Fate is starting to turn against Arsenal in title race

Liverpool 2-2 Arsenal: The Gunners squandered a 2-0 lead and were lucky to escape with a point

Liverpool could easily have won (Getty)

There was little more than half an hour gone and the Arsenal fans were partying like it was 1989. As they revisited the scene of the most famous 2-0 win in their history, they went two goals ahead and sang: “We’re going to win the league.” An hour later, they looked guilty of premature celebration.

Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus’s early goals may not be bracketed with Alan Smith and Michael Thomas’s title-winning strikes at Anfield after all. Even as their lead stretched to six points, perhaps the momentum shifted to Manchester City. Arsenal’s destiny will be decided on the road, with trips to City and Newcastle to come, and Roberto Firmino’s 87th-minute equaliser suggested they might not be fated to become champions after all.

On a day when Arsenal led for 79 minutes, they almost lost the match and did drop two points. Aaron Ramsdale made stunning saves in injury time, first to stop Mohamed Salah curling in a winner, then to prevent Ibrahima Konate from chesting in a still later decider. Arsenal were subjected to a pounding for an hour: if this proves a precious point, it felt like a fortunate one in the end. They benefited from the rarity of a penalty miss from Salah, albeit his second in succession, and the heroics of Ramsdale. His second-half saves from Salah and Darwin Nunez, both before Firmino’s equaliser, were superb. Goalkeeping heroics can form part of title-winning campaigns, but as 21 shots rained in, Ramsdale’s were required.

Perhaps things are suddenly getting harder for Arsenal. After seven straight wins, they seemed to be cruising to an eighth until a demonstration of Granit Xhaka’s enduring foolishness. Starting a needless row with Trent Alexander-Arnold roused both Liverpool’s players and supporters. Anfield was febrile thereafter, Liverpool demonstrating that, for all their travails on the road this season, they can be a fearsome proposition on their own turf. City, Manchester United and Newcastle have already lost at Anfield. Perhaps Arsenal can view this as a bonus point, then.

Especially as Anfield represents the final frontier for them. This was their first point in seven league trips. They have now let in 27 goals in the last eight; this was the first time in that sequence they did not concede at least three, and even then by the finest of margins. Their last win here was so long ago that Mikel Arteta was in the midfield, not the dugout.

For half an hour, Arteta seemed to have sent his side out to produce the performance of champions. They outflanked Liverpool, with Bukayo Saka and Martinelli both outstanding, with quick switches of play to the flanks isolating them against the full-backs. They had the confidence Liverpool once exuded, mounting the first attack in the first minute. They had a player Jurgen Klopp has long eulogised about.

Arsenal were flying early on but had to cling on to a point at the death (Reuters)

He has been a vocal fan of Martinelli since first encountering the young Brazilian. Admiration may be mixed with irritation at his exploits: after scoring in the first minute against Liverpool in October, he struck in the eighth in the rematch and added an assist. The opener was another illustration of the growing fallibility of Virgil van Dijk who, in attempting to intercept Martin Odegaard’s pass, instead only redirected it to the on-rushing Martinelli. He sidefooted a shot past Alisson for his seventh goal in eight league matches.

Jesus soon had a third in two. Xhaka chipped a pass in behind Trent Alexander-Arnold to Martinelli. With Konate coming across to cover, Andy Robertson was nearest to Jesus when the striker rose to head in Martinelli’s cross. It was far too easy for Arsenal: as Jesus rose highest at Easter, it looked a tale of their resurrection from the footballing dead.

But Liverpool could stage a revival of their own. A fractiousness had a surreal element when Robertson seemed to be elbowed by the assistant referee Constantine Hatzidakis at half-time. It also galvanised Liverpool. Ramsdale made his first fine save from the indefatigable Salah. The Egyptian then halved the deficit as he was sharpest to react when a stretching Jordan Henderson diverted Robertson’s cross to the far post. Henderson himself thrashed a shot over.

The onslaught continued. Rob Holding, deputising for the missed William Saliba, barged Diogo Jota over in the box. Klopp, who had chosen not to look, turned around in disbelief when there was no Anfield roar as Salah struck the advertising hoardings with his spot-kick.

But Liverpool nevertheless had the momentum and energy of old. The side who faded in the second half against City surged on after the break, forcing Arsenal back, sucking them of oxygen. Nunez came on and almost scored. Firmino came on and did after Alexander-Arnold, in a redemptive moment on an afternoon of more defensive difficulties, nutmegged Oleksandr Zinchenko and crossed. Still the drama was not over: but for Ramsdale’s brilliance, there would have been a second defeat of the season on Merseyside for Arsenal. And at the end of a barnstorming game, it felt a little less likely they will win the league.