Arsenal fought back with fierce determination to claim a crucial 2-2 draw against Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday, breathing fresh life into their Champions League hopes with just two league matches remaining.
The Gunners went into the match still feeling the sting of their recent Champions League exit at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain. However, despite the emotional fatigue and a tough venue in Anfield, Mikel Arteta’s side showed resilience when it mattered most.
Early goals from Liverpool’s Cody Gakpo and Luis Diaz had put the home team in firm control before Gabriel Martinelli and Mikel Merino scored to level the tie in a dramatic second half.
Liverpool struck first in the 20th minute when Andrew Robertson sent in a curling cross that found Gakpo at the near post. The Dutchman made no mistake, heading past David Raya from close range.
Just under two minutes later, Diaz extended the lead by sliding in to convert Dominik Szoboszlai’s cross, punishing Arsenal’s fragile backline.
Liverpool could have added more before the break, with Raya forced into action to deny Curtis Jones, but Arsenal managed to survive the onslaught. Fans in the Kop were quick to mock Arteta’s earlier claim that Arsenal were the best team in Europe, chanting sarcastically from the stands.
But the mood began to shift just after halftime. In the 47th minute, Martinelli met a cross from Leandro Trossard with a perfectly placed header that gave Arsenal a lifeline.
The visitors pushed harder from then on, and they were finally rewarded in the 70th minute. After Martin Odegaard’s effort was blocked by Alisson, Merino reacted fastest to nod in the rebound while being played onside by Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Alexander-Arnold, who had been booed by some Liverpool fans following his recent contract decision, found himself at the center of the equalising moment. The right-back is expected to leave the club this summer, with Real Madrid reportedly his next destination.
Merino’s day ended on a sour note when he was sent off in the 79th minute after receiving a second yellow card for two fouls in quick succession. Liverpool pushed forward in the closing stages and thought they had won it in stoppage time, but Robertson’s effort was ruled out after Ibrahima Konate was judged to have fouled Arsenal youngster Myles Lewis-Skelly.
