Roberto Firmino forces Arsenal slip as Liverpool roar back in pulsating draw

The post-match scene of Arsenal devastation said it all. Gabriel Magalhães sank to his knees, Oleksandr Zinchenko held his head in his hands and Mikel Arteta took on the role of counsellor-in-chief as he sought to raise his players physically and emotionally. Arsenal’s sequence of damaging defeats at Liverpool is over, but Manchester City have renewed hope in the title race.

Arsenal were 2-0 up and commanding proceedings after 28 minutes. They let their advantage, at Anfield and over City, slip as Mohamed Salah pulled a goal back before half-time and then missed a second half penalty before Roberto Firmino came off the bench to level in the 87th minute. From an eight point lead with eight matches to play to a six point lead with a trip to the Etihad Stadium to come, Arsenal’s post-match frustration was as justified as it was telling. Aaron Ramsdale was outstanding in the face of a second half Liverpool onslaught but a point does little for either the title aspirations of the visitors nor the Champions League qualification hopes of the hosts.

Arteta could not escape the deadweight of Arsenal’s miserable recent history at Anfield. He was part of the last Arsenal team to win here in 2012. It was their confident and incisive performance that enhanced title claims, however, more than any ability to forget the past and ignore the noise surrounding a fixture that has often derailed Arsenal momentum.

A period of silence to mark the 34th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster on 15 April was impeccably observed by everyone inside the stadium before kick off. The visitors were then immediately into their stride, with Gabriel Martinelli ghosting away from Trent Alexander-Arnold in the opening minute and wreaking havoc inside the