Liverpool and Arsenal played out one of the most enthralling outings of the season, as a breath-taking encounter ended all square as the points were shared.
Arsenal led 2-0 within the opening 30 minutes through goals by Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus, and at that point, it had been a comedy show at the back for Liverpool, but what followed next by the Reds was spirited to say the least.
A Mohamed Salah strike and another Roberto Firmino goal against Arsenal late into the clash earned Liverpool parity in what was an outstanding second period by Jurgen Klopp’s men as they kept their faint Champions League ambitions alive.
Meanwhile the Gunners’ grip on the Premier League podium loosened a little after a stuttering performance at Anfield.
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Story of the match
Arsenal began the game fast knowing a Premier League title moves closer to their grasp with a victory, and they so nearly led within the opening minute.
Oleksander Zinchenko’s short free-kick found Martinelli open on the flank and up against Trent Alexander-Arnold, the Arsenal man slipped past the Reds full-back and looked for a cross, which was partially cleared then the danger was averted eventually.
The soft centre of the hosts was opened up by the league leaders, as they took the lead.
Ben White and Bukayo Saka’s quick interchange allowed the Gunners to calve open Liverpool, and a pass forward took a vicious but unfortunate ricochet of Virgil Van Dijk, and fell to Martinelli, who calmly poked home past an onrushing Alisson.
Arsenal continued to toy with Liverpool and yet again, Alisson, the man in between the sticks for Liverpool, had to make a save once more, this time denying a swinging effort from Zinchenko.
The visitors were laying siege to the hosts’ goal, as a second goal seemed to be on its way, and they almost found it on the quarter of an hour mark.
From the creator of the attack to nearly the finisher, the vision of Jesus to pick out a 40-yard pass to find Saka sent the visitors on their way, and the Gunners seven lodged a delicate ball to the back post to find Jesus, but he could only bundle over.
Liverpool finally found some space in the attacking areas in the opening twenty minutes, and after winning the ball back, Andy Robertson almost finished off the move.
Robertson laid the ball off to a hard-working Curtis Jones, and he drove forward before giving it to Fabinho. The Brazilian midfielder hauled a threatening ball over to Robertson but his end product never matched the move, as he fired wide.
Liverpool stuttered again in midfield and after being slow to react to an Arsenal free-kick, the Gunners notched up their second.
A ball over the top from the right hand side reached Martinelli again, and his in-swinging cross met the head of the rising Jesus on Easter Sunday, who nodded home and put his name in light against Liverpool with another goal.
Liverpool should have halved the deficit minutes after the Arsenal goal, but a blunder in front of goal highlighted their afternoon.
After being slipped into a great position, you’d have put a lot on Mohamed Salah to net, but a wild miss that flew well wide of the target left many bewildered.
The arrears were reduced minutes later and Salah made amends for his earlier miss, netting a goal which breathed the Anfield crowd into life.
Jones found himself out wide and he played an authoritative ball into the area, where Salah was dangerously lurking and he fired home after Jordan Henderson’s mis-shot.
Through Henderson, Liverpool could have gone in level at half-time level.
Firstly, Alexander-Arnold’s ball was met by Diogo Jota, who fired straight at Aaron Ramsdale, and he pushed the ball straight into the path of Henderson, who blazed far over the bar.
With a potential comeback in reach, Liverpool came flying out the blocks, and should have earned it through another Salah chance.
As Jones wailed in the area in open space, Cody Gakpo sent Salah on his way, but he fired into the side netting.
A bit of fortune seemed to go in Liverpool’s favour as the Reds earned themselves a golden chance from the lottery of the penalty spot as Rob Holding scythed down Jota.
After missing his last penalty against Bournemouth, Salah was handed the responsibility of converting from 12-yards again, but the Egyptian fluffed his lines again.
Salah was well and truly heavily involved in the game, and another opportunity was presented to him as he was slipped in from the right, but his curled effort was beaten away by Aaron Ramsdale.
As the stakes grew, goalmouth action slowed down, but plenty of blocks and last-ditch tackles prevented many chances of crucial openings.
Arsenal’s rare pressure in the second half almost paid off, as a Martin Odegaard effort stung Alisson’s palms and from a Martinelli cross, a sensational Robertson intervention denied them at the last.
The Reds should have levelled through substitute Darwin Nunez, but Ramsdale was present again to deny Liverpool.
Salah’s ball through picked out the rapid Uruguayan, and although he was clean through, he couldn’t finish round the Arsenal shot-stopper, who made himself big in his goal.
Gabriel had the chance to put the game beyond reasonable doubt as he met Bukayo Saka’s corner, but a relatively weak header never troubled Alisson a great deal.
Liverpool continued to probe and eventually, they levelled proceedings.
Alexander-Arnold left Zinchenko in his wake to present himself an opening, and his exquisite cross met the onrushing Roberto Firmino, who nodded home the equaliser.
The one way traffic continued and after denying Mohamed Salah and then Ibrahima Konate in the dying embers in superb fashion, Aaron Ramsdale may have won the Premier League title for Mikel Arteta’s side.
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Player of the match
Ibrahima Konate (Liverpool)
A performance worthy of all the plaudits, Konate, alongside Virgil Van Dijk, was outstanding for Liverpool.
The Frenchmen timed his tackles to perfection, never let much past him and he was incredibly unfortunate not to net at the end.
It’s a performance to take confidence from and any sort of injury at this sort of stage of the season for Liverpool could seriously hinder any chances of a European finish.
