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Arsenal staged an impressive second-half comeback to secure a vital 2-2 draw at Anfield on Sunday, clawing back from two goals down against newly crowned Premier League champions Liverpool to stay firmly on course for Champions League qualification.
The Gunners found themselves in trouble early on, trailing 2-0 following first-half goals from Cody Gakpo and Luis Diaz. But Gabriel Martinelli gave Mikel Arteta’s side hope shortly after the break before Mikel Merino struck the equaliser.
Despite Merino’s dismissal for a second bookable offence with just over ten minutes remaining, Arsenal held on to earn a valuable point in the race for a top-five finish.
The result leaves Arsenal in second place, five points above sixth-placed Aston Villa, and with a significant advantage in goal difference, they are now just a single point away from sealing a return to Europe’s elite competition. Their remaining fixtures include a showdown with third-placed Newcastle and a trip to already-relegated Southampton.
Speaking after the game, Arteta acknowledged the poor start: “What we produced in the first half was far from our level — it’s unacceptable,” he said. “That’s on me. The standards here are high, and it has to hurt when we fall short.”
Liverpool boss Arne Slot made headlines by dropping Trent Alexander-Arnold, who was jeered by sections of the home support upon coming off the bench over reports of a summer move to Real Madrid.
“I understand the fans will react how they feel,” said Slot. “But I stand by all of my players — if you wear the red shirt, you have my backing.”
Liverpool had already sealed their 20th English league title two weeks ago, rendering the tie meaningless from their perspective. But for Arsenal, still reeling from their midweek Champions League semi-final exit at the hands of PSG, there was plenty at stake.
Before kick-off, the Gunners were forced to applaud Liverpool onto the pitch with a guard of honour — a bitter moment for Arteta’s side, particularly after his contentious claims earlier in the week that Arsenal had been the “best team” in Europe.
The Merseysiders looked to drive home their dominance in the first half. Andy Robertson’s curling cross in the 20th minute was met by Gakpo’s thumping header to open the scoring, and less than two minutes later, Diaz doubled the lead with a well-timed finish from Dominik Szoboszlai’s delivery.
Home fans mocked Arteta’s comments with chants of “Best team in Europe? You’re having a laugh”, but Arsenal found their response after the restart.
Martinelli nodded in Leandro Trossard’s cross just two minutes into the second half, and Alisson Becker had to produce fine saves to deny both Ben White and Martinelli as Arsenal pushed forward.
The equaliser eventually came in the 70th minute. Martin Ødegaard’s strike was parried by Alisson, but Merino reacted quickest to nod the rebound in — catching Alexander-Arnold playing him onside.
Merino’s afternoon ended early after reckless fouls on Darwin Núñez and Szoboszlai earned him a second yellow, but Arsenal dug deep to secure a point that could prove decisive.
