ARSENAL and Liverpool had to settle with a point each in a thrilling top of the table clash at the Emirates.
Bukayo Saka opened the scoring inside 10 minutes after his return from injury before Virgil van Dijk headed in from a corner to level things at the Emirates.
The Gunners then regained the lead just before the break with Mikel Merino heading home from a brilliant set-piece routine, but Mo Salah scored a late goal to allow Liverpool to keep pace with Man City at the top of the Premier League.
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Arteta ‘disappointed’
Mikel Arteta believed his team had enough chances to win the game.
He said: “Really disappointing not to win it because when you look at the chances, we should have won the game.
“The team played so well, we were dominant and very determined. Really aggressive and played in the right areas to create some big chances. We are open in transition for the second goal. Against this team, you cannot do that if you want to win the game.
“It is what it is at the moment. The backline is completely different to what we’re used to. We should have won the game.”
Full report
Here’s what SunSport Chief Sports Writer Dave Kidd made of the match:
‘Worst decision ever seen’
Arsenal fans were left fuming after referee Anthony Taylor denied them a late winner at the Emirates.
Taylor blew the whistle in the build up to what surely would have been the winning goal in north London…
Number crunch
Her’es a full breakdown, by the numbers of the 2-2 draw between Arsenal and Liverpool.
Henry moment
Jamie Carragher and Theo Walcott had a brilliant ‘Thierry Henry moment’ in the Sky Sports studio after the 2-2 draw…
Saka stats
Bukayo Saka has enjoyed a blistering start to the season and has already been involved in ten goals this season in just eight matches.
He has three goals and seven assists – and his race to ten in eight is the fewest games by an Arsenal player in a campaign since Cesc Fabregas in 2009-10.
The little magician managed it in six matches that year.
‘He shut me up’
Ian Wright was alongside Alan Shearer and Steve McManaman in the Premier League Productions studio to watch the game.
At half-time, the Arsenal legend was calling Salah ‘No Salah’ given his lack of impact in the game – something McManaman brought up at full-time.
Wright responded: “Yea, he shut me up, that’s what he does.”
Salah on fire
It should have come as no surprise that Mo Salah netted against Arsenal – he absolutely loves playing against the Gunners.
That was the Egyptian’s 11th goal in just 15 matches against the north London side.
Only Harry Kane (14) and Wayne Rooney (12) have more goals in the Premier League against Arsenal.
Salah also has a couple of assists to make it 13 goal contributions in 15 matches.
‘Lack of intensity’
Former Arsenal star Theo Walcott said he was disappointed at Arsenal’s performance today.
He said on Sky Sports: “Arsenal weren’t missing many of their starting players today. This was an opportunity for Liverpool to show exactly what they were made of.
“I was disappointed with their lack of intensity. I don’t want Arsenal to lose that, the ability to put teams to the sword.”
‘We deserved to win’
And yet more from Mikel Arteta here:
Very proud of the team. The courage, quality, domination in the game we wanted to play especially in the first half. Should’ve been a bigger score in first half, they came out in second half and we didn’t have courage.
We deserved to win the game. We were the better team. Learnings from both goals, second one is a transition moment we have to end up in final third. You can not give that away.
We were clear in what we had to do and the execution, determination and aggression with and without the ball was really good. A few moments where we should’ve put the ball in the net.
In the first phase we needed more courage to play. We created big opportunities.
Mikel Arteta
More from Arteta
Really disappointing not to win it because when you look at the chances, we should have won the game.
The team played so well, we were dominant and very determined. Really aggressive and played in the right areas to create some big chances. We are open in transition for the second goal. Against this team, you cannot do that if you want to win the game.
It is what it is at the moment. The backline is completely different to what we’re used to. We should have won the game.
Mikel Arteta
Match report
There were enough hard-luck stories to fill a library for Arsenal as Mo Salah stole a point.
The bullet-ridden Gunners ended up with a completely makeshift back four, having seen Liverpool skipper Virgil Van Dijk escape an early yellow card only to equalise Bukayo Saka’s early opener.
Through in a decent penalty shout against Ibrahima Konate and it was no wonder Mikel Arteta was left with a feeling of intense frustration on a day when his team were passionate and the Emirates throbbed with sound.
The result left Arsenal five points adrift of leaders Manchester City, who are a point ahead of Arne Slot’s men.
Saka, who was outstanding on his return from injury, and Mikel Merino twice put Arsenal in front – but they were pegged back both times by a Liverpool side who rode their luck and kept their heads in this hostile environment.
By the time Salah struck on the break ten minutes from time that Arsenal backline read Thomas Partey, Ben White, Jakub Kiwior and Myles Lewis-Skelly.
Mentality struggle?
Roy Keane admits he’s WORRIED about the mentality of Arsenal at the minute.
As per the BBC, he said: “I’m starting to worry about Arsenal’s mentality now. There are elements when they get in front and seem to sit back and settle for 2-1 instead of going to get the third goal.
” It was almost ‘let’s hope we can win 2-1’ and when you’re up against good players like Salah they can punish you.”
Arteta on injuries
He addressed the injuries to Timber and Gabriel, while also providing a disappointing update on Martin Odegaard.
On today’s injuries, he said: “I don’t exactly know what happened but Timber said he couldn’t carry on. And Gabi as well.”
Then on Odegaard he added: “As well, he’s still a bit far.”
Pivotal?
Virgil van Dijk told Match of the Day ‘enjoy the ride’ as he batted away questions on the importance of this game in the title race.
He said: “I think someone said to me last year, Man City lost here and they won the league. We’re in October. I’ve read so many things that Arsenal are out of the title race if they lose.
“We’re in the business where you can be on top one week and then not. We are in October and let’s see what it brings us at the end of the season. Enjoy the ride.”
Cool and calm
Roy Keane reckons Arne Slot’s calmness away from the pitch will stand Liverpool in good stead.
He told Sky: “You have to defend properly and you know with people like Salah, you’ll score goals. There’s definitely a calmness to Liverpool and that comes from the manager, who speaks very well.
“Even 2-1 down today they didn’t panic. There’s a lot of self belief which comes from winning football matches. We can argue all day about if they’ve been tested yet, but they’ve turned up.
“Generally speaking they look a strong, efficient team. They keep turning up and that gives you a chance of winning football matches.”
More from Slot shortly.
Arsenal ratings
SunSport’s Jordan Davies was at the Emirates and has run the rule over the home side.
Here’s a snippet of his ratings, and you can read what he’s said on every Gunners player
- Thomas Partey – 8
- Bukayo Saka – 9
- Leandro Trossard – ??
Young star
Bukayo Saka’s goal today against Liverpool means he’s the youngest player in Arsenal’s history to hit 50 Premier League goals.
He edges out idol Thierry Henry, who scored his 50th goal against – you guessed it, Liverpool!
Henry was 24 years and 128 days when hitting that milestone.
Saka, currently 23 years and 52 days old, now has another personal record to his name.
Kon the Man
Ibrahima Konaté was Liverpool’s ‘best player by a mile’.
That’s the view of Reds legend Jamie Carragher, who felt the defender helped Trent Alexander-Arnold in a way Virgil van Dijk failed to do for Andy Robertson in the opener.
He told Sky: “He was amazing, Konate was fantastic. Honestly he was Liverpool’s best player by a mile.
“How he helped cover that side, coming across. Konate’s natural reaction is to get across.
“He’s actually picked and was bought because he’s playing alongside Trent Alexander-Arnold (who moves into midfield) and finds himself as a centre back and right back in a game.”
Saka reacts
Bukayo Saka believes Arsenal players let themselves down in the second half to throw away two points.
He told Sky Sports: “We’re a bit disappointed. Credit to Liverpool, they’re a good team.
“But we just feel like we didn’t show our best selves for the full 90 minutes.
“I think first half we showed our qualities, we dominated and they scored from a set piece but didn’t really have any other shots.
“Second half we sat back a bit and we weren’t at our best. Liverpool had more momentum and won more duels than us.
“Losing Gabriel, he’s a big player for us. That’s not an excuse, we have to adapt and do our best whoever is on the pitch.”
How we stand now
A point apiece leaves Manchester City on top following their win yesterday.
Liverpool now a point behind and Arsenal a further FOUR behind.
Giving City a five-point lead after nine games, a long way back already for the Gunners.
Van Dijk reacts
The Liverpool skipper tells Sky Sports: “It’s a very tough place to come, obviously teams have noted that over the years.
“It was difficult for them as well but to come back twice is a good thing. We take a point and go.
“They’re very solid in set pieces but when I was marked by Partey, he was only looking at me so it was quite easy to get away from him.
“We didn’t create many chances in the second half but we were much more dominant and winning second balls and we kept trying.”
Summarised
Roy Keane told Sky Sports: “I thought it was a disappointing game, a real lack of quality.
“Arsenal go 2-1 up and Liverpool lacked intensity but they probably deserved to get the draw at the end.
“Not a great game but a draw probably the right result.”
Tight
Liverpool marginally shading the stats though there wasn’t much in it at all.
They certainly edged the second period.
FT summary from Dave Kidd at the Emirates
You only had to look across Arsenal’s back four in the final minutes to realise how tough Mikel Arteta’s had it – midfielder Thomas Partey at right-back; right-back Ben White at centre-half, then understudy Jakub Kiwior and youngster Myles Lewis-Skelly.
Given that, it was little wonder that Mo Salah stole a point for Liverpool, who rode their luck and kept their heads in an impressively hostile Emirates environment.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
