opening 5 minutes and that pressing led to a corner in the 51st minute. From that corner, Arsenal defender Rob Holding knocked Diogo Jota over and the Reds were awarded a penalty.
Salah stood over the ball and shanked the kick just wide of the left goalpost. It was a shocking miss for the Egyptian striker and might have cost Liverpool at least a point. Despite the deflating missed penalty, the Reds kept pressing the Arsenal goal. This is Salah's 2nd penalty miss in a row with the previous one coming in the match against Bournemouth.
Jürgen Klopp made three changes in the half that helped immensely. He brought on Thiago for the first time since February 4th, along with Darwin Núñez in the 60th minute. Then he brought on the Arsenal killer himself, Roberto Firmino in the 78th.
Núñez helped the Reds raise the temperature a notch or two on the Arsenal defence. Thiago showed why he was sorely missed in the midfield as he solidified the position. And finally, Firmino feasted once again on Arsenal in the 87th minute.
Liverpool put an exclamation point on a fantastic second half with an amazing goal that started with an Alexander-Arnold nutmeg on Oleksandr Zinchenko, who then crossed it into the box, to Firmino who headed it into the goal.
The Reds came very close to getting the winner in stoppage time twice. Ramsdale first made a fingertip save from another Salah shot in the 4th minute of stoppage time. The Arsenal keeper then pushed an Ibrahima Konaté header off the line a few seconds from the final whistle.
LFC Globe Verdict
This was an exhilarating game of football. Anyone who doesn't understand why this game is so great should watch a game like this. Liverpool could have folded up their tents and gone home after 30 minutes but they didn't.
Sure it was a draw, but it was also one of Liverpool's best second-half performances this season. That even includes the Salah penalty miss. If the Reds keep playing like this down the stretch they can finish this disappointing season strong.
Man of the Match and What's Next
The man of the Match is Roberto Firmino. End of story. The forward scored his 11th goal in 15 matches against Arsenal to earn the point for Liverpool. Next up for Liverpool is a Monday night football date with Leeds United on the 17th of April. Kick-off is 20:00 GMT/ 15:00 EDT from Elland Road.
Goals
Liverpool
- Salah - 42'
- Firmino - 87'
Arsenal
- Martinelli - 8'
- Jesus - 28'
Substitutes
Liverpool
- Thiago for Jones - 60'
- Nunez for Jota - 60'
- Firmino for Fabinho - 78'
Arsenal
- Trossard for Jesus - 80'
- Kiwior for Odegaard - 80'
- Tierney for Zinchenko 88'
Cards
Liverpool
- Van Dijk - 31'
- Alexander-Arnold - 41'
- Robertson - 45+5
- Fabinho - 56'
Arsenal
- White - 23'
- Xhaka - 41'
- Ramsdale - 53'
- Saka - 84'