Arsenal missed the chance to extend their gap at the top of the Premier League to eight points after a goalless draw at home to Liverpool.
The league leaders had largely dominated the open exchanges, but Arne Slot’s champions took control for much of the second half.
The end of the game was marred by an incident involving Gabriel Martinelli, who dropped the ball on an injured Conor Bradley, before trying to drag the Liverpool right-back off the pitch as the clock ticked down.
Bradley was then stretchered off, clearly in some pain.
The Athletic’s James McNicholas, Andrew Jones and Conor O’Neill assess the action.
What was Martinelli thinking?
Liverpool and Arsenal players came to blows in the dying minutes of the game after the away side were angered by Martinelli’s actions.
Attempting to clear the ball out of play in stoppage time, Bradley appeared to suffer a serious injury, instantly grabbing his knee when he hit the floor. He looked in plenty of pain.
Bradley was right on the touchline and play was stopped, much to the frustration of Martinelli.
He initially dropped the ball on top of Bradley and then, when the Liverpool right-back shuffled slightly to make sure he was on the pitch, Martinelli grabbed him and tried to shove him completely off it.
Liverpool midfielders Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister reacted immediately (above). Ibrahima Konate was also over quickly to confront the Brazil international. It led to more pushing and shoving between players.
Bradley was in clear pain and had to be taken down the tunnel on a stretcher, which could be another costly longer-term injury for Slot to contend with.
In a hard-fought game, the Martinelli flashpoint did not represent a good ending.
Andrew Jones
Could striker issues cost Arsenal?
It is a curious quirk of their season that, halfway through a hugely impressive campaign, doubts persist over Arsenal’s centre-forward position.
This was another ineffective display from Viktor Gyokeres. He had only eight touches before being withdrawn for Gabriel Jesus in the 64th minute. In the second half, Gyokeres touched the ball just once.
Gyokeres has never been a high-touch player. Some of the most prolific strikers aren’t. The issue for Gyokeres is that, when he’s not scoring, he doesn’t appear to offer a great deal else. In his 10 appearances since returning from injury in November, he has scored just one goal — a penalty against Everton.
How Mikel Arteta must yearn to have Kai Havertz fit and available again. The German International has not appeared for Arsenal since the opening weekend of the season, and was absent from the bench against Liverpool. Even when Havertz is ready to return, Arsenal will have to be realistic about his load management.
It’s a little odd that Arteta appears to have discarded the option of using Mikel Merino at centre-forward. The Spanish international seemed to strike a good balance between goalscoring and team play, but has returned to his regular midfield role.
Arsenal’s performances thus far would suggest these issues are not too problematic. They have been able to call upon goals from elsewhere in the team — perhaps that will prove more sustainable than reliance on a single prolific goalscorer.
James McNicholas
How did Frimpong perform on the right wing?
Travelling to the Emirates, Liverpool knew that they were going to spend periods of the game without the ball and they would need to play on the counter-attack.
Pace is crucial to that idea and without attackers, Mohamed Salah, Hugo Ekitike and Alexander Isak, Arne Slot turned to right-back Jeremie Frimpong to provide it.
The summer signing has raw speed, and when Salah went to the AFCON, Slot had said he the attack-minded defender would be an option in the right wing role.
Frimpong has been a big positive in recent matches when Liverpool’s collective attacking play has been blunt. He assisted Ekitike’s goal against Tottenham, set-up Ryan Gravenberch’s strike against Wolverhampton Wanderers, and delivered the cross for Cody Gakpo’s finish against Fulham.
Consistently he was Liverpool’s out-ball and used his pace effectively. It was his run which nearly contributed to a mix-up between William Saliba and David Raya which eventually led to Conor Bradley hitting the bar.
It continued throughout the first half and into the second 45 minutes. He combined with his teammates and got into excellent crossing positions – the problem was his delivery was lacking at the key moment.
It is tough to be too critical of a defender who is playing a more advanced role, but one of his key strengths is his delivery. There were also occasions when there was very little from him to aim at in the box due to Liverpool’s lack of forwards.
On a night when Liverpool needed someone to release the pressure, Frimpong stepped up.
Andrew Jones
How did Liverpool claw their way back?
After 25 minutes, things looked grim for Liverpool, unable to escape Arsenal’s sustained pressure. Starting with Florian Wirtz as a false nine, flanked by Jeremie Frimpong and Cody Gakpo, they lacked a clear out-ball to relieve that pressure.
As Arsenal’s early grip loosened, Liverpool grew into the game, dominating possession in the second half. That was partly down to Arsenal appearing content to sit in and protect the draw, but Wirtz also became a more influential presence, dropping deeper and drifting across the pitch to combine neatly with Dominik Szoboszlai. He might even have felt unlucky not to win a penalty after being bodychecked by Leandro Trossard following a tidy dribble.
Without an established centre-forward, Liverpool were unsurprisingly blunt, generating just 0.36 expected goals, their lowest figure of the season. But by moving away from his unfamiliar role up front, Wirtz’s midfield combinations at least helped Liverpool restore a measure of control and earn a morale-boosting point few would have expected at the outset.
Conor O’Neill
What did Arteta say?
We will bring you this after he has spoken at the post-match press conference.
What did Slot say?
We will bring you this after he has spoken at the post-match press conference.
What next for Arsenal?
Sunday, January 11: Portsmouth (Away), FA Cup third round, 2pm UK, 9am ET
Wednesday, January 14: Chelsea (Away), Carabao Cup semi-final, 8pm UK, 3pm ET
Saturday, January 17: Nottingham Forest (Away), Premier League, 5.30pm UK, 12.30pm ET
What next for Liverpool?
Monday, January 12: Barnsley (Home), FA Cup third round, 7.45pm UK, 2.45pm ET
Saturday, January 17: Burnley (Home), Premier League, 3pm UK, 10am ET