James Olley
Beth Lindop
Beth Lindop
Correspondent
Based in Liverpool, Beth Lindop is ESPN’s Liverpool correspondent and also covers the WSL and UWCL.
Arsenal missed the chance to move eight points clear at the top of the Premier League after being held to a 0-0 draw by champions Liverpool at Emirates Stadium on Thursday.
The Gunners largely dominated the first half, but Reds defender Conor Bradley went closest to scoring for either side when hitting the crossbar after 27 minutes following a mix-up between Arsenal duo William Saliba and David Raya.
Liverpool, playing without a recognized center forward as Hugo Ekitike missed out through injury, improved after the break without creating any meaningful openings.
Florian Wirtz went down in the box under a tackle by Leandro Trossard, but no penalty was given after a brief VAR review.
Dominik Szoboszlai settled August’s reverse fixture with a magnificent free kick, and he threatened to repeat the feat as the game entered the final ten minutes, brushing the roof of the net with a long-range effort, but neither side could find the breakthrough.
Bradley was stretchered off in stoppage time following a tackle from Gabriel Martinelli. The Brazilian then appeared to push Bradley off the pitch, triggering an angry exchange between players on both teams.
The result means Arsenal now hold a six-point lead over Manchester City and Aston Villa, who are separated by goal difference. — James Olley
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Arsenal extend their lead, but not to eight
Arsenal find themselves in a curious place after this in that they re-established their lead at the top of the table, yet will likely feel disappointed by the six-point margin.
They had a glorious chance to go eight clear after Manchester City’s 1-1 draw against Brighton & Hove Albion 24 hours earlier, and those arriving at Emirates Stadium did so in anticipation of victory against the struggling champions.
A pre-match hype video and light show greeted the players onto the pitch as the Gunners tried to whip the crowd into a frenzy on a freezing night beset by driving rain, but their team never really got going.
Bukayo Saka caused Liverpool left back Milos Kerkez problems down the right, but goalkeeper Alisson wasn’t forced into a meaningful save. They ended with an expected goals figure of just 0.52 from nine shots. Liverpool’s was 0.36. Arteta grew more agitated in the second half — he was booked late on for persistently leaving his technical area — and the full-time whistle was greeted with muted applause.
They are where they want to be, but Arsenal had an opportunity to make City pay for their recent stuttering form and didn’t take it to maximum effect. — Olley
Liverpool rock solid but lacking cutting edge
Liverpool are still without a win in 2026 and, once again against Arsenal, Slot’s side failed to convince as an attacking force, registering an xG of just 0.36.
Their lack of offensive threat is consistent with recent displays and something that certainly needs to improve in the coming months, although the Reds will hope the impending return of Ekitike and Mohamed Salah will help in that department.
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Crucially, though, Liverpool restricted Arsenal to an xG of just 0.57 — with Alisson rarely troubled in the visitors’ goal. After shipping 10 goals in the space of three games in November, Slot has shored up his team’s backline impressively, and their display against Arsenal should provide a defensive blueprint going forward.
Striking that balance between attack and defense is one of the biggest conundrums Slot has to solve in the weeks ahead. — Beth Lindop
Liverpool show they need reinforcements
The current gulf in quality between Arsenal and Liverpool was best evidenced before a ball was even kicked at the Emirates. While the hosts’ bench was stacked with an array of talent, which included summer acquisitions Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke, Liverpool’s most experienced attacking threat was Federico Chiesa, who has played just 228 minutes in the top flight this season.
Admittedly, injuries are not helping Liverpool’s cause. Ekitike failed the battle to be fit in time for Thursday’s game, while Salah will return from the Africa Cup of Nations later this month.
But, with British-record signing Alexander Isak expected to be sidelined for several months with a broken tibia and ankle and center back Giovanni Leoni set to be out of action until next season, Liverpool could really benefit from some reinforcements in both defense and attack.
Despite their heavy summer spending spree, the champions lack the depth of their Premier League rivals, an issue that has only been exacerbated by the sight of right back Bradley being stretchered off the pitch in stoppage time. A couple of new additions this month could help spark their stuttering campaign into life. — Lindop
Another tough night for Gyökeres
Make that ten games without a goal from open play for Viktor Gyökeres. Arteta will continue to argue that Gyökeres is doing plenty for the team aside from scoring goals, but the truth is, there was little evidence of that on Thursday.
He had just eight touches in 64 minutes on the pitch, nothing between the 11th and 40th minutes, and just one after halftime. It is the lowest number from any start he has made at the club. There were at least two dangerous crosses a team might have expected their potent center forward to be on the end of, but Gyökeres was nowhere to be seen.
There are mitigating factors — a difficult preseason waiting for his move, injuries, and the fact Arsenal have not always clicked in attack collectively despite being top of the table — but at some point Arteta may have to look elsewhere, at least temporarily, for someone to lead his attack.
Gabriel Jesus is fit again, while Mikel Merino is available and Kai Havertz’s return from knee surgery is imminent. Gyökeres has surely not become a bad player overnight — 97 goals in 102 games for Sporting CP is a stunning record worthy of respect — but the wait for improvement in an Arsenal shirt goes on. — Olley
Hard-earned point gives Slot a boost
When Liverpool beat Arsenal at Anfield in late August, the victory contributed to Arne Slot being named the Premier League manager of the month.
The Dutchman arrived in north London on Thursday night in very different circumstances, with frustration mounting in the fanbase after a string of listless performances. Although Liverpool failed to secure the win at the Emirates, their performance should certainly help boost Slot’s standing in the eyes of supporters.
Few gave the champions a chance of taking anything from the team that look poised to steal their crown this season, but their commitment and, in the second half, genuine quality against Mikel Arteta’s side offered a timely reminder that they are still a match for anyone on their day.
While Slot still has work to do to restore the verve and swagger that propelled his players to the title last term, it is clear the dressing room remains a unified one and the ingredients for success remain. — Lindop
