Records falling around as Liverpool hold Arsenal | OneFootball

Premier League title hopefuls Arsenal and Liverpool shared the spoils in a dramatic 2-2 draw at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday late afternoon.

The Gunners were out to recover ground on Liverpool and win back-to-back league games against them for the first time since 2012 following a 3-1 triumph in this fixture in February.

Saka the talisman

Bukayo Saka faced a race against time to make himself available for selection after missing out on midweek Champions League action due to a minor fitness problem.

Marred by injuries and suspensions, Arsenal desperately needed their homegrown winger fit, and he answered the call.

He opened the scoring in the ninth minute with a delightful finish after making light work of Andy Robertson to put Mikel Arteta’s makeshift line-up in front.

In doing so, Saka became the youngest Gunners player to score 50 Premier League goals, achieving this flattering milestone at  23 years and 52 days old.

The England international shattered Thierry Henry’s record set in 2001.

The French icon hit half a century when he was 24 years and 128 days old en route to becoming the club’s all-time top goalscorer with 228 goals.

Saka not only beat Henry’s landmark but also recorded his tenth goal contribution in the Premier League this term.

With three goals and seven assists from only eight league appearances, Saka needed the fewest games to reach 10+ in a single campaign since Cesc Fabregas in 2009/10.

Set-piece havoc

Only ten minutes later, Luis Diaz flicked the ball to the back post from Trent Alexander-Arnold’s corner-kick delivery, with Virgil van Dijk latching on to it for his first goal this season.

Arsenal struggled to defend set-pieces against Bournemouth last weekend, as one corner-kick situation led to Ryan Christie breaking the deadlock at the Vitality Stadium.

However, they regained the lead late in the first half as summer signing Mikel Merino stayed narrowly on side to head home an inch-perfect cross from Declan Rice.

Merino’s header marked Arsenal’s competition-high 27th goal from set-pieces in the Premier League since the start of last season.

Arteta’s team ran out of steam in the second half, and it was barely surprising, considering they applied an intense high press for most of the opening 45 minutes.

When it looked like Liverpool couldn’t take advantage of Arsenal’s tired legs, Darwin Nunez ghosted behind the lines and kept his composure to tie up Mohamed Salah for the 81st-minute equaliser.

Salah is unstoppable

Salah had the goal at his mercy as Nunez did the heavy lifting by slipping Ben White’s mark before setting the Egyptian superstar on a platter with a clever cutback.

But it takes nothing away from the 32-year-old’s clinical finish. Salah calmly slotted the ball past David Raya for his 11th goal against Arsenal in the Premier League.

Salah only took 15 appearances against the Gunners to reach this feat, with only Harry Kane (14) and Wayne Rooney (12) netting more top-flight goals against Arsenal than him.

It was his 163rd goal in the Premier League, drawing level with Liverpool legend Robbie Fowler in the competition’s all-time scoring rankings despite needing 107 appearances less.

Salah’s every third shot on target ends up in the back of the net, making for a 33% conversion rate this season, as he bagged six of his 18 efforts on frame.

Arsenal lose ground on City

Despite extending their unbeaten league run against Liverpool to five, the London outfit lost further ground on table-topping Manchester City, finishing the round five points adrift of the Cityzens.

Arsenal again failed to take three points without star defender William Saliba, who was unavailable after being sent off in a 2-0 defeat at Bournemouth last weekend.

The Gunners have won less than half of their top-flight outings without the 23-year-old Frenchman.

As for Liverpool, they recorded their first draw under Arne Slot, allowing Pep Guardiola’s side to leapfrog them at the table’s summit, albeit just barely, with a point separating them after Matchday 9.

It was also the first time this season that the Reds conceded more than one goal in a single match, testifying to remarkable defensive improvement under Jurgen Klopp’s successor.