Arsenal 2-2 Liverpool: A Good Result for Arne Slot’s Side?
Liverpool faced their biggest test of the season so far as they travelled to North London to face Arsenal on Sunday evening, with the game finishing as a 2-2 draw. The result keeps Arne Slot’s side just one point behind Manchester City in the Premier League table, and an impressive four points ahead of the Gunners.
Some supporters were left quite frustrated by the result, thinking the Reds could’ve pushed harder for all three points, whilst some remain positive on the result. In the past two seasons, Liverpool lost at the Emirates Stadium both times under the guidance of Jurgen Klopp, so a point on the road there is far from a disappointment.
This sentiment is shared by former Liverpool midfielder Jermaine Pennant, who spoke exclusively to Anfield Index, courtesy of Instant Casino…
Liverpool’s First-Half Struggles
Despite eventually coming away with a decent result, Arne Slot’s side really struggled to get a grip on the game in the first-half. “I thought the first-half was a bit cagey from Liverpool,” began Pennant, “I thought Arsenal dominated it, to be honest.” Liverpool’s midfield were constantly being outnumbered and there was a lack of an outlet going forward, an issue that was present in Liverpool’s first-half performance against Chelsea last week.
Of course, Liverpool did grab a goal in the first-half through a set piece as Luis Diaz flicked on a Trent Alexander-Arnold corner into the path of Virgil Van Dijk, who nodded the ball home. However, the Reds were then outdone by a set piece themselves, as Mikel Merino headed Arsenal back in front before half-time.
Notable Absence for Liverpool
A lot of the talk going into Sunday’s game was about Arsenal’s alleged crisis, which saw them have a huge total of two first-team players sidelined! However, Liverpool had their own struggles with Alisson Becker, Diogo Jota, Federico Chiesa, Harvey Elliott and Conor Bradley all out with injuries.
Pennant was keen to point out how crucial the absence of Alisson was, with Caoimhin Kelleher replacing him in goal: “Arsenal were pressing from the front and it really goes to show just how much Alisson is missed and how integral he is to how Liverpool play.”
“That’s no disrespect to Kelleher, who is a great goalkeeper,” continued Pennant, “But he is not as comfortable playing out from the back and we saw a lot of his passes going long.”
“It meant we couldn’t break through Arsenal’s press, where Alisson would usually play those line-breaking passes.”
Conclusion: A Good Result for Liverpool?
“Second half, we stepped it up and I thought we were the better team and could’ve won the game,” began Pennant, “All in all, I’m pleased and proud of the result.” It’s hard to disagree with Pennant’s outlook on the result, at a ground where Liverpool have struggled at in recent Premier League campaigns.
Slot’s side now face two Premier League home games against Brighton and Aston Villa, where if they could pick up maximum points, it would send Liverpool right amongst it at the top of the table. Ten points from games against Chelsea, Arsenal, Brighton and Aston Villa would certainly be a fairly strong return.
