Key events
It was an Ødegaard howitzer that Alisson parried onto the woodwork, and it ended with the ball in the net courtesy of Merino.
The goal will stand. The Spanish midfielder was just onside. Game on!
GOAL! Liverpool 2-2 Arsenal (Merino, 70)
ARSENAL ARE LEVEL! WOW.
Merino followed in with his head after Alisson just about kept out a long shot. But is it offside?
69 mins: Back to the action and it’s still Arsenal doing the bulk of the probing.
HUGE boos for Alexander-Arnold as he takes his first touch. Gah, you feel for him, not an easy situation.
67 mins: The booing of Alexander-Arnold really surprises me. He’s going to leave Liverpool as a double league winner, with a Champions League winners’ medal and plenty of other pots in his cabinet, too.
The songs are now pro-Conor Bradley, to be fair. But there you go.
A triple Liverpool change, then:
A few boos for Trent … actually quite a lot of booing. Goodness me.
65 mins: Goodness me, how has that not gone in?
Saliba cannot believe he’s not scored after Saka works a corner short and then lifts it towards the back post. Konate somehow got his head in the way of Saliba’s header. Mammoth defending.
64 mins: Imagine if Declan Rice was fit enough to play today … Arsenal are causing enough problems as it is. Bradley gets in a superb last-ditch tackle this time to deny Martinelli. Good covering speed from the full-back.
A couple of emails have taken issue with my assertion that, maybe, Arsenal don’t need to sign Martín Zubimendi and should buy a striker instead.
Will says: “As it happens another ball player at the base of midfield is exactly what Arsenal need with Rice excelling higher up, Jorginho going and Partey being deeply unreliable. The problem is, it’s not the only thing that is exactly what Arsenal need right now – the much discussed striker is one but also another wide forward is desperately required. Oh and another backup keeper. Quite the shopping list for Andrea Berta to get through.”
Richard Gibbon adds: “Not sure there’s much doubt that Arsenal need more goals next year but would be interested to know who people think their ball playing midfielder would be if they didn’t sign Zubimendi or similar. Partey is aging and out of contract, Jorginho gone, and it really isn’t Rice or Merino’s game.”
61 mins: The free-kick brings about another chance, although it’s another simple-ish save for Alisson, after Martinelli hurriedly swept it goalwards through bodies. It had to be a cleaner contact.
60 mins: Bradley goes into the book after barging into Lewis-Skelly when the ball had already been smuggled past him. Another set-piece for Arsenal coming up.
59 mins: It’s been a bit more patient from Arsenal in the past few minutes of solid possession – until White decides to run at Robertson. He can’t get beyond the Scot but equally Liveprool can’t escape their own half at the moment.
56 mins: White just nicks it off Gakpo’s toes to stop the hosts’ progress, but Liverpool are starting to string some attacks together – finally. Szoboszlai rasps a shot at Raya’s palms from 30 yards or so.
55 mins: Good goalkeeping by Raya who expertly reads the cross from Robertson and claims confidently.
At the other end, Ben White tests Alisson with a low drive after skipping past Gravenberch. The Brazilian holds onto it.
This could turn into a basketball game given both teams’ inclination is to attack, attack, attack.
53 mins: In this latest episode of ‘Why Doesn’t Martin Ødegaard Shoot More?’ our guest is Martin Ødegaard.
“Martin …”
52 mins: Arsenal are now getting the ball to Saka’s feet at any opportunity and Liverpool and finding the winger difficult to stop, his dancing feet causing confusion in the box.
Trossard fires over after more fancy Saka footwork. Who saw this spell coming?
50 mins: Trossard is finding some nice pockets in between the Liverpool lines, dropping deep in his role as false nine.
Arsenal have been sharp in the past few minutes, Liverpool rather more passive.
48 mins: It was Merino who saw his effort blocked by Gakpo, almost directly from the second half kick-off.
It’s gone a touch quiet(er) around Anfield, save for some noise from the away contingent.
GOAL! Liverpool 2-1 Arsenal (Martinelli, 47)
That’s the start to the half Arsenal wanted. After they spurned yet another presentable chance in the first minute after resuming, Martinelli aims a cute header into the far corner, from Trossard’s accurate cross.
Another stat has been highlighted by Andy Flintoff (not that one):
For more absurd goalscoring comparisons – Arsenal currently have only scored one more (64) than 17th-placed Spurs (63). What that says about the respective teams is anyone’s guess.
