Arsenal 0-0 Liverpool: The Gunners missed an opportunity to strengthen their position at the top of the Premier League as they faced the reigning champions in north London.
Arsenal missed out on a chance to extend their lead at the top of the Premier League as they drew 0-0 with Liverpool on Thursday night.
Mikel Arteta’s side were outclassed by the reigning champions but dominated in the early stages. Conor Bradley had the best chance of the game, but his chip hit the crossbar.
Both teams struggled to find their rhythm on the night, but in the end both teams came away with one point.
This leaves Arsenal at the top of the table with a six-point lead, while Liverpool remain in the Champions League places, two points ahead of Brentford.
Here are the talking points about Emirates Stadium:
read more: Gunners star sent off due to another injury in Arsenal’s game against Liverpoolread more: Roy Keane sparks Liverpool controversy on live broadcast after brutal claims interrupt him
bradley approaches
After an opening 20 minutes in which the home side dominated, it was Liverpool who actually came closest to taking the lead. A slight miscommunication almost caused William Saliba to roll the ball past his own goalkeeper, David Raya.
The Spaniard managed to clear, but Conor Bradley’s lofted attempt was deflected off the crossbar. The North London side eventually managed to escape after being hit with a warning shot by the visitors, but it was due to a rare error within their own defence.
There was a small disagreement between Saliba and Raya after the incident, but they eventually resolved the situation amicably.
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Wirtz declined the penalty.
Florian Wirtz certainly seems to have found his footing in the Premier League in recent weeks. And he looked most likely to create something for Liverpool at the Emirates.
The German midfielder tried to weave through Arsenal’s defense in the second half but could have given his team a penalty had he been unceremoniously brought down by Leandro Trossard.
Neither the referee nor VAR agreed, but Wirtz clearly wanted a penalty.
The fight for Gokeres continues
There were a lot of expectations placed on Victor Gökeres, given his background upon arriving at Emirates. But he has been underwhelming in north London so far, and it was no different against Liverpool.
The Swede was far from a goal threat and even when the Gunners created great chances for him, he was nowhere near where he needed to be.
He was sent off in place of Gabriel Jesus just after time expired. Arteta will be hugely disappointed considering he was supposed to be a signing to push Arsenal towards the title.
Another injury for the Gunners
Arsenal, especially their defense, have not been blessed with injuries this season. Gabriel and William Saliba have both spent time on the sidelines, while Cristian Mosquera and Riccardo Calafioli are currently sidelined.
And Arteta appears to be suffering from a new headache. Piero Hincapie, who started at left back, was sent off in the second period.
The Gunners’ season is reaching a crucial stage with games in the FA Cup, Carabao Cup and Champions League coming up, and Arteta will be hoping he won’t be sidelined for too long.
A sad sight for Bradley
In fact, the match ended in somewhat painful fashion, with Bradley suffering what appeared to be a serious injury and being carried away on a stretcher. Despite my sympathy, I can’t say the same about Gabriel Martinelli.
In the aftermath, the Brazilian appeared to drop the ball to the Liverpool man, who then shoved him off the pitch.
That led to a violent clash between the two sides, which left commentator Gary Neville “furious”.
A missed opportunity for both parties.
Following Manchester City and Aston Villa’s draw earlier this week, this match was a huge opportunity for both teams. Arsenal could have extended their lead over Josep Guardiola’s side to eight points, while Liverpool could have closed the gap on third-placed Aston Villa.
However, in the early stages of the match, neither team seemed to really want to win the match. Liverpool did not show enough ambition to win, while Arsenal struggled to create any outstanding chances.
We might look back on this game as one of the moments that could have made a statement had either team not achieved their goals.
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