Liverpool vs Arsenal, summary: Firmino goal, Ramsdale saves, Salah penalty miss, score, goals & highlights | Premier League 22/23
Liverpool vs Arsenal: as it happened
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Did the linesman elbow Andy Robertson?
That's all, folks!
Thanks for joining the coverage from AS USA, what a massively entertaining game we've seen.
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Joe
And as for Liverpool:
Well, that point doesn't do a great lot, as they're still in 8th place. But they certainly can take the positives from the performance, as they could rightfully claim that, by the end, they deserved to win the game.
| T | MP | W | D | L | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 47 | 30 | 14 | 5 | 11 |
| 7 | 46 | 28 | 13 | 7 | 8 |
| 8 | 44 | 29 | 12 | 8 | 9 |
| 9 | 43 | 30 | 10 | 13 | 7 |
| 10 | 39 | 29 | 11 | 6 | 12 |
Premier League table:
And here's the table after the game.
Arsenal are now just 4 ahead of Manchester City, with a game in hand. And there's still a trip to the Emirates for Pep Guardiola to come...
| T | MP | W | D | L | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 73 | 30 | 23 | 4 | 3 |
| 2 | 67 | 29 | 21 | 4 | 4 |
| 3 | 56 | 29 | 15 | 11 | 3 |
| 4 | 56 | 29 | 17 | 5 | 7 |
| 5 | 53 | 30 | 16 | 5 | 9 |
What an amazing game, pure Barclays.
Arsenal escape with a point after some Ramsdale heroics keeps their title challenge on the right course. Arsenal were dominating in the first half, the Martinelli early goal silenced Anfield and Gabriel's strike had everyone thinking that the decade-long winless run was finally at an end.
But the second half was a completely different story. Salah's first half goal gave Liverpool life but his penalty miss was looking fatal as the clock ticked on.
Firmino goal the equaliser as the Anfield crowd pushed on the players and it seemed as though Konaté was going to be the hero, but his chested shot was cleared away by Ramsdale, who surely goes home with the MVP award.
FULL TIME AT ANFIELD!
Darwin headed across goal to Konaté, who went with his chest, but Ramsdale somehow pushed the ball off the line.
OFF THE LINE
OFF THE LINE
RAMSDALE SAVES AGAIN!!!!
Salah sent a curling shot to the far post and Ramsdale stretched three sizes to reach the shot!
RAMSDALE SAVES ARSENAL!
SALAH HITS A SHOT OVER FROM FIVE YARDS OUT!
Robertson played a chipped pass over the top and Salah made contact but couldn't direct the ball on target.
ALEXANDER-ARNOLD FIRES A SHOT JUST OVER THE BAR!
Alisson rises highest to catch it and Liverpool are on the counter...
Arsenal have a corner...
SIX added minutes.
We're into the last minute. Zinchenko is in tears on the bench. He just came off for Tierney.
Trent Alexander-Arnold pops the ball between Zinchenko's legs on the right side and lofts a cross across goal, where Firmino is waiting to tap the ball into the goal with his forehead.
GOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL
LIVERPOOL EQUALISE
FIRMINO SCORES
ANFIELD ERUPTS
Saka with some simply stunning footwork to skip past both Konaté and Robertson inside the area; he spins away from both when it looks like he's lost the ball and whizzes a cross across the box but unfortunately for him, nobody is waiting for it.
GABRIEL'S HEADER SAVED BY ALISSON
Saka booked for more time management.
Thegame is broken and everyone is hugely nervous; Arsenal win a corner after a Trossard cross is put out of play by Van Dijk.
Wow, Kiwior made a huge mistake, misjudging a challenge on Salah and allowing Darwin in behind.
The Uruguayan ran through and tried to place a low shot underneath Ramsdale, but the goalkeeper got down to stop the effort. Huge save.
RAMSDALE SAVES ARSENAL!
DARWIN WAS ONE VS ONE!
Henderson is absolutely screaming at the referee, presumably about the time management skills of Arsenal.
