LIVERPOOL, England :Arsenal gave Liverpool a guard of honour and then a reminder of why they were the only team to challenge them in their romp to the Premier League title as they hit back from two goals down to draw 2-2 at a sun-drenched Anfield on Sunday.
After being clapped onto the field by their Arsenal counterparts, Liverpool dominated the first half with a header by Cody Gakpo and Luis Diaz’s tap-in in the space of 90 seconds putting them 2-0 ahead.
Arsenal looked deflated after being knocked out of the Champions League semi-finals in midweek, but mustered an admirable response after the break with Gabriel Martinelli’s header reducing the arrears just after halftime.
Mikel Merino then headed in a rebound to make it 2-2 in the 70th minute after Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard’s piledriver was pushed against the woodwork by Alisson.
Merino was sent off nine minutes later for a lunging tackle on Dominik Szoboszlai but the 10-man visitors clung on for a point and almost won it as Odegaard sent a shot just wide of the post deep in stoppage time.
Liverpool also thought they had won it at the death when Andy Robertson fired in from close range but the goal was disallowed for a foul in the build-up.
“It was a great game of football, fans all around the world and in the stadium love what they saw,” Liverpool manager Arne Slot, the first Dutch coach to win the Premier League, said.
“It didn’t matter too much because the league table is clear but it is about prestige.”
Slot’s side, who wrapped up their record-equalling 20th English title a fortnight ago, have 83 points from 36 games with Arsenal second on 68 and still not guaranteed a top-five finish that would ensure Champions League football next season.
“What we did in the first half is nowhere near the level so that’s not acceptable. We reacted, great but it is unacceptable,” Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said of his side’s start. “No-one accepts those standards. It has to hurt a lot.”
Apart from Arsenal’s comeback the other main talking point from an entertaining tussle was a decidedly mixed reaction for Trent Alexander-Arnold when he came off the bench.
Liverpool’s right back, who announced this week he would leave at the end of the season, was booed by a large number of fans angry at his decision to leave on a free transfer.
While that put something of a dampener on the day, Liverpool’s fans had been buoyant in the first half as they looked determined to lay down a marker for next season.
CAUGHT NAPPING
Arsenal were caught napping in the 20th minute when Robertson was given far too much space to measure his cross and the unmarked Gakpo headed past David Raya.
Soon afterwards it was 2-0 as Szoboszlai raced on to a through ball and calmly set up Diaz to score.
Diaz had earlier been denied by a great save from Raya and also failed to make contact with another good effort while Raya also tipped a Curtis Jones effort around the post.
Arsenal were not about to roll over though and Martinelli glanced in Leandro Trossard’s cross as the visitors turned the tables after halftime with Robertson saying Liverpool were “not at it” at the start of the second period.
While Arsenal’s league campaign has tailed off badly, allowing Liverpool to ease to the title, they showed spirit and were rewarded as Merino earned them a deserved point that would have soothed them after a dispiriting week.
