Salah’s late equaliser earns Liverpool 2-2 draw at Arsenal

LONDON :Mohamed Salah’s late equaliser earned Liverpool a 2-2 draw with rivals Arsenal in an entertaining Premier League encounter at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, as Gabriel Magalhaes limped off to add to the Gunners’ injury woes.
Bukayo Saka gave Arsenal the lead in the ninth minute when he ran on to Ben White’s ball over the top, cut inside Andy Robertson and fired past Caoimhin Kelleher at his near post for a 50th Premier League goal on his return from injury.
Virgil van Dijk, perhaps fortunate to avoid a card for a petulant kick at Kai Havertz in the opening exchanges, equalised nine minutes later, nodding home a Luis Diaz flick-on from a corner.
“I think to come back twice is a good thing, and we take the point and we move (on),” Van Dijk told Sky Sports.
Arsenal responded positively and spurned several half-chances, with Saka hitting a shot over the bar and Havertz unable to control Gabriel Martinelli’s dangerous ball across the face of goal.
The home fans wanted a penalty just after the half-hour mark when Ibrahima Konate floored Martinelli with a clumsy challenge, but referee Anthony Taylor deemed he got enough of the ball, with Havertz slicing a volley over the top in the aftermath.
Mikel Merino scored his first Arsenal goal just before half-time, meeting Declan Rice’s free-kick with a bullet header that was upheld after a lengthy VAR review for offside.
Liverpool improved after the break and Diaz went close five minutes after the restart following a mazy run along the touchline.
ARSENAL ‘VERY DISAPPOINTED’
Gabriel limped off early in the second half, replaced by Jakub Kiwior, as Arsenal sustained another injury to a key player.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta will hope to soon welcome back captain Martin Odegaard, who has been out with an injury since September. Arteta said in the matchday programme notes that he is close to a return.
The hosts had to withstand considerable periods of pressure, though they threatened on the counter as Liverpool left gaps at the back.
Salah levelled the game in the 81st minute with a calm tap-in from Darwin Nunez’s selfless cross, putting the Egyptian winger eighth on the all-time list and level with Robbie Fowler on 163 career Premier League goals.
The momentum seemed to be with Liverpool to clinch a comeback victory but Arsenal had the ball in the net at the death through Havertz, though referee Anthony Taylor had already blown for a foul.
The draw puts Liverpool second with 22 points from nine games, one point behind Manchester City, and Arsenal move into third with 18 points.
Arteta told reporters he was “very disappointed” his side did not win, but said: “Very proud of the team, especially with the situation that we are going through at the moment.”
He added that he would prefer to be five points ahead of City rather than five behind, though he said: “The team is alive, the team wants it.”
Liverpool’s head coach Arne Slot said that, on balance, he was happy: “Going two times behind against a very strong and good Arsenal team, then to get a point is pleasing to see.”