Report: Liverpool 2-2 Arsenal

We came back from two goals down to claim a point at the home of the newly-crowned champions, despite finishing the game with ten men.

Liverpool had taken a 2-0 lead in the first half, with both goals coming in the space of 87 seconds. Cody Gakpo headed the first at the near post before Luis Diaz tapped in Dominik Szoboszlai’s shot on the line.

Gabriel Martinelli headed us back into the game soon after the restart, and Mikel Merino then scored the rebound after Martin Odegaard’s cracking shot had been tipped onto the post.

But Merino was then given his marching orders for a second bookable offence, and we had to hold on for the final ten minutes before making it 13 away Premier League games without defeat.

Open start

We had a glorious chance to strike first after only three minutes. Martin Odegaard swung a free-kick from the left into the penalty area where Bukayo Saka had run from deep. He was all alone in the box with the ball on his left foot as the Liverpool defenders advanced their offside trap, but he scuffed his shot wide of the far post.

At the other end David Raya stood firm to deny Luis Diaz after the Colombian was set up inside the area by Mohamed Salah.

Space was opening up at either end of the pitch, and we had another chance when Thomas Partey dispossessed Curtis Jones in the Liverpool box. But a breakdown in communication between the Ghanaian and Leandro Trossard meant we failed to get a shot away, with only Alisson to beat.

Double blow

After a fairly even opening 20 minutes, we were rocked by two Liverpool goals in as many minutes. First we switched off defensively at a quick throw in, allowing Gakpo to head in Andy Robertson’s cross at the near post.

Virtually from the restart, Szoboszlai got behind our defence, slid his shot beyond Raya to leave Diaz with a tap in on the line.

Our goalkeeper kept the score at two moments later with a good low save from Curtis Jones’s shot.

Martinelli heads home

We started the second-half full of positivity and pulled one back inside two minutes. Mikel Merino had already had a shot blocked inside the area from Trossard’s cross after a driving Lewis-Skelly run. But moments later another Trossard cross was converted. This time the Belgian stood it up for Martinelli, who ghosted between the centre backs to head past Alisson.

It was the Brazilian’s sixth career goal against Liverpool, and fourth at Anfield – and we have still never lost a match in which he has scored, 45 and counting.

We had a bit more confidence in our play now. Trossard shot over before Ben White had a low shot saved at the near post. Then Martinelli couldn’t get enough power on his shot when Trossard’s low free-kick was only half cleared to him in the area.

Connor Bradley snuffed out the next chance for Martinelli – playing as a centre forward by now – after Odegaard had found him with a throughball.

Merino levels, then sees red

We kept searching for the equaliser, and our persistence paid off. Odegaard let fly with a superb effort from 20 yards which Alisson did well to tip onto the post as it was heading for the top corner. Merino was in the right place at the right time to turn home the loose ball and draw us level.

We certainly had the momentum, but it was ripped away from us when Merino was sent off for a second bookable offence with ten minutes remaining. The Spaniard lost the ball on the edge of his own box and rashly dived into his challenge, looking to redeem the situation.

The hosts were back in the ascendancy now, and Andy Robertson screwed his shot wide with the goal at his mercy late on.

Liverpool had the ball in the net at the end of injury time, but it was disallowed for a foul at the corner.

The point keeps us in second place, and extends our unbeaten run against the Reds to six league games.

What’s next

Our final home game of the campaign is next Sunday against Newcastle, as we look to earn the points that would confirm Champions League football again next season. We then round off 2024/25 away to relegated Southampton the following weekend.