Match reportMohamed Salah scores late equaliser in Liverpool's 2-2 draw at Arsenal

The Egyptian converted from a Darwin Nunez assist to draw the Reds level with 81 minutes on the clock at Emirates Stadium.

Bukayo Saka had given the hosts a ninth-minute lead, although they were not ahead for long thanks to Virgil van Dijk's leveller.

And Arne Slot's side were able to respond again after Mikel Merino's headed goal towards the end of the first half restored the Gunners' advantage.

Team news

Luis Diaz, Curtis Jones and Andy Robertson were the three changes to the line-up that defeated RB Leipzig in the Champions League in midweek.

Van Dijk captained the club for the 100th occasion and Ryan Gravenberch brought up appearance No.50.

Kelleher, Van Dijk, Konate, Diaz (Gakpo, 62), Nunez, Mac Allister (Szoboszlai, 62), Salah, Jones (Endo, 90), Robertson (Tsimikas, 62), Gravenberch, Alexander-Arnold.

Unused subs: Jaros, Davies, Gomez, Quansah, Morton.

First half

The intensity of the start certainly lived up to the pre-match expectations, with two goals inside the opening 18 minutes.

Ben White, playing centre-half for the afternoon, lifted a ball into the right channel that found Saka. The attacker evaded the attempted challenge from Robertson inside the area, from where he fired past Caoimhin Kelleher and into the roof of the net.

But Liverpool's response was a good one; Salah curled just wide from range a few moments before his side found their leveller.

Diaz flicked on Trent Alexander-Arnold's corner at the near post and Van Dijk was stationed in the right area to glance into the bottom corner.

It was Arsenal who finished the half on top, though, and they could have re-established their lead earlier if Kai Havertz did not squander a pair of good opportunities.

However, Merino made no mistake when meeting Declan Rice's powerful and curling free-kick into the box. By the barest of margins, a lengthy VAR check confirmed the goalscorer was not ahead of Van Dijk the moment Rice sent the set-piece in.

Second half

Liverpool enjoyed a strong spell not long after their hosts were forced into a defensive reshuffle when Gabriel Magalhaes went off due to an injury.

Their grip on the game's momentum was growing firmer as the second period went on, though finding a way through Arsenal's stubborn structure was proving difficult.

But the Gunners' resistance was broken nine minutes before the end.

Nunez successfully chased down Alexander-Arnold's clip down the right and spotted the underlapping run of Salah, who side-footed past David Raya and then wheeled over to the away end.

It felt like there was going to be a winner as both sides pushed for three points instead of one.

Gabriel Jesus came closest to a decider in the closing stages – but the spoils were ultimately shared.