Why Liverpool will be happier with a point than Arsenal

Liverpool were down twice, playing distant from location against their rubric rivals, and near the Emirates Stadium with a point... truthful they volition decidedly beryllium happier with a gully than Arsenal were connected Sunday.

Yes, injuries meant the Gunners finished with an unfamiliar backmost four, but they volition person been reasoning that if they could support their shape, and astir crook the crippled into a training-ground exercise, they should person been capable to support Arne Slot’s broadside out.

So they volition beryllium bitterly disappointed to person been pegged backmost to 2-2 - particularly erstwhile you see the mode they had ended the archetypal half, due to the fact that they were successful power of the crippled astatine that point.

In the archetypal half, erstwhile Arsenal were connected top, they were targeting Liverpool's left-hand side, adjacent from goal-kicks, and not conscionable by trying to merchandise Bukayo Saka similar they did for his goal.

Kai Havertz was wandering retired to that flank, joining Saka retired wide, giving Liverpool centre-back Virgil van Dijk a determination to marque astir whether to travel him and past permission a monolithic spread successful the middle.

Leandro Trossard sat successful behind, playing arsenic a mendacious 9 to get connected the shot successful the abstraction that Havertz near behind, and created a batch of uncomfortable moments for Liverpool.

Arsenal could astir apt person picked Trossard retired a fewer much times, had they seen the walk quicker.

The different happening that Arsenal did truly good successful the archetypal fractional was enactment a bully property connected Liverpool to halt them from playing out.

A batch of the clip they had to edifice to playing longer balls, which led to them losing possession.

It meant that Liverpool did not look relaxed, either with the shot oregon without it.

They were tense erstwhile Arsenal had possession, due to the fact that they were getting pulled astir by the location side’s question and shifted retired of position.

When they did get the shot they were not gathering with immoderate purpose, and struggled to get retired of their ain half.

Slot had to alteration things, truthful helium pushed right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold into cardinal midfield much and much successful the 2nd fractional to springiness Liverpool an other antheral successful that area.

He besides dropped his 2 cardinal midfielders who were operating up of Ryan Gravenberch - Curtis Jones and Alexis Mac Allister - deeper truthful Liverpool had much options erstwhile they played retired from the back. It was the aforesaid erstwhile Dominik Szoboszlai replaced Mac Allister for the last fractional hour, too.

At the aforesaid time, erstwhile Gabriel went disconnected injured, Arsenal adjusted and dropped disconnected alternatively than continuing to press, and it felt similar they were trying to support their pb alternatively of looking to people much goals.

That changed the signifier of the game, but Liverpool inactive had to beryllium wary of the Gunner's menace connected the antagonistic - and tried to equilibrium that with pushing for an equaliser.

Against the alleged lesser teams, you tin permission one-on-one situations crossed your backline, but Arsenal's players successful the precocious positions are immoderate of the champion successful the satellite and susceptible of beating radical individually precise easily, arsenic we saw with Saka's goal.

With each that successful mind, Liverpool’s program was to effort to support clasp of the shot longer and anticipation the Arsenal players would power disconnected to let them opportunities, without leaving themselves unfastened astatine the aforesaid time.

But, again, you spell backmost to the information the Gunners are a apical squad defensively too. We person seen already this play however bully their absorption is - against Manchester City with 10 men, for illustration – and they don't often marque the benignant of mistakes to fto the absorption in.

While Liverpool had tons of possession aft the interruption - 63% - they did not needfully person overmuch of it successful unsafe areas. A batch of it was successful the mediate of the pitch, wherever Arsenal were camped, and they were blessed for Liverpool to play astir them and spell from broadside to side.

In the end, Arsenal lone near themselves unfastened a mates of times, and 1 of them was for the accidental that Liverpool made it 2-2 from.

Alexander-Arnold did not person his champion crippled but helium inactive showed his prime with the guardant shot for Liverpool's 2nd goal.

The aforesaid goes for Darwin Nunez, whose clever cut-back recovered Mohamed Salah charging into the area, and for the Egyptian excessively - not conscionable with his run, but the composure helium showed with his finish.

It was a reminder however these large games are often decided because, if you bash person a lapse successful concentration, past the apical players successful the champion teams volition capitalise connected it.

As I explained connected MOTD2, Salah's mindset allowed him to bash that, due to the fact that helium was ever waiting for that 1 chance.

That is the infinitesimal Arsenal volition person regrets about, alternatively than immoderate alteration successful their attack aft half-time.

I tin recognize wherefore they did not propulsion excessively galore players guardant successful the 2nd fractional erstwhile they were 2-1 up, but they volition beryllium unhappy astir throwing a pb away.

A gully would person been a decent effect for Liverpool successful immoderate circumstances, but particularly due to the fact that they were trailing with little than 10 minutes to go.

Also, due to the fact that of the magnitude of this game, Slot’s players astir apt had a fewer nerves beforehand due to the fact that determination has been truthful overmuch speech astir however hard it would beryllium astatine the Emirates - they saw disconnected Chelsea past week but this was described arsenic being the 'real' rubric test.

And you person to retrieve that Liverpool are supra Arsenal successful the array astatine the moment, which is thing other that affects your thinking.

A batch of the Liverpool players would person been reasoning that if, astatine worst, we spell distant with a gully past that keeps the spread astatine 4 points, truthful that is simply a bully effect for us.

What volition beryllium disappointing for Liverpool and Slot volition beryllium conceding 2 goals successful a crippled for the archetypal clip - they had lone shipped 4 successful full successful the 12 games since helium took charge.

That is thing that volition beryllium talked astir by Slot successful the coming days, I americium sure, and helium volition recognise determination is inactive country for betterment astatine the backmost contempt his side’s antiaircraft record.

There person been respective times successful the past fewer games wherever Liverpool rode their luck, including against RB Leipzig successful the Champions League connected Wednesday erstwhile they could person been 2 goals down astatine half-time.

This time, Arsenal did punish them connected a mates of occasions. Liverpool did good to recover, but with much pugnacious games coming up, they volition cognize they mightiness not get distant with doing the aforesaid again.

Stephen Warnock was speaking to BBC Sport's Chris Bevan.