The second half begins. Given that my inbox today has been full of emails from Liverpool fans, maybe I should be praising them rather than adding to the Arsenal pile-on. Let’s see what the next 49-and-a-half minutes has in store.
Criticism of Arsenal very much seems the order of the day rather than praising Liverpool. Hey. I don’t make the rules.
Liverpool fan Rupak Pramanik says:
Disappointed with the first half, yeah, you’re reading it right. I thought Arsenal will give us some scare[s], but they’re too much tangled up with their own tactical flaws. They just don’t have ‘it’ in them. Don’t know how Zubimendi will improve their goalscoring efficiency.
Yep, signing yet another ball-playing midfielder doesn’t feel like panacea to Arsenal’s problems. Having scored nearly 20 goals fewer than Liverpool this season (and also less than Newcastle, Manchester City and only one more than Brentford) it’s no secret that they need a serial goal-getter.
Here are some more of your emails:
Kári Tulinius: “I can’t back his up with statistics, but I feel like Arsenal take a lot fewer long range shots this season than they did in the last few years. Ødegaard, Partey and Rice all tried their luck from range with some regularity, which also pulled their opponents out of shape as they would step up in case they needed to block. Now they feel a lot more predictable, trying to set up shooting opportunities in the box.”
Timothy Edwards: “If Palace win the FA Cup would Liverpool players give them a guard of honour? They would then go back down the tunnel and Palace would give them a guard of honour for winning league.”
HT: Liverpool 2-0 Arsenal
Liverpool end the half in the ascendancy, with halfhearted appeals for a penalty turned away and Salah then teasing the Arsenal defence down the right, winning a corner. That set-piece brings little, with Konate heading over the bar.
At the break, the score reflects the nature of this season’s non-title race. All too easy for Liverpool; Arsenal have looked good at times but lacked ruthlessness in both boxes. Twas ever thus.
45 mins +2: “There’s only one Conor Bradley,” is the latest Anfield ditty. Clearly there’s a lot of support for the new man in possession of the right-back’s jersey. He’s been really bright so far in this game.
Kiwior lofts a ball over for Martinelli but Van Dijk is there to thump away the cross.
Three added minutes.
44 mins: Salah’s attempt from the free-kick was poor, floating too long and out for a goal-kick.
Can Arsenal muster anything before half-time to change the complexion of this game? It’s not looking likely.
43 mins: Uh oh, spoke too soon re Lewis-Skelly. He’s been booked for nibbling back at Salah, stopping a Liverpool counter. A long 47 minutes now awaits.
Liverpool have a free-kick on the right side of Arsenal’s box, to whip into trouble.
41 mins: Szoboszlai has been immaculate in this first half. He rides a couple of challenges, checks back and then tries to find Salah running through. Not quite, but stunning play from the Hungarian.
40 mins: Lewis-Skelly is actually doing a semi-decent job of shackling Salah. It was just that one lapse of concentration for the second Liverpool goal that the young full-back will rue.
The Gunners are searching for something before the break here.
38 mins: Arsenal fans, when did Ødegaard stop trying to pass through teams and shoot from the edge of the box? From the past two or three games watching him, it seems he’s become a little too safe with his passing.
Partey fouls Díaz, who has a bloody nose and needs treatment.
36 mins: There’s more Salah fury directed towards the officials as he’s penalised for a foul on Lewis-Skelly again.
Arsenal are coming back into this somewhat, although Liverpool seem happy to sit deep and counter at speed.
34 mins: Ødegaard looks to thread the needle as Liverpool defend their box stoutly but there’s no way through and the visitors’ attack ends with Merino scything through Bradley, for which he’s booked.
32 mins: “Best team in Europe, you’re having a laugh,” chant the Liverpool fans.
Nice to hear Andy Millman quoted at Anfield.
31 mins: Saliba shuts the door on Díaz after Bradley stormed down the right and found the Colombian bearing down on goal. The offside flag, belatedly, went up anyway.
30 mins: A mazy run from Saka ends with him ballooning a shot way over the crossbar at the Kop End. He’s had a couple of openings, the England winger.
An email from Jonathan Watson:
Re your comment at 18 – why is that not just a straight red for Robertson grabbing Saka’s throat?
It’s a good question, Jonathan. I assumed it would be checked at least.
28 mins: How much stomach for the fight is there going to be from Arsenal here? Arguably their gutsiest player, Declan Rice, is absent don’t forget.
