Arsenal Nearly Achieves Heroic Victory Over Slot’s Machine, but Salah Saves Liverpool

Merseysiders snatched a draw.

Sunday afternoon brought an exciting Premier League showdown as Liverpool visited London to face Arsenal. Under new head coach Arne Slot, who replaced Jurgen Klopp, Liverpool has had a stellar season start. They won 11 of their first 12 games across all competitions, with their only loss to Nottingham Forest (0-1) in the fourth round of the Premier League.

Ahead of today’s match, Arsenal had just one loss in the current season. Last weekend, the Gunners fell to Bournemouth 0-2, mainly due to a red card received by William Saliba in the 30th minute. Arsenal’s only other setbacks were draws against Brighton (1-1) and Manchester City (2-2), something Liverpool hadn’t experienced, putting Slot’s team higher in the standings.

Arsenal struck early today, scoring in the ninth minute. Ben White made an excellent pass from deep. Bukayo Saka picked up, outmaneuvered Robertson, and fired into the near corner past Caoimhin Kelleher. This goal made 23-year-old Saka the youngest player in Arsenal’s history to score 50 goals in the Premier League.

Liverpool pushed forward. Salah’s strong attempt fell short, but Virgil van Dijk leveled the score. Trent Alexander-Arnold crossed to Diaz from a corner, who set it up for the Dutch defender to send it into the net. Van Dijk scored in his 100th game as Liverpool’s captain.

As the first half neared its end, Arsenal pressed Liverpool back, eventually capitalizing on their advantage. European champion Mikel Merino headed his first goal for Arsenal from a Declan Rice set-piece. Merino’s timing was tight on the offside line, but referee Anthony Taylor allowed the goal after a lengthy VAR review.

Early in the second half, Arsenal’s situation worsened as they lost vital defender Gabriel Magalhães to injury, bringing Polish player Jakub Kiwior onto the field. With several defensive players already missing, Liverpool took control, eager to equalize as Slot's squad was unused to trailing. In the 76th minute, Arteta substituted 18-year-old Myles Lewis-Skelly for Jurriën Timber, who had entered the game in less-than-ideal physical condition.

Finally, in the 81st minute, Liverpool equalized. A swift counterattack saw Trent deliver a perfect long pass from deep. Darwin Nunez collected it, charged it into the box, and crossed it to Salah, who found the target to make it 2-2.

The match ended in a draw. Arsenal snapped Liverpool's eight-game winning streak across all competitions, leaving Slot’s team trailing league leader Manchester City by just one point.

Published by Patrick Jane
28.10.2024