Arsenal held by Liverpool in blow to Premier League title bid

LONDON – Arsenal’s failure to end their Anfield hoodoo, throwing away a 2-0 lead to draw 2-2 away to Liverpool on Sunday, has opened the door for Manchester City to snatch the English Premier League title from them.

Mikel Arteta’s Gunners still lead by six points at the top of the table but, for the first time in nearly two months, City have the destiny of the title back in their own hands.

Pep Guardiola’s side have nine league games remaining to Arsenal’s eight and home advantage when the two sides meet at the Etihad on April 26.

Since losing to City in mid-February, Arsenal have belied their relative lack of experience in a title tussle. A run of seven consecutive league victories contained a mixture of late winners and routine wins sprinkled with dazzling football that champions are made of.

However, they finally came unstuck when pressured by an Anfield crowd baying for blood after a difficult season for Liverpool.

Arteta warned ahead of the game he expected to face a “jungle” of an atmosphere at a stadium where Arsenal have still not won in the league since their manager was patrolling the midfield in 2012.

Yet for 35 minutes, the visitors showed why Liverpool’s eighth position in the table does not lie.

Arsenal scored twice through Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus, and could have had more but for wayward finishing by Jesus and a fine save from Alisson Becker to deny Oleksandr Zinchenko.

“We started the game exceptionally well, dominated it and took the game where we wanted,” said Arteta.

“Scored the first one and continued to play the way we wanted. We scored the second one and that was a moment to kill the game. And yet, before half-time, we gave them hope.

“The second half was a very different story. We gave every ball away in dangerous areas and allowed dangerous results and big transition moments. Then you have to suffer. It was a super intense match, when you concede at the end it’s always two points dropped.”

Mohamed Salah’s strike just before the break flipped the momentum of the game and, despite the Egyptian then missing a penalty early in the second half, Arsenal were incapable of turning the tide.

Wave upon wave of Liverpool attack after the break was finally rewarded when Roberto Firmino headed in three minutes from time. Aaron Ramsdale also had to produce miracles in the Arsenal goal just to salvage a point.

The Gunners’ second-half retreat does not bode well for more tough tests to come on the road in the coming weeks. As well as their trip to City, they also have to travel to third-placed Newcastle United. However, avoid defeat at the Etihad and the title is very much still Arsenal’s to lose.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, meanwhile, was left at a loss to explain how his side did not complete a comeback win.

The Reds were off the pace, sloppy and overwhelmed by Arsenal’s vibrant play for the first half an hour, but ended up playing the kind of football that brought them the 2020 title.

“A bit typical for us this season. An open game, they score with the first situation and the second one,” Klopp said.

“But our reaction was good. It was a spectacular game in the end. How we didn’t win it with those late chances I don’t know. Arsenal were good but they could and should have lost this game.”

There was also off-the-ball drama, as an alleged elbowing of Liverpool’s Andy Robertson by an assistant referee at half-time will be investigated by the league’s officiating authorities.

Robertson was seen remonstrating with an official at the break and video replays appeared to show Constantine Hatzidakis brushing off the player and catching him with his arm.

“We will review the matter in full once the game has concluded,” Professional Game Match Officials Limited said.

The body also confirmed that Hatzidakis will not be appointed for matches in the future until the probe is complete. AFP, REUTERS