Ødegaard, who pretended not to notice, OFF
Kiwior ON
Gabriel Jesus OFF (and is taking his time)
Trossard ON
Fabinho OFF
Firmino ON
Konaté steps in and clears out Gabriel Jesus after Arsenal launch another counter-attack. Liverpool continue to push The Gunners back.
Fifteen to go...
Arsenal rob Liverpool high up the pitch and Martinelli breaks down the left. He plays a dangerous cross with the outside of his right boot towards Saka who is waiting at the far post, but Robertson does excellently well to stop the ball from reaching the winger for what would have certainly been goal number three.
HUGE CHANCE FOR ARSENAL!
Van Dijk makes a vital tackle on Martinelli after Zinchenko was allowed to step inside and slide a central ball between the two centre-backs.
There have been plenty of incredibly dangerous crosses into the box that Arsenal have just about managed to defend, but it's not the most sustainable way of playing.
Liverpool look like scoring at this rate; Arsenal are bailing water every time the home side makes it into the box.
Leandro Trossard is preparing to come on.
Pure counter-attack mode from Arsenal now. Everyone except Jesus was pinned into their own box heading away Liverpool's relentless crossing before bursting out in attack like a swarm of bees.
The atmosphere is electric.
Van Dijk almost rises high enough to get on the end of a free-kick from Liverpool. If he had Salah's fluffy hair he'd have made contact.
Arsenal are trying to take the sting out of the game and crowd by keeping the ball with some very nice passing.
14 shots for Liverpool (2 on target), 6 for Arsenal (3 on target).
Liverpool make changes
Jones and Jota OFF
Thiago and Darwin ON
I've just seen a video of Klopp's reaction to the penalty. He initially celebrated before turning around and seeing the ball behind the goal rather than inside it.
Gabriel is down receiving treatment...
A curling effort was pushed away by Ramsdale's acrobatics after the winger was left with way too much time and space on the right of the box.
RAMSDALE SAVES SALAH'S SHOT!
I'd say he's slightly lucky there. That was a challenge made in anger.
Liverpool are still attacking. Fabinho booked for a nasty tackle on Saka.
Salah stroked the ball wide of the left post! Anfield can't believe it!
ARSENAL SURVIVE
SALAH PUTS IT WIDE
Salah to take...
Ramsdale booked. No idea why.
Rob Holding brought down Jota!
PENALTY TO LIVERPOOL!
Ben White blocks a cross from Jones; Liverpool have found their pre-half-time energy.
Salah hits the side-netting after a nice lay-off from Gakpo. Liverpool biting back.
Liverpool counter with Jones and Robertson on the left. The ball is worked to the right to Salah, whose shot is blocked.
Arsenal start strongly as Martinelli breaks past Konaté and Alexander-Arnold; Zinchecko and Ødegaard both see their shots blocked.
And Liverpool kick us off!
We're almost ready to go for the second half!
Sofascore says...
The boffins at Sofasocre towers have come up with this wonderful stat thanks to his goal today.
What a crazy half of football.
The match has slowly reached boiling point, and the odds of a red card in the second half will have been slashed as the clock ticked on. Arsenal dominated proceedings for most of the game, with their quick passing enough to break Liverpool's press, but the home side have wiggled their way back into the game with Salah's goal, which has given life to the thousands of voices in the stands.
We've had a lot of small fouls and angry tackles so far as well, which has only added to the atmosphere.
Alexander-Arnold takes a booking after the whistle goes for whatever he said to the referee after the game stopped.
Half time!
This game is incredibly intense: the individual battles are dominating which is turning the crowd into a boiling pot.
Diogo Jota got on the end of a far-post cross from the right and tapped the ball towards goal. Ramsdale reacted like a cat and pushed the ball away from goal. Henderson got on the end of the loose ball but fired his shot on an interstellar flight path.
HUGE SAVE FROM RAMSDALE!
I'm using my Easter joke early but Liverpool have risen from the dead after that goal. They won't want half time to come; Arsenal are doing all they can to run down the clock, Jesus the latest to go down.
4 added minutes.
Martinelli is receiving treatment...
That goal came out of nowhere but it has woken both the fans and players up. Mikel Arteta suddenly looks concerned on the touchline.
Diogo Jota played a great cross low across the box and Salah got on the end of Henderson's shot/pass to poke home from close range.
Game on!
Handbags between Trent Alexander-Arnold and Granit Xhaka. Xhaka went in late on the Liverpool defender, who reacted with a shove. The two players ended up in the classic head-butting rhinos formation.
Arsenal are controlling the pace of the game with their passing; Liverpool can't get close to them or the ball.
The linesman gives a very soft free kick to Arsenal after Jesus goes down next to the corner flag. Safe to say the fans aren't happy with that decision.
We're back underway and he's OK to carry on.
Gabriel Magalhães is down...
The Egyptian breaks away down the right but hits his shot terribly and it flies wide. That was a huge chance from just a few yards out.
WHAT A HUGE CHANCE FOR SALAH!!!
The Liverpool players are chasing shadows as Arsenal pop the ball around with the confidence of, dare I say it, league champions.
Arsenal haven't won at Anfield since 2012.
Van Dijk goes into the book after a lazy challenge on Gabriel Jesus.
Wow, Anfield is silenced. Arsenal simply ruthless.
Martinelli gets the ball on the left from a quick free-kick. He runs down the wing and whips in a wonderful cross that drops on the unmarked head of Gabriel Jesus, who heads past Alisson. Simple, cut-throat football.
Robertson plays a dangerous cross across goal that nobody arrives to stab into the back of the net. The mood has changed here: Arsenal are hanging on.
Liverpool put Arsenal on the back foot in a flash with a series of crosses and balls into the box. Klopp will surely want something more structured but he'll be pleased that the players still know where the goal is.
Rob Holding makes a clearance after Liverpool suddenly find their feet and the crowd find their voice. The centre-back headed behind a Trent Alexander-Arnold cross.
Saka has had his pre-match cereal today: he's such a danger every time he gets the ball.
And he's even been booked for it. Strange. Not a yellow for me.
White penalised for a foul (that wasn't a foul) on Jota, which stops a certain counter attack from the home side.
Jesus, who is playing on the shoulder of the last Liverpool defender, almost gets in behind after a nice ball over the top from Saka. Alisson catches the pass.
Fabinho played a wonderful chipped pass over the top of Ben White for Andy Robertson, whose touch set him up perfectly to fire off a shot towards Ramsdale, but he dragged a poor effort wide.
ROBERTSON MISSES A CLEAR CHANCE
Saka is getting way too much space on the right side of the Arsenal attack. Another dangerous cross is cleared away by Virgil Van Dijk.
They're completely dominating Liverpool here: Saka gets the ball on the right, steps inside and hits a curling cross to the far post that flies past Alisson. Gabriel Jesus arrives at the far post but he puts his shot over the bar from close range.
ANOTHER HUGE CHANCE FOR ARSENAL
Arsenal's press is causing all sorts of problems for Liverpool. And it's Alisson at the centre of things again as he almost gets robbed of the ball by Gabriel Jesus.
The resulting corner almost causes problems for Liverpool as Alisson drops the ball before it's cleared away.
HUGE CHANCE FOR ARSENAL!
Zinchenko fires a laser-guided shot towards the far post and Alisson get a crucial touch on the ball!
Back underway. Liverpool shellshocked.
A lovely goal from Arsenal.
They looked uber-cool as they brought the ball out from the back. Ødegaard tried to slip in Saka but Van Dijk got a foot to the pass. The ball landed at the feet of Martinelli, who takes a lovely first touch into the box and pokes the ball under the frame of Alisson.
Gakpo has Liverpool's first shot of the day after making some space for himself on the left side of the Arsenal box. He hit it wildly and it flew into the stands.
The atmosphere is incredible today, the fans are up for a battle and huge cheers ring around the ground every time Liverpool cross the halfway line.
Arsenal are trying to control possession as Liverpool press them all across the pitch, just as Klopp said he wanted.
Liverpool counter with Salah who chases down a long ball from Alexander-Arnold and snakes his way into the Arsenal box before being tackled.
What a wild start.
CHANCE
Konaté clatters into Martinelli after just 30 seconds. The resulting free-kick finds Martinelli who makes it all the way to the byline before hitting a dangerous pass across goal.
And we're off at Anfield!
Arsenal, in their delightful black shirt, get us going.
And now for a minute of silence in remembrance of the 97 lives lost at Hillsborough.
You'll Never Walk Alone rings around the ground...
Five minutes to go!
The players are in the tunnel and ready to walk out onto the pitch.
The Hillsborough tribute has begun...
A huge image of the number 97 has been unrolled by the fans and is being carried across the stands.
Here's a reminder of the XIs:
Liverpool XI:
Alisson
Alexander-Arnold - Konate - Van Dijk - Robertson
Henderson - Jones - Fabinho
Salah - Gakpo - Jota
Arsenal XI:
Ramsdale
White - Gabriel - Holding - Zinchenko
Partey - Odegaard - Xhaka
Saka - Jesus - Martinelli
Klopp's pre-game interview:
When they have the ball, we have to be like animals. We have to press them and keep them away.
When we have the ball, we have to be the opposite: we have to be calm, prepared.
We have to be super-agressive in a football way and really calm in a football way as well.
A huge win at the bottom of the league...
Crystal Palace have stuck 5 past Leeds in a huge relegation 6-pointer.
Half an hour to go!
It's Salah vs Saka today, but who will come out on top? Will Liverpool's incredible home record against Arsenal continue?
Pre-game stats:
- The Reds have won the last 17 of 35 games against Arsenal at home.
- Liverpool’s last win came on March 5 against Manchester United, where they put 7 goals past them; Arsenal have beaten Leeds, Crystal Palace and Fulham in that time.
- Liverpool haven’t conceded a league goal at Anfield since December.
- Arsenal have scored 70 goals so far this season, only 5 behind top scorers Manchester City. The next best is Tottenham, with 55.
- The aggregate Premier League score at Anfield under Jürgen Klopp is Liverpool 25-7.
Liverpool to honour the victims of the 1989 Hillsborough tragedy
The Reds plan to pay tribute to the 97 people who lost their lives in the Hillsborough disaster over 30 years ago.
Arsenal starting XI:
Ramsdale
White - Holding - Gabriel - Zinchenko
Partey - Xhaka
Saka - Ødegaard - Martinelli
Jesus
Liverpool starting XI:
Alisson
Alexander-Arnold - Konaté - Van Dijk - Robertson
Fabinho - Jones - Henderson
Jota - Salah - Gakpo
Getty Images
How things have changed!
Arsenal have not won at Anfield in the league since 2012.
Raheem Sterling, at just 17-years-old, started against Mikel Arteta, who was playing in midfield.
PodolskiandCazorlascored for The Gunners in a 0-2 win. Suárez and Borini started up front for Liverpool.
Arsenal arrive at Anfield
The Gunners will be looking for a result that has avoided them for over a decade, and the was the last time Arsenal did the double over The Reds was way back in the 2009-10 season.
We've seen some of Klopp's pre-game quotes already, but there was a fiery moment in which the German asked for "better questions" after being quizzed the same thing in consecutive weeks.
As for Liverpool...
Well, things don't look quite as rosy for the Reds as they do for the visitors: Liverpool sit in 8th, and are teetering on the edge of European football. A Champions League dream is still a possibility but I think it's time to admit that their chances are quickly slipping away.
| T | MP | W | D | L | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 47 | 30 | 14 | 5 | 11 |
| 7 | 46 | 28 | 13 | 7 | 8 |
| 8 | 43 | 28 | 12 | 7 | 9 |
| 9 | 43 | 30 | 10 | 13 | 7 |
| 10 | 39 | 29 | 11 | 6 | 12 |
How things look at the top:
The table looks very rosy for Arsenal, who have a 5 point advantage over Manchester City. After Liverpool, Arsenal will have just 8 games left of the season, so getting a rare Anfield win (more on that later) would go a long way for Mikel Arteta's side.
| T | MP | W | D | L | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 72 | 29 | 23 | 3 | 3 |
| 2 | 67 | 29 | 21 | 4 | 4 |
| 3 | 56 | 29 | 15 | 11 | 3 |
| 4 | 56 | 29 | 17 | 5 | 7 |
| 5 | 53 | 30 | 16 | 5 | 9 |
Here's the link to how you can watch on TV or online, as well as follow the thoroughly entertaining yet still informative live text coverage.
Mikel Arteta pre-match press conference:
We've been to a few grounds where we haven't won in 17, 18 and 22 years. And we have managed to do that, so we are capable of [winning at Anfield]. We know that we're going to have to be our very best to win the game and certainly better than we were there last year, especially in the second half when we just opened up and allowed Liverpool to have space in a really comfortable way. We're going to have to be better than last year, that's for sure.
I have more admiration because it shows the difficulty of being at the top and transforming a football club, their identity, their beliefs and their competitive capacity for the last six or seven years.
That they are a great team, managed by a top manager and they create an incredible atmosphere that makes it really difficult for us, for any opponent, as it is when to come to the Emirates
Jürgen Klopp pre-match press conference:
It's obvious it's a different team, clear. Mikel is building this team for a few years now and obviously the outcome is pretty impressive.
The way they play is fun to watch, to be honest, it's super-lively, really good football, top players on the pitch, good match plans. Good. It's not exactly what you can say about us in the moment, so that shows you what the situation is.
But at least for a while we can mention, again, it's Anfield. So, we are at home and still have to show reaction after reaction after reaction – we have to – and improvement. That's what we will absolutely try on Sunday.
Arsenal remember the Hillborough victims
Yesterday, Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta and Martin Ødegaard paid their respects to those who lost their lives in 1989.
Liverpool vs Arsenal head to head:
Premier League, Arsenal 3-2 Liverpool
Premier League, Arsenal 0-2 Liverpool
EFL Cup, Arsenal 0-2 Liverpool
EFL Cup, Liverpool 0-0 Arsenal
Premier League, Liverpool 4-0 Arsenal
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We've not been given the starting XIs yet, but here's a prediction of how the two teams might line up, as well as lots and lots of interesting statistics on the fixture.
Team news: Arsenal
Well, as for Arsenal, it seems like Mikel Arteta is not letting anything slip for the run in, saying that there are “no real changes in the rest of the players that were still injured.
“We have some hope with one of them, tomorrow maybe he is able to train, but we have to see. I’m not going to tell you [who that is].”
As such, we will have to wait to see if Saka has recovered (Arteta did say he was ‘fine’ after suffering from illness) and Saliba, who got injured on international duty.
The same goes for Nketiah, who was seen wearing a protective boot after suffering an ankle injury.
Elneny and Tomiyasu have both undergone surgery and won’t feature again this season.
Team news: Liverpool
Klopp can count on his defensive general once again as Virgil Van Dijk is back after missing the 0-0 thriller* in midweek against Chelsea.
As for Thiago, he participated in training but it is not known whether or not he will be given the green light to feature. And LuisDíaz is finally seeing the light at the end of the long and difficult tunnel, but he will not feature today and instead be kept on ice until the trip to Elland Road to face Leeds United next week.
The longer term absentees are Naby Keita, who has missed the last two games with a muscle injury, and Stefan Bajcetic and Calvin Ramsay, who are still out.
(*It was definitely not a thriller
Welcome!
Hello and a very happy Easter Sunday to the AS USA live text coverage of Liverpool vs Arsenal in the Premier League.
It’s Joe here today to guide you through the ups and down as The Reds look to put a stop to the title challenge of Mikel Arteta’s team.