Fortune favours the brave as Arsenal leave Anfield as Christmas table toppers

Liverpool 1 Arsenal 1   
Premier League   
Saturday 22nd December 2023 5.30pm  

My thoughts on the draw against Liverpool that leaves Arsenal in top spot on Christmas Day.

 

Before the game… I’d have settled for a draw. Arsenal haven’t won at Anfield since 2012, but they didn’t need to yesterday to remain in first place after Villa’s surprise draw at home to Sheffield United. Gooners should enjoy Christmas given the result.

 

A lack of fear. Arsenal went for it from the off as they did earlier in 2023 when they took a two-goal lead in the previous match between the two sides at this venue. They had a very impressive opening few minutes, culminating in the opening goal by Gabriel. Kudos to the set piece coach on this one, as well as the accuracy of Odegaard’s delivery. Yes, there was a VAR check for offside, and there were millimetres in it. Fortunately, Jarred Gillett was not allowed to do VAR duties on this one, given his allegiance to the home side. The angle of the lines would have worked for Klopp’s team if the Aussie were drawing them, methinks.

 

The man in the middle. The ref Chris Kavanagh was generally strong, certainly not a homer, although when Saka was handed off by Tsimikas – with a choke on his neck, and not even a foul, I worried. Cavanagh’s errors of judgements were at least random, which brings us to…

 

A Christmas miracle. Odegaard’s handball in the area. I’m sorry, but all bias aside, this was a stonewall penalty. Yes, he slipped a bit, but he put his arm towards the ball and effectively patted it. Clear and obvious error? I’d say yes, but hey, it’s about time a bit of VAR luck went the Gunners’ way. 

 

Talking of slips. It was like ‘Bambi on Ice’ out there at times for the visitors, which suggests heavy watering of the pitch in between the warm ups and the game starting, as Liverpool did not seem to have the same problem. Didn’t they have a change of boots? The second half felt even worse for Gunners losing their footing. The number of times Arsenal players slipped at key moments is too long to list. Fortunately, this did also produce a let off for Saka who could have been sent off for one challenge.

 

Playing it long. David Raya mixed it up a bit during the game, often sending the ball long to Kai Havertz. It made the team less predictable and given Klopp’s reputation for “gegenpressing” at Dortmund, Arsenal couldn’t play the ball out easily under relentless pressure all the time. One thing that has been pointed out to me. None of Raya’s distribution over 10 metres found a team-mate. I can’t say either way, but that is perhaps indicative of the kind of close attention the away team were under in all areas of the pitch.

 

We need to speak about Oleksandr. Salah v Zinchencko was a worry, and an early chance for the Egyptian hit the side netting after the left back left his man. Frankly, the number of times Zinchenko was on the ropes, Liverpool really could have scored a lot more. Just the one felt like getting away with it, and it came after 28 minutes, with some woeful defending allowing the Liverpool goal machine to cut inside and shoot. Zinky is a weakness in Arsenal’s defence, yet Arteta trades that liability for what he brings to the possession game, but in this kind of fixture there is an argument for a more cautious approach.  Of course, both Timber and Tomiyasu are injured, although Kiwior was an option. I had a feeling the Pole might come on after the interval, and when Zinchenko gave the ball away twice during a frenetic 15 minutes of home side domination at the start of the second half, I wished he had. Arsenal showed resilience as well as riding their luck and came through it unscathed.

 

Tsimikas’ broken collar bone. With hindsight, it was less amusing, but the moment Saka took Jurgen Klopp out by proxy was like poetry in motion on the replay. Nobody realised Tsimakas was actually badly injured until he was withdrawn. Having said that, it was he that tried to throttle Saka earlier in the first half, so perhaps there was a bit of karma going on here. Joe Gomez came on to replace him, although he did as well against Saka as his stricken colleague.

 

Missed chances. Arsenal had a number of opportunities that were highly promising but failed to find a way to score a second goal. The cry for a traditional striker went out as Jesus and Saka both put great balls across the face of the goal, only for Martinelli and Havertz to fail in reading the play. Frustrating, but evidence that the Gunners were very much in this game and not simply hanging on to the ropes. 

 

Declan takes on allcomers. An Arsenal corner saw Odegaard trip over Zinchenko as the ball came to him, and Liverpool were away. It was Salah v Declan Rice with three players free to the forward’s right. Trent Alexander-Arnold was the one who he passed to, but the right back hit the bar with just Raya to beat. It felt like an early Christmas present. A bobble on the pitch was blamed. In that case, sort your pitch out is my thought on that.

 

Arsenal man of the match. At half time I’d have said Declan Rice, but Saliba was so immense in the second half, I can’t argue with Sky Sports’ decision to award him the gong for best player on the pitch. He had Salah in his pocket when he moved into the centre of the attack after Darwin Nunez came on. Arsenal have an undisputed player of world class pedigree in the Frenchman. We can’t appreciate a defender’s work in the same way as a Bergkamp or an Henry, but there might just be a case for Saliba becoming the best player at the club since the move to the Emirates – maybe better than Fabregas, Van Persie or Cazorla. He’s that good.

 

In conclusion. It was a game that could have gone either way, but in fairness, I think Liverpool were slightly less fortunate, and overall shaded things. I was delighted with a point, even if it felt like an opportunity missed. Liverpool might be very good, but they are still a team in transition to these eyes, with a lot of unfamiliar players, and are likely to get better. There was a feeling last season that Klopp has reached the end of his cycle at Liverpool, in terms of keeping them competitive. They didn’t qualify for the Champions League for the first time in years. The days of Salah – Mane - Firmino are just memories now, and of the team that won the league in 2020, only a few remain at the club, mainly defensive players. All the same, Arsenal generally struggle at Anfield, and drawing last season from being two up was particularly painful. Last night did not feel so bad, and if Arteta’s players can win in the return League match in February, it will be a very satisfactory points haul against a side that will surely be in the mix for the title come Easter. For now, very best festive wishes to all the regular readers of my blog. Hoping 2024 brings you all good things – especially from our team on the football pitch.

 

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