Three Talking Points From Arsenal’s 2-2 Draw Against Liverpool – A Contradictory Game Of Football

A stoppage-time equaliser from Martin Skrtel salvaged a point for Liverpool as the home side, who were down to 10-men held Arsenal to a draw. The home side dominated the first half but were unable to take their chances until Coutinho scored  right on the stroke of half-time. But a header from Mathieu Debuchy meant that the Reds went into the break level.

In the second, the Reds continued  to dominate the possession and play the visitors off the park, but it was Olivier Giroud who scored to put his side in front. Fabio Borini sending off late in the game, looked to have put  a dent in the home side’s chances, but Skrtel’s header in stoppage time was enough to propel the Reds into the top half of the table for Christmas.

Here are the major talking points.

A contradictory game of football

Football is a simple game. At the end of each game, there is always a winner and a loser. Even if the game ends in a draw, there is one side that goes home happy. But Arsenal’s trip to Liverpool was one of those games when both sides and managers would have come out of the game disappointed.

Although the Reds secured a last-gasp equaliser, Brendan Rodgers wouldn’t have been too pleased with the amount of chances that his side wasted. The home side’s inability to not only take their chances, but also defend was the reason they needed a late equaliser in the first place. The Gunners played their worst game of the season, were unable to keep the ball and barely existed as an attacking threat and yet with a few minutes to go they were leading. Arsene Wenger is unlikely to be very chuffed about the fact that his side couldn’t hold on for a few more minutes and conceded, yet again, from a set piece.

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Have Liverpool finally turned a corner?

Liverpool needed to beat Arsenal to stay in the hunt for fourth place before the busy Christmas period. Although they could only manage a draw, there is a feeling that the Reds might have just turned over a new leaf in the last three games. While the Reds have won just once in their last five games in all competitions and are nine points behind West Ham who currently occupy the last Champions League position, the Reds have shown plenty of attacking enterprise in their last three games.

Even though they didn’t score against Manchester United, they created enough chances to have won the game by a country mile if they hadn’t run in a goalkeeper on the top of his game. The Reds have now scored five goals in their last two games, which is same amount they managed  in the five games before that. At the start of the season, the Mereseysiders looked bereft of ideas up front and were making silly errors at the back. While the defensive lapses still persists, at least now they are creating chances and when Daniel Sturridge returns they will finally have someone who can take those  chances.

The only way is up for Arsenal

The Gunners came into this game following back-to-back 4-1 victories over Galatasaray and Newcastle United. Although no one expected them to cruise to victory, there wouldn’t have been any who could have foreseen their performance at Anfield. This was perhaps the most un-Arsenal performance in a long time.

The Gunners might be disappointed with a draw, but they were lucky that they came away with anything at all. They faced the most shots (27) and recorded the lowest possession (35) since Opta began in 2003. They looked hurried when they were on the ball, were unable to defend set pieces and had a game that will not linger long in their memory. And yet the fact that they came away with a point suggests that the only way from here, is up, as they are unlikely to have a worse game in which everybody barring the goalkeeper has a good game every single week.