Mohamed Salah’s late equaliser earned Liverpool a 2-2 draw with rivals Arsenal in an entertaining Premier League encounter on the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, as Gabriel Magalhaes and Jurrien Timber limped off so as to add to the Gunners’ harm woes.
Bukayo Saka gave Arsenal the lead within the ninth minute when he ran on to Ben White’s ball excessive, minimize inside Andy Robertson and fired previous Caoimhin Kelleher at his close to publish for a fiftieth Premier League aim on his return from harm.
Virgil van Dijk, maybe lucky to keep away from a card for a petulant kick at Kai Havertz within the opening exchanges, equalised 9 minutes later, nodding residence a Luis Diaz flick-on from a nook.
“I believe to return again twice is an efficient factor, and we take the purpose and we transfer (on),” Van Dijk advised Sky Sports activities.
Arsenal responded positively and spurned a number of half-chances, with Saka hitting a shot over the bar and Havertz unable to regulate Gabriel Martinelli’s harmful ball throughout the face of aim.
The house followers wished a penalty simply after the half-hour mark when Ibrahima Konate floored Martinelli with a careless problem, however referee Anthony Taylor deemed he acquired sufficient of the ball, with Havertz slicing a volley excessive within the aftermath.
Mikel Merino scored his first Arsenal aim simply earlier than half-time, assembly Declan Rice’s free-kick with a bullet header that was upheld after a prolonged VAR evaluate for offside.
Liverpool improved after the break and Diaz went shut 5 minutes after the restart following a mazy run alongside the touchline.
ARSENAL ‘VERY DISAPPOINTED’
Gabriel limped off early within the second half, changed by Jakub Kiwior, as Arsenal sustained one other harm to a key participant. Latest returnee Timber adopted him off later.
Arsenal supervisor Mikel Arteta will hope to quickly welcome again captain Martin Odegaard, who has been out since September however mentioned within the matchday programme that he’s near a return.
The hosts needed to face up to appreciable durations of strain, although they threatened on the counter as Liverpool left gaps on the again.
Salah levelled the sport within the 81st minute with a relaxed tap-in from Darwin Nunez’s selfless cross, placing the Egyptian winger eighth on the all-time checklist and stage with Robbie Fowler on 163 profession Premier League objectives.
The momentum gave the impression to be with Liverpool to clinch a comeback victory however Arsenal had the ball within the web on the dying via a mixture of Havertz and Gabriel Jesus, although referee Taylor had already blown for a foul.
Requested concerning the incident, Arteta mentioned he didn’t know why a foul had been given within the build-up and declined to remark additional.
The draw places Liverpool second with 22 factors from 9 video games, one level behind Manchester Metropolis, and Arsenal transfer into third with 18 factors.
Arteta advised reporters he was “very upset” his facet didn’t win, however mentioned: “Very happy with the workforce, particularly with the state of affairs that we’re going via in the mean time.”
He added that he would favor to be 5 factors forward of Metropolis quite than 5 behind, although he mentioned: “The workforce is alive, the workforce desires it.”
Liverpool’s head coach Arne Slot mentioned that, on steadiness, he was pleased: “Going two instances behind towards a really robust and good Arsenal workforce, then to get some extent is enjoyable to see.
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