Liverpool may have lifted the Premier League crown, but Arsenal reminded them they’re not done yet, staging a fierce comeback from two goals down to earn a 2-2 draw in a gripping showdown at Anfield.
The afternoon began with applause as Arsenal formed a guard of honour for the newly-crowned champions. But once the pleasantries ended, Liverpool roared into action. Within 90 seconds, Cody Gakpo and Luis Díaz stunned the visitors with a quickfire double that looked to put the game beyond reach.
For a while, Arsenal appeared shell-shocked. Still reeling from their Champions League semi-final exit earlier in the week, they struggled for rhythm in the first half. But Mikel Arteta’s side emerged from the interval with renewed grit and something to prove.
Gabriel Martinelli gave Arsenal a lifeline just after the break, glancing in Leandro Trossard’s cross with precision. Then came the equalizer, Martin Ødegaard’s thunderous strike rattled the woodwork, and Mikel Merino was quickest to react, nodding in the rebound to silence Anfield.
Merino’s day took a turn minutes later when he was shown red for a rash tackle on Dominik Szoboszlai. But down to ten men, Arsenal dug deep. Ødegaard nearly won it in stoppage time, curling just wide, before Liverpool thought they had stolen it, only for Andy Robertson’s late goal to be ruled out for a foul.
“It was a great game of football,” said Liverpool boss Arne Slot, who made history as the Premier League’s first Dutch title-winning manager. “It didn’t matter too much, but it’s about prestige.” The champions now sit on 83 points, 15 ahead of Arsenal, whose own European future remains uncertain.
Arteta was blunt post-match: “The first half was nowhere near the level. That’s not acceptable.” Yet despite the disappointment, his team’s fightback showed they haven’t lost their edge.
There were boos too, notably when Trent Alexander-Arnold entered the fray for what could be his final Anfield appearance. Some fans made their feelings known after the defender’s announcement that he would leave on a free transfer this summer.
