Arsenal and Liverpool played out an enthralling 2-2 draw over the weekend as two very different tactical styles collided in a top of the table clash. For Nedum Onuoha, the manner in which Mikel Arteta’s side set themselves up was really surprising, and very impressive.
Since taking over from Jurgen Klopp in the summer, Arne Slot has earned plaudits for the way he has got his Liverpool players performing and adapting to his style of play so swiftly. The Reds have been going strong this season, with just one defeat so far. That tally was almost doubled, however, as they came up against an Arsenal team looking to grab a statement win against one of their main competitors.
While Liverpool got back into the game late on thanks to a Mohamed Salah goal, the Gunners have come away from the game with a lot of credit, not least of all for containing the likes of Luis Diaz and Cody Gakpo.
Arsenal Won Individual Battles
The Gunners coped with Liverpool’s threats
Even playing at the Emirates, many had predicted Liverpool would be able to dismantle the Arsenal defence and secure a win, especially in light of William Saliba’s suspension. Those expectations were only heightened when Gabriel Magalhaes was forced off with an injury early in the second half, leaving Arteta to shuffle his defensive pack once more.
But, it was an even contest overall, and Onuoha heaped praise on Thomas Partey and the Arsenal defence for keeping Liverpool at bay.
Speaking to ESPN, he said:
“I didn’t think that after this game Thomas Partey would have been able to say ‘I had a really good game against Luis Diaz and a really good game against Cody Gakpo.’ Well, it seemed like some of the individual battles Arsenal were managing to win, which was a big surprise to me.
“This Liverpool side, even though they’ve not been at their absolute best throughout this season, they’ve had plenty of moments where you can see how good they can be, but I don’t think we saw that today. But then, the question will be, did they do enough? There was a resilience to come from 2-1 down, and to be able to fight for a point.”
A Good Result for Man City
Points shared means City extend their lead at the top
Both Arsenal and Liverpool will be pretty happy with that point, in all fairness. The key to these big games is that you do not lose, and they’ll both now be able to push on and know that they have got one of their most difficult matches out of the way.
However, sharing the points does mean that Man City now hold the advantage in the early stages of the title race, and we all know what they can do when they put together a good run. Is it too soon to say it’s City’s title to lose?