Match reportMohamed Salah strikes in Liverpool draw with Arsenal at Anfield
Liverpool and Arsenal played out an enthralling 1-1 draw in a top-of-the-table Premier League clash at Anfield on Saturday evening.
In an absorbing encounter, the Reds fell behind after four minutes of play when Gabriel directed a header from 10 yards out in from a set-piece into the box.
However, Mohamed Salah drew Jürgen Klopp’s side level before the half-hour when he collected a long pass from Trent Alexander-Arnold on the right, burst beyond Oleksandr Zinchenko and fired an unerring finish into the net.
Alexander-Arnold struck the bar in the second half following a trademark Liverpool counter as the home team created the better of the chances after the break, but the Gunners held on to claim a point.
Team news
Liverpool made five changes from the midweek win over West Ham United in the Carabao Cup quarter-final.
Alexander-Arnold and Ibrahima Konate returned in defence, with Alisson Becker restored in goal.
Meanwhile, Luis Diaz and Salah were back in attack and Ryan Gravenberch was named among the substitutes.
Liverpool: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Tsimikas (Gomez, 35), Endo, Szoboszlai, Jones (Gravenberch, 67), Diaz (Elliott, 67), Salah, Gakpo (Nunez, 67).
Unused substitutes: Kelleher, Clark, McConnell, Quansah, Bradley.
Attendance: 57,548
First half
The teams emerged from the tunnel to an electrifying din inside Anfield – but Arsenal threatened a breakthrough inside 30 seconds.
Bukayo Saka’s low cross was scooped away by the glove of Alisson into the path of Gabriel Jesus on the edge of the box. His first-time return was deflected behind by Dominik Szoboszlai.
The resulting corner saw Gabriel’s near-post nod claimed by Alisson; however, the goalkeeper could not keep out the Arsenal No.6’s next effort two minutes later when he looped a header into the net from Martin Odegaard’s free-kick from the left.
Jesus then powered a drive over, but Salah had an opening when Cody Gakpo’s flick dropped for him at the back post with 14 gone. His attempt, however, crashed into the side-netting.
Liverpool were looking to build sustained pressure on their visitors’ defence, but a break saw Odegaard swipe a low shot well wide of Alisson’s post.
Then, with 29 minutes elapsed, the Reds levelled. Alexander-Arnold sprayed a sublime 60-yard pass in the direction of Salah’s run down the right. The Egyptian breezed beyond Zinchenko and into the box before finishing emphatically past David Raya.
The Reds were dealt a blow when Kostas Tsimikas was forced off with an injury issue after a collision with Saka on the touchline. Joe Gomez replaced him in the back four.
Liverpool were by now fully in the ascendancy, but they survived a scare when Gabriel Martinelli shot wide after Alisson had scooped the ball away from the feet of Saka, who had attempted to round him, leaving the scoreline level at halfway.
Second half
The hosts began the second period assertively and forced a series of mistakes from their counterparts.
Shortly after the restart, Wataru Endo pinched possession from Odegaard and played it to Curtis Jones, who in turn squared to Salah. Ben White was able to deflect his attempt wide.
Liverpool’s intensity levels were high. Salah next squared to Diaz across the area, but the No.7 could only scuff off target under pressure.
Then, on 54 minutes, Diaz’s flicked pass picked out Gomez’s run into the left channel of the area. The defender cut back onto his right and curled agonisingly wide by a fraction with Raya beaten.
On the hour, Gakpo chested a Virgil van Dijk pass off into the path of Szoboszlai 20 yards out, but he could only drag off target with a low shot.
A trio of changes were made by Klopp on 67 minutes. Diaz, withdrawn due to a knock, Gakpo and Jones made way for Harvey Elliott, Gravenberch and Darwin Nunez.
Elliott was immediately involved, seeing a shot take a touch off Gabriel and bouncing a couple of yards off target.
On 72 minutes, Alexander-Arnold was left clutching his head in his hands when a powerful 12-yard shot from Salah’s pass at the conclusion of a counter from an Arsenal corner smashed against the crossbar and bounced clear.
Gomez then had a strike beaten around the post by Raya and Nunez headed over at a corner as the Reds’ pressure continued.
As the contest entered a final pulsating 10 minutes of normal time, Konate blocked from Leandro Trossard before Kai Havertz skewed the rebound wide as Arsenal showcased their threat.
The final moments were frenetic, but the sides couldn’t be separated as the points were shared on Merseyside.
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