BUKAYO SAKA was back to his best as Arsenal were held to a 2-2 draw with Liverpool.
The Gunners’ ace was an injury doubt before the game, but was selected by Mikel Arteta.
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Bukayo Saka was the star man as he returned from injury against LiverpoolCredit: EPA
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Mikel Merino also scored his first Arsenal goalCredit: EPA
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But Leandro Trossard had a quite game for the hostsCredit: Reuters
And he more than justified that choice after slamming in the opener after ten minutes.
However, Liverpool fought their way back into the game to equalise through Virgil van Dijk at a corner, before Arsenal then retook the lead with a Mikel Merino header at a set play.
Arsenal were dealt another injury headache as both Gabriel Magalhaes and Jurrien Timber had to be taken off in the second half, before Mohamed Salah netted a second equaliser.
Here’s how SunSport’s Jordan Davies rated the Arsenal players in the Sunday afternoon clash.
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DAVID RAYA – 6/10
Very little he could do for Liverpool’s equaliser, forced to stay on his line from the flicked-on corner, and the same goes for Mohamed Salah’s tap in from a speedy counter.
JURRIEN TIMBER – 7
Kept Salah quiet for the majority and proved his worth with ball at feet, but starting him was clearly a risk as he hobbled off late on.
BEN WHITE – 7
He may have been at centre back but his telepathy with Saka remained, curling a peach of a ball over the top for the opener and remained solid even when those around him chopped and changed.
GABRIEL – 7
Missed his centre-back partner but did well until he worryingly limped off. No surprise that Salah and Darwin Nunez found space when he was absent.
Was targeted in his unnatural position within the first 30 seconds but held his ground for the most part. One of Arsenal’s best players.
MIKEL MERINO – 8
A stray touch gifted Salah a great chance to score before getting a bang to the same shoulder that kept him out at the start of the season.
‘If Arsenal lose to Liverpool, they are out of the Premier League title race… the gulf is massive’
And then, after a so-so performance, he steps up with a thumping header just before the break to regain the lead.
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DECLAN RICE – 8
Did the nitty-gritty very well in the middle of the pitch with some crucial interceptions and timely tackles. Carried on covering every blade of grass until the very last.
LEANDRO TROSSARD – 6
Drifted in and out of the game as a floating 10 and striker but got stuck in when needed and pressed like a rabid dog. Still, was quiet given his recent form.
GABRIEL MARTINELLI – 7
Lively enough without creating too many clear-cut chances in the first half. Unlucky not to win a penalty after being hauled down by Ibrahima Konate.
BUKAYO SAKA – 9
Injury? What injury? His hamstring seemed right as rain as he cruised in behind Andy Robertson, cutting it back through the full-back’s legs and firing into the roof of the net.
Was understandably taken off in the second half with a need to protect him going into a hectic period of the season.
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KAI HAVERTZ – 7
Given freedom to roam and drop deep. Missed a sitter in the box after Martinelli’s penalty shout but lacked the service via crosses to really be effective in the first half.
Remained a physical nuisance after the break but never had that one golden opportunity.
SUBS:
JAKUB KIWIOR (GABRIEL, 54) – 6
Impressive to come in out of the cold to stay firm, but again, his work with the ball at his feet left a lot to be desired.
MYLES LEWIS-SKELLY (TIMBER, 76) – 6
Caught out of position for Liverpool’s late leveller but showed signs of real maturity too.
Dustin Poirier was watching UFC 308 and the thrilling event gave him some ideas for his next fight.
First and foremost, Poirier is interested in a fight with either featherweight champion Ilia Topuria or Max Holloway, a declaration he made on social media following the conclusion of Saturday’s UFC event in Abu Dhabi.
Topuria defended his title in stunning fashion with a third-round knockout of Holloway—a feat that made him the first fighter ever to finish Holloway via strikes—and afterwards suggested he would rematch Alexander Volkanovski, who was present to step into the cage and congratulate the featherweight king.
However, Topuria has made it clear he intends to move to lightweight in the future and Poirier wants to be on the list of potential opponents.
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“I want Max or Topuria,” Poirier wrote on social media, later adding, “He’s a great boxer, let’s throw them things” presumably still talking about Topuria.
Poirier also mentioned the possibility of fighting Holloway, an opponent he holds two wins over in a pair of memorable contests. The fan favorites first fought at UFC 143 in 2012, when Holloway was just five fights into his pro career, and it was Poirier who walked out with a first-round submission win.
They rematched seven years later at UFC 236, that time for an interim lightweight title. Poirier again emerged victorious, winning a unanimous decision over Holloway in one of the best fights of 2019.
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Poirier is coming off of a fifth-round submission loss to lightweight champion Islam Makhachev, a result that left him with plenty of options but no clear path back to a title shot. It appears that “The Diamond” has a few ideas to ensure that he remains near the top of the marquee.
Arsenal have plenty of heart, as they demonstrated here as they ended battling to keep Liverpool at bay with a back four of Thomas Partey, Ben White, Jakub Kiwior and 18-year-old Myles Lewis-Skelly.
There was, however, a lack of ambition and belief that saw them fail to capitalise on their first half-superiority. It was inevitable Liverpool would improve, as they had to, but Arsenal did not create enough and the concession of so much territory and possession brought inevitable results.
The added pain for Arsenal will come with the fact that this was a Liverpool performance that was largely pedestrian and lacking in spark, although where there is Salah there is always hope.
The leveller he swept home from Darwin Nunez’s pass was his eighth goal of the season to go with seven assists. He is now level with Robbie Fowler on 163 Premier League goals for Liverpool.
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Arteta declared, with justification, that he was proud of his team. They are certainly able to stand tall in games among the so-called “Big Six”. It is now 14 games since they lost to Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham.
The impressive record continues here but the big fear is that is has come at a heavy cost when measured both in the two points lost late on and their increasing injury list.
Arsenal’s ability to keep players fit was part of the bedrock of last season’s title tilt. Saliba, suspended here, played all 38 league games while Gabriel missed only two. Martin Odegaard and Saka only missed two.
Arteta’s squad is being severely tested this season with new signings Merino and Calafiori already suffering injuries along with Odegaard and Saka. The sight of Gabriel going to ground a second time and unable to play on, then sitting with an ice pack on his knee and thigh was a worrying one as so much of what they do is built around his defensive partnership with Saliba.
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The manager’s views were mixed, as were his emotions, as he said: “I’m very proud of the team, especially with the situation we are going through at the moment. We were really good, really sharp. The score should have been bigger and without conceding anything we gave two goals away.
“We have five injuries in the back line and it’s a situation we have to deal with. I’m very disappointed we have not won the game.”
Arteta added to BBC Match Of The Day: “The team played so well, we were dominant and very determined. Really aggressive and played in the right areas to create some big chances.
“We are open in transition for the second goal. Against this Liverpool team, you cannot do that if you want to win the game.”
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It was a costly lapse when every dropped point brings pain in the chase to overhaul City.
The upshot of an eventful, topsy-turvy encounter at Emirates Stadium is that it is advantage City.
And history tells us five points is a significant advantage to remorseless City at any stage of the season. Arsenal must hope it is not already too much.
Not only did he lose to Geoff Neal on Saturday at UFC 308, he also suffered a devastating knee injury, the extent of which has not been revealed.
Sunday, dos Anjos (32-17 MMA, 21-15 UFC) released a statement on social media in which he apologized to his fans for the outcome and updated the public on his situation, though did not reveal a diagnosis.
“Thank you all fight fans for the support, sorry I let you guys down,” dos Anjos said. “Definitely it was not how I want to celebrate my 40th birthday, it was a tough loss. During my whole UFC career it’s my second time been hospitalized after a fight, it make me feel blessed, it could been worse, it’s a tough game. Time to heal up, enjoy the family. I’m not done yet, I’ll be back soon. God bless you all. I’ll keep you guys updated on my stories.”
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Dos Anjos is admittedly in the latter stages of his competitive career. He’s bounced between lightweight and welterweight in recent years. Saturday’s loss at Etihad Arena on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi was his third loss in four appearances.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 308.
Be sure to visit the MMA Junkie Instagram page and YouTube channel to discuss this and more content with fans of mixed martial arts.
Liverpool boss Arne Slot was impressed by his team’s ability to come from a goal down on two occasions to draw 2-2 with Arsenal at the Emirates in the Premier League.
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