Salah helps Slot survive his top-five test as Arsenal have to settle for ...
ARNE SLOT survived his and Liverpool’s first match against one of last season’s top five as they twice came from behind to score an important draw against a patched-up Arsenal side. The hosts looked set to take all three points until Mo Salah scored a late equaliser to deny Mikel Merino a winner after Virgil van Dijk had cancelled out Bukayo Saka’s early strike for Arsenal.
Arsenal had already taken seven points from away fixtures at Manchester City, Aston Villa and Tottenham but badly wanted a win here after losing at Bournemouth last time out. They have had the harder start of all the obvious title contenders and have been without captain Martin Odegaard, Starboy Saka and influential midfielder Declan Rice in most of their matches to date.
Saka and Jurrien Timber made unconvincing returns from injury and yet Arsenal were in front inside ten minutes. Ben White, filling in for the suspended William Saliba at centre back, spotted his old wingman Saka in space down the right and sprang him with a deft pass over the top of last Liverpool defender Andy Robertson. Perhaps Liverpool should have doubled up on Arsenal’s most potent weapon, van Dijk more alert to the possibility that Saka was capable of nutmegging his team-mate to cut in and score.
Allowed the narrowest window of freedom, the young England winger cut in and scored a sublime comeback goal. In doing so, it made him the youngest Arsenal player (23 and 52 days) to score 50 Premier League goals. His first was against Wolves on July 4, 2020.
Liverpool could have been level a few minutes later as Merino took his eye off the ball and gifted Salah a chance from the edge of the area,. Liverpool’s Egyptian king was, unusually for him, off the mark and fizzed a curling shot narrowly wide of the David Raya’s left hand post.
It was only the beginning of a breathless, dramatic start as Arsenal tried to double down on their lead while trying to get out of their own half and cope with Liverpool’s suffocating press.
No big surprise then when van Dijk headed in the 18th minute equaliser after Luis Diaz flicked on a near-post Alexis Mac Allister corner. Poor set piece defending from Arsenal with question marks over Thomas Partey and Kai Havertz, but brilliant execution by Arne Slot’s jubilant side.
What followed was no less frantic and Liverpool survived a VAR replay of a clattering challenge by Ibrahima Konate on Gabriel Martinelli. The biggest crime, however, was Havertz shooting lamely over the bar after the ball broke loose to him on the edge of the area.
A fortunate escape for Liverpool as Arsenal enjoyed a spell on top now. Saka, at times, was unplayable. Mac Allister found the only way to stop him was a foul or two and the clearly fired-up World Cup winner was walking a yellow card tightrope with a good hour still to go.
Merino had made a mess of a great chance from a deadly Rice free-kick earlier on and looked embarrassed in the aftermath as he sought treatment for an injury that might have been more to his pride than his shoulder.
The Spanish European champion’s mood could not have been more different on 43 minutes when he sent in Arsenal’s second from another superb Rice free-kick from the right. An insanely lengthy VAR check for offside instantly turned the ecstasy into purgatory for the Arsenal supporters in the stadium, especially as monitors in the press box showed there was no attacking player where he should not be. Maybe the TV spectators enjoyed the tension. Either way, the goal stood and concluded a brilliant first half of action.
Frustration in the Liverpool coaching staff spilled over shortly into the second half as rigid referee Anthony Taylor brandished a yellow card to one of Slot’s constantly complaining crew.
The visitors caught a break moments later when Gabriel had to be withdrawn with what looked like a pulled muscle. Now Arteta rand his men really had their work cut out without either of the ‘best central defensive partnership in Europe.’ Jakub Kiwior came on for the visibly distressed Gabriel and played the game of his life as Arsenal clung on to their lead and looked to attack Liverpool on the break.
Slot cracked with about half an hour to go when he made a triple substitution and look to get back into the game and more.
That Arsenal had keeper Raya booked for time-wasting over a goal kick betrayed the home side’s mindset. But it was when they got caught with too many players going forward that Liverpool seized their chance to score with a well taken 81st minute Salah strike. Trent Alexander-Arnold sent Nunez clear on the right, chased by a posse of desperate defenders and squared the ball to Salah to finish unmarked from around the penalty spot.
Now Liverpool very much looked like the team poised to win and Arteta responded with a couple of changes of his own ahead of a lengthy period of stoppage time.
Arsenal: Raya 6; Partey 7, White 6, Gabriel 6 (Kiwior 54), Timber 7 (Lewis-Skelly 76); Rice 7, Merino 7, Trossard 6; Saka 8 (Jesus 85), Martinelli 7 (Nwaneri, 85), Havertz. Subs: Neto, Nichols, Zinchenko, Jorginho, Sterling.
Liverpool: Kelleher 6; Alexander-Arnold 7, Konate 6, Van Dijk 6, Robertson 5 (Tsimikas 63); Gravenberch 7, Mac Allister 5 (Szoboszlai 63); Salah 7, Jones 6 (Endo 90), Diaz 6 (Gakpo 63); Nunez 6. Subs: Jaros, Davies, Gomez, Quansah, Morton.
Ref: Anthony Taylor 6
