Salah’s stunning strike earns Liverpool draw but Arsenal stay top of table

There was no quarter given at Anfield, but no statement victory either. Arsenal will top the Premier League at Christmas after taking a point at Liverpool, a ground where they have regularly suffered in the 11 years since last winning here. Jürgen Klopp will rightly ponder what might have been.

The Liverpool manager was twice brought to his knees in the 100th league meeting between the clubs at Anfield, first when Kostas Tsimikas ploughed into his manager and suffered a potentially serious injury, and again when Trent Alexander-Arnold struck the Arsenal bar with only David Raya to beat late on. Gabriel Magalhães had headed Arsenal into a worthy early lead before Mohamed Salah, with his 149th league goal for Liverpool, brilliantly brought the home side level.

Klopp’s complaints about the Anfield atmosphere during the Carabao Cup rout of West Ham on Wednesday certainly did the trick. As soon as the two teams emerged, the noise was befitting of a contest to decide who would take the No 1 spot at Christmas. Arsenal signalled a determination to make it theirs from the first whistle.

The visitors led inside four minutes. It was Arsenal’s third clear attempt on Alisson’s goal during a blistering start reminiscent of what Liverpool often subject opponents to at Anfield. The home defence was prised open after merely 30 seconds when Gabriel Jesus dispossessed Wataru Endo and the polished Martin Ødegaard released Bukayo Saka behind Kostas Tsimikas.

Alisson flicked Saka’s dangerous low cross out to Jesus on the edge of the area, where the striker’s goal-bound shot deflected off Ibrahima Konaté and just over the stranded goalkeeper’s crossbar. Jesus, finding a yard of space in a packed six-yard box, headed the resulting corner from Saka straight into Alisson’s arms.

Arsenal were just warming up, and punished more uncertain Liverpool defending moments later. Konaté’s foul on Kai Havertz presented Ødegaard with a free-kick on the left. Arsenal’s movement bewildered Liverpool, enabling Gabriel to ease in front of Konaté and send a powerful header beyond the stranded Alisson. The Liverpool keeper had come off his line when the free-kick was taken but stopped when he saw the Arsenal centre-half soaring unmarked in front of him. The goal stood after an unnecessarily long VAR check for offside against the scorer.

With Ødegaard and Declan Rice oozing authority and composure in central midfield, Saka and Jesus retaining possession under pressure in attack and Gabriel and William Saliba dominant in the air, Arsenal controlled the first third of the match. Jesus sent a first-time shot rising over the Liverpool crossbar from a Gabriel Martinelli pass. Ødegaard dragged an effort wide after Arsenal had carved open the hosts’s left flank yet again.

Liverpool’s only response amid the early blitz was a Mohamed Salah volley into the side-netting from an Endo cross. They did have a strong appeal for a penalty when Ødegaard handled while slipping inside his area but both referee Chris Kavanagh and VAR showed leniency.

Arsenal’s confidence, along with the sense that they were more likely to score next, was growing when they were undone by two touches of Liverpool brilliance. The first came from Alexander-Arnold in his guise as a Premier League quarter-back minus the helmet and shoulder pads. Standing deep inside his own half, he waited, and waited, and waited for an option to appear. Then he pinged a 70-yard pass over Oleksandr Zinchenko into the run of Salah. The angle appeared against Liverpool’s leading goalscorer until he cut back inside the Arsenal left back and unleashed an unstoppable finish inside David Raya’s near post. A stunning goal.

Liverpool suffered an unfortunate and potentially serious injury setback while the Anfield celebrations were still going on. Tsimikas and Saka were embroiled in a physical battle from the outset and the left-back was sent tumbling into Klopp, sending the Liverpool manager flying, when pushed by the Arsenal winger.

The defender was immediately replaced by Joe Gomez and taken to hospital with a suspected broken collarbone. Liverpool’s first choice left-back, Andy Robertson, is recovering from a dislocated shoulder he suffered on Scotland duty in October.

Arsenal should have retaken the lead shortly before the break when Rice played Saka through on goal with an exquisite pass. A heavy touch thwarted Saka’s attempt to round Alisson but the ball fell to Martinelli, who stepped inside Konaté but pulled his shot wide with two Liverpool players to beat on the goalline.

It was a pulsating game, with no let-up between two quality teams giving everything for victory. Gomez went close to finally scoring for Liverpool with a shot that curled around Raya but also the far post.

Alexander-Arnold had a glorious chance to win it for Klopp’s team when Ødegaard and Zinchenko clattered into each other at an Arsenal corner and Liverpool broke in overwhelming numbers. Salah led the charge and teed up the defender as he swept into the box, but his placed finish smacked Raya’s bar and cannoned clear. Not for the first time, Klopp sank to his knees.

Liverpool demanded a second yellow card for Saka for a foul on Ryan Gravenberch but he won the ball before slipping into the substitute.