Liverpool have moved to the top of the Premier League table courtesy of a 1-1 draw with Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday.
James Milner broke the deadlock for the visitors shortly after the hour mark, but Alexandre Lacazette earned Unai Emery’s side a point eight minutes from time to extend Arsenal’s unbeaten run to 14 matches across all competitions.
The result means that Liverpool are still unbeaten after 11 games of the Premier League campaign, moving one point clear of Manchester City ahead of the champions’ home game against Southampton on Sunday.
A topsy-turvy first half began in typically high-octane fashion for a fixture which has averaged more than five goals per game over the past five league meetings, and Arsenal almost broke the deadlock after just four minutes when Alexandre Lacazette’s flick was well saved by Alisson Becker.
Liverpool soon began to grow into the game after Arsenal’s bright start, but they were almost punished for giving the ball away when Hector Bellerin slid a pass through for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, whose shot was blocked by Joe Gomez.
The resulting corner was well worked for Granit Xhaka, whose first-time shot lacked the power to truly trouble Alisson, but the Liverpool goalkeeper was fortunate to get away with an error in judgement moments later.
The Brazilian came charging off his line to meet a cross, but he was beaten to the ball by an unmarked Henrikh Mkhitaryan, whose header dropped agonisingly wide of the open goal.
Just when it looked as though an Arsenal opener might be incoming, Liverpool had the ball in the back of the net. Roberto Firmino lifted his finish past Bernd Leno and saw it come back off the woodwork and fall at the feet of Sadio Mane, whose simple finish into the empty net was wrongly disallowed for offside.
The constant ebb and flow of the game soon began to swing in Liverpool’s direction and they almost took the lead midway through the first half when Virgil van Dijk collected Mohamed Salah’s lofted pass forward, bringing the ball down on his chest before seeing his volleyed finish thwarted by Leno.
Andrew Robertson was also denied by the Arsenal keeper shortly afterwards, while moments later Bellerin fired a first-time effort wide as the end-to-end nature of match continued.
Aubameyang then saw his shot deflect wide off Van Dijk before Firmino threw himself in the way of a Lacazette strike. The French striker had a better chance six minutes before half time when he was released by a clever flick from Mesut Ozil, only to flash his low effort wide of the far post.
Aubameyang also threatened moments later before he did have the ball in the back of the net, although this time the offside flag was correctly raised against Shkodran Mustafi in the buildup.
It was Liverpool who ended the half on top, though, and they almost took the lead with the final meaningful action before half time when Van Dijk got to the ball before Leno, who had rashly charged off his line but was saved by the woodwork as Van Dijk’s header dribbled against the post.
Somehow an absorbing first half ended goalless, and the chances dried up in the opening exchanges of the second half before Liverpool did break the deadlock just past the hour mark.
It was an avoidable goal for the Gunners too, with Leno needlessly palming Mane’s cross into the path of Milner, who fired home the loose ball for his 50th Premier League goal.
Arsenal almost responded immediately as Lucas Torreira carried the ball forward before letting fly, but his shot was too close to Alisson, who tipped it over the crossbar.
Trending
- Breaking: Man City knocked out of Champions League by Real Madrid
- Breaking: Arsenal out of Champions League
- Alleged fraud: EFCC withdraws operatives from Yahaya Bello’s house
- Police recover day-old baby abandoned on Lagos road
- Two friends docked for allegedly flogging woman in Ibadan
- Abuja court gives EFCC go-ahead to arrest ex-Kogi Governor, Yahaya Bello
- Bello Vs EFCC: Confusion as court of coordinate jurisdiction flouts restraining order
- Alleged N150m bribery: Court admits documents in evidence against oil magnate, Akindele