Arsenal and Liverpool played to a rather dull 0-0 draw in the pouring rain at the Emirates. On one hand, it’s a missed opportunity for the Gunners to stretch their lead at the top of the table. On the other,
Arsenal got a draw from probably their second or third most difficult Premier League fixture remaining on the schedule. It was a frustrating match but an alright result in the grand scheme of things.
Any analysis of the match has to start with the horrendous weather. Players were slipping and when they weren’t slipping, they were moving / playing carefully so as to avoid a disastrous slip. Both teams played cautiously and that caution was heightened by the conditions. Both teams were also playing their 8th game in 24 days. That’s how you get less than 1.0 xG from the teams combined.
Arsenal were head and shoulders the better team in the first half but didn’t have anything to show for it other than two or three balls that rolled invitingly across the face of goal. Bukayo Saka and Jurrien Timber both got around the corner a couple of times but couldn’t find a teammate. Those are the type of balls that Viktor Gyokeres, who had a paltry seven touches in the half and one in the box, should be getting on the end of to smash home. Low touch strikers need to be scoring goals and the Swede is not. It’s probably time for him to start a few games on the bench. Neither Gabriel Jesus nor Kai Havertz is likely ready to start, so do you go with Mikel Merino or do you keep trotting Gyokeres out, hoping that he’ll find his form?
The second half flipped things on their head. Liverpool controlled the ball. That said, for as uncomfortable it felt and how unpleasant it was to watch, Liverpool did not have a shot on target, not in the second nor in the entire game. Liverpool’s best chance actually came in the first half, when Conor Bradley hit the crossbar with a chip following a dreadful miscommunication between David Raya and William Saliba that turned the ball over and left the keeper stranded.
Arsenal’s attacking substitutions – Gabriel Jesus, Gabriel Martinelli, and Noni Madueke – gave the Gunners a bit of a spark in the late stages of the second half, but it wasn’t enough. Ebere Eze, who also came on, was a non-factor. Myles Lewis-Skelly, who came on for an injured Piero Hincapie, was awful. He looked more than a step slow against Jeremie Frimpong. His poor performance leaves me wondering if he’s fully fit or if he was ill. It was that bad.
The Gunners had a chance to win it at the death from a corner. Gabriel Magalhaes was free at the back post but completely missed the ball with his head. It came harmlessly off his body and the final whistle blew. The Brazilian CB might have been put off a little by Gabriel Jesus, who was also in the vicinity. But you expect Big Gabby to do more with that kind of an opportunity.
A few minutes before the final whistle, there was a bit of a flashpoint on the sideline. Conor Bradley came down awkwardly and badly, clutching his knee. Unfortunately, it looked on the replay like he may have done serious damage. Gabriel Martinelli, perhaps unaware that Bradley was lying so close to him, went to bounce the ball off the ground before taking a throw. He dropped it on the Liverpool player and immediately bent down to apologize with a hand. Bradley, who was lying on the touchline partly on, partly off the pitch, scooted himself further onto the field. Martinelli then tried to shove him off the field, which kicked off a shoving match. Martinelli was booked, as was Ibou Konate for shoving Martinelli in response.
It was a foolish thing for Martinelli to do, