Alexander-Arnold booed as Arsenal fight back to snatch point at Liverpool

Anfield was expected to supply a achy acquisition for Arsenal and for 66 minutes Liverpool obliged. Then Trent Alexander-Arnold entered the fray and everything changed, not slightest his lasting among his chap Liverpool supporters. The punishment was transferred to 1 of their own.

The boos started arsenic soon arsenic Alexander-Arnold waited connected the sideline to regenerate Conor Bradley, reached a crescendo erstwhile helium stepped onto the transportation and continued each clip helium touched the ball. His applause for the Kop aft the last whistle brought different circular of condemnation for the Real Madrid-bound defender, Dominik Szoboszlai making his displeasure astatine the absorption wide with a motion towards the fans. The Alexander-Arnold amusement was excessively overmuch of a distraction, his instauration a mistake, and Arsenal, 2 goals down astatine the interval, completed their comeback done Mikel Merino’s header. Gabriel Martinelli had earlier fixed Mikel Arteta’s squad anticipation aft Cody Gakpo and Luis Díaz had established a seemingly comfy pb for Liverpool.

The location of the caller Premier League champions was seemingly the past spot Arsenal wanted to beryllium and it showed astatine times successful the archetypal half. Fresh from their Champions League elimination by Paris Saint-Germain, Arteta’s broadside not lone had to signifier a defender of honour for Liverpool earlier footwear disconnected but perceive to a soundtrack of “Bring connected the champions” and “Where’s your European Cups?” arsenic they did so. Declan Rice was a notable absentee pursuing the midweek exertions successful Paris.

Arsenal’s information was greater than Liverpool’s with their spot successful adjacent season’s Champions League not mathematically definite and their clasp connected the runners-up spot nether threat. The inducement for Slot’s broadside was to amusement their nearest rivals successful the array – challengers would beryllium exaggerating Arsenal’s league run – wherefore they are convincing champions and to code past weekend’s blip astatine Chelsea.

Anfield initially heeded Slot’s telephone to ore its energies connected the squad and not Alexander-Arnold pursuing Monday’s confirmation that helium volition beryllium leaving the nine connected a escaped transportation astatine the extremity of the season. Bradley’s sanction was chanted passim and the contender for Alexander-Arnold’s close backmost slot adjacent play announced himself connected proceedings with a crunching, but clean, tackle connected Martinelli aft 46 seconds.

A infinitesimal aboriginal Bradley caught Merino successful the backmost arsenic they leapt for Ben White’s cross-field ball. Arsenal should person taken the pb from Martin Ødegaard’s resulting free-kick. As Liverpool moved retired to drawback 4 Arsenal players offside, Bukayo Saka raced successful from an onside presumption to conscionable his captain’s delivery. Six yards retired and with Alisson exposed successful the Liverpool goal, Saka scuffed a changeable wide of the acold post.

Arsenal made a lively commencement but, successful a motion of things to come, Liverpool sliced done their casual defence with easiness astatine the archetypal superior attempt. It took a good prevention from David Raya to contradict Díaz aft the Colombia international, Gakpo and Mohamed Salah combined impressively.

Mikel Merino stoops to caput Arsenal’s equaliser. Photograph: Peter Powell/AFP/Getty Images

Another fantabulous accidental came and went for Arsenal erstwhile Thomas Partey dispossessed Curtis Jones wrong the Liverpool punishment area. The midfielder near the 2nd shot to Leandro Trossard, who near it to Partey, portion Ødegaard ran past the brace of them. By the clip idiosyncratic decided to instrumentality responsibility, Liverpool had capable men backmost to artifact Trossard’s shot.

In the 20th infinitesimal Arsenal fell asleep. By the clip they awoke successful the 21st they were 2 goals down. The little but damaging illness commenced erstwhile Andy Robertson released Gakpo wide of Ben White down the left. Gakpo was incapable to find the unmarked Salah, oregon merchandise a changeable with immoderate conviction, and Arsenal cleared for a throw-in that was taken rapidly by Jones. Robertson recovered himself successful acres of abstraction wherever White should person been and centred for Gakpo to caput location astatine the adjacent post. William Saliba, White and Jakub Kiwior each stood disconnected and admired the forward’s 10th league extremity of the season.

Within seconds of the restart Liverpool regained possession and Salah swept a glorious walk betwixt Kiwior and Myles Lewis-Skelly into the tally of Szoboszlai. The midfielder squared beyond Raya and Díaz slid successful to use the finishing touch. “Best squad successful Europe? You’re having a laugh,” sang the Kop, mocking Arteta’s claims regarding his team’s Champions League show this season.

Díaz and Jones could person added a 3rd for Liverpool earlier the interruption but, soon aft the restart, Martinelli dragged the visitors backmost into the contention erstwhile glancing Trossard’s transverse into the bottommost country of Alisson’s goal. Bradley afforded Trossard excessively overmuch clip to present a pin-point assist.

The atmosphere, and so the travel of the game, turned erstwhile Alexander-Arnold was introduced arsenic portion of a triple substitution successful the 66th minute. The boyhood Liverpool instrumentality entered the fray to cosmopolitan boos – prompting teammates to applaud him successful encouragement – and the aforesaid attraction was applied to his each touch. Liverpool appeared collectively stunned by the reception and, aft different Alexander-Arnold walk was booed, Arsenal equalised immediately. Alisson could lone propulsion Ødegaard’s almighty 20 gait thrust onto a post. Merino was archetypal to respond and headed the rebound successful unmarked.

The Arsenal midfielder was sent disconnected with 10 minutes remaining for a foul connected Szoboszlai, his 2nd yellowish paper offence of the game, and Alexander-Arnold of each radical stepped up to instrumentality the free-kick. It sailed agonisingly wide. Robertson thought helium had clinched triumph successful the 96th minute, and connected his 250th league quality for the club, erstwhile turning successful the rebound erstwhile Raya saved solidly from Virgil van Dijk’s header. He was ruled offside, however, and determination would beryllium nary glossing implicit the reception for his chap full-back.