Liverpool vs Arsenal – The Premier League leaders dropped points in the title race as Arsenal drew 2-2 with Liverpool, despite Ramsdale’s late save securing a point for the Gunners after they had gone two goals up.

The 2-2 draw between Liverpool and Arsenal leaves the Premier League title race with uncertainties. The Gunners dropped two points, which could be costly, but earned one point thanks to Aaron Ramsdale’s remarkable save, which could potentially keep them in the title race. While the title seems to be in Arsenal’s hands, Manchester City also have a say in the matter.

The match itself was a mix of emotions, with Liverpool initially struggling before making a remarkable comeback. Trent Alexander-Arnold’s performance summed up the game, as he started with an uncomfortable display as a midfielder before showcasing his attacking prowess. He delivered the decisive blow with a brilliant assist to Roberto Firmino, reminding Arsenal of their old foe’s past goals against them.

Following Liverpool’s equalizer, Arsenal had nine minutes of chaos, with Mohamed Salah’s shot almost deflecting into the net, but Ramsdale’s incredible save kept them level. Ibrahima Konate also missed a chance to score the winner for Liverpool.

An hour before the final whistle, no one could have predicted the circumstances of the game. Arsenal dominated the match, outplaying Liverpool in one-on-one duels across the pitch. Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli had been identified by previous opponents as the key players to double up on if you want to have a chance of slowing down the league leaders. However, Liverpool failed to do so, and within seven minutes, the duo had torn them apart. A simple move inside left Andrew Robertson helpless on the ground, and Martinelli cut inside before receiving Martin Odegaard’s through ball. Virgil van Dijk’s touch ricocheted the ball back to Martinelli, who poked it beyond Alisson and a chaotic backline.

Despite the remarkable fight back from Liverpool, it was evident that Van Dijk struggled to regain his form after a slow start. He lacked the explosive pace that he used to have, and it seemed to affect his overall performance. The once-titan of Premier League defenders has been humbled. Even the basics of defending now seem to elude him. When Martinelli burst down the left, Van Dijk checked over his shoulder only once, leaving Gabriel Jesus with enough space in the penalty area to score with a simple header.

The game seemed to be over, but then something unexpected happened. Granit Xhaka’s push on Alexander-Arnold stirred up the Anfield crowd, and everything changed from there. It’s easy to assume that Xhaka’s action was the direct cause of the turnaround, but if another player with a cleaner disciplinary record had made the same push, would it have had the same effect? In an alternate world, the yellow card Xhaka received for his push might have been the turning point of the game. Martinelli could have isolated his opponent one more time, earning Arsenal a man advantage to go with their lead on the scoresheet.

It was not Xhaka’s fault that his teammates switched off as Jota made a run down the left flank. He also did not influence Curtis Jones’ perfectly timed backheeled through ball, nor did his act of petulance have any direct effect on Jordan Henderson’s mishit shot that eventually found Salah.

Perhaps something else would have woken Liverpool from their sluggish start. Nonetheless, Xhaka’s actions did not help his team either. In hindsight, everyone in an Arsenal shirt might question the impact of assistant referee Constantine Hatzidakis’ elbow on Robertson after the Liverpool defender grabbed him.

From then on Arsenal were on the back foot. Rob Holding, who is so often at his best with his back to the wall, crashed into Diogo Jota, a tough but fair penalty the response. Just as he had against Bournemouth a few weeks ago, Salah went left. Too far left.

However, Liverpool did not give up. Thiago brought stability to their play, while Firmino never lost faith that they would come back. Arsenal had opportunities to extend their lead, with Gabriel heading straight at Alisson and Saka’s impressive turn in the box resulting in a cross that narrowly missed Trossard. However, they lacked the killer instinct. Arteta’s substitutions added pressure to his team, and Kiwior’s first involvement was a reckless charge out of defense that almost fouled Firmino and opened up space for Nunez to exploit.

Arsenal had ten men behind the ball as Liverpool pushed forward for the winner. Ramsdale proved to be the hero, denying Salah’s deflected shot and Konate’s close-range effort from Nunez’s flick-on. Thanks to Ramsdale’s heroics, Arsenal left Anfield with a point. It could have been more, but it might be enough for them in the title race.