Liverpool Comeback Dents Arsenal's Title Charge
10 April, 2023
Arsenal failed to restore their eight-point lead at the top after giving up a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 with Liverpool on Sunday evening.
Premier League
Result: Liverpool 2-2 Arsenal
Date: 09 April 2023
Venue: Anfield
Reds manager Jurgen Klopp recalled Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson after the draw with Chelsea, while Bukayo Saka replaced Leandro Trossard for the Gunners.
Just as they did in the reverse fixture earlier this season, Gabriel Martinelli opened the scoring on eight minutes with a close-range finish after pouncing on Virgil van Dijk's error. Liverpool should have levelled matters in the 19th minute when Fabinho did well to pick out Andrew Robertson, who took a neat touch before dragging his shot wide of the upright.
The hosts were made to rue that miss on 28 minutes when Arsenal doubled their lead when Martinelli turned provider to pick out Gabriel Jesus, who nodded into the bottom corner.
Liverpool was squandered another chance ten minutes before the break when Salah was slipped through on goal, but the Egyptian forward skewed his effort wide of the upright.
Salah made up for his miss on 41 minutes by turning home a deflected cross from Henderson at the far post, much to the delight of the Anfield crowd before the halftime break.
The home side carried that momentum into the second half and were awarded a penalty six minutes in when Rob Holding brought down. Salah stepped up but sent his penalty wide of the upright.
Klopp then made a double change on the hour mark as Nunez and the returning Thiago Alcantara replaced Jota and Curtis Jones to liven up the attack.
Arsenal looked to catch Liverpool on the break and went close on 74 minutes when Martin Odegaard unleashed a strike from distance that forced Alisson Becker into a save.
The Reds should have levelled matters with ten minutes to go as Nunez was played through on goal by Salah's first-time pass but Ramsdale produced the save to deny the Urguayan.
Liverpool got their reward in the 86th minute when Trent Alexander-Arnold skipped past Oleksandr Zinchenko before clipping the ball to the far post for Roberto Firmino to head home.
Ramsdale ensured Arsenal at least walked away with a point after producing a couple superb saves to deny Ibrahim Konate and Salah in second-half stoppage time.
Source: www.snl24.com
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