Premier League: Arsenal Fails to Overcome Liverpool and Misses the Opportunity

As Manchester City and Aston Villa stumbled against Brighton (1-1) and Crystal Palace (0-0), Arsenal had the chance to extend their lead in the Premier League to eight points. Facing Liverpool (4th place), who aimed to solidify their position in the top four, Arsenal's Mikel Arteta opted for a 4-3-3 formation with David Raya in goal, supported by Jurriën Timber, William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes, and Piero Hincapié in defense. Martin Zubimendi played as a defensive midfielder alongside Martin Odegaard and Declan Rice, while Bukayo Saka and Leandro Trossard supported Viktor Gyökeres in attack. Liverpool set up in a 4-2-3-1 formation with Alisson Becker as the last line of defense, a backline featuring Conor Bradley, Ibrahima Konaté, Virgil van Dijk, and Piero Hincapié, and a double pivot of Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister. Cody Gakpo led the attack, aided by Jeremy Frimpong, Dominik Szoboszlai, and Florian Wirtz.

Under the heavy rain of London, expectations for a thrilling match were high, especially since Liverpool had been one of the few teams, alongside Aston Villa, to have bested Arsenal this season, winning the first encounter 1-0. However, the game struggled to ignite. Arsenal took control of the ball and settled into the opposition's half, attempting to exploit the flanks for crosses but failing to catch a well-organized Liverpool side off guard. Bukayo Saka made the first notable attempt from the right side, but his shot lacked the power to trouble Alisson Becker (18th minute). Arsenal's pressing disrupted Liverpool's build-up, but the Reds managed to break through twice: Ryan Gravenberch's crossed shot was blocked (25th minute), and a poor clearance from David Raya nearly led to disaster when Conor Bradley's lob hit the crossbar (27th minute).

Despite being inaccurate, Liverpool at least made attempts while Arsenal appeared physically drained against a determined opponent. The Gunners struggled to maintain their rhythm during attacks, resulting in numerous inaccuracies. Dominik Szoboszlai tested David Raya from a free-kick, but his powerful shot from 25 meters sailed just over the bar (82nd minute). Arsenal only responded in stoppage time, with Gabriel Jesus's header being saved by Alisson Becker (90+1 minute), and the Brazilian goalkeeper then thwarted Gabriel Martinelli's curled shot (90+1 minute). The match ended in a 0-0 draw, leaving Arsenal still at the top with a 6-point lead over Manchester City and Aston Villa. Liverpool retained their fourth spot and secured a valuable point, but Conor Bradley's injury at the end of the match could sideline him for an extended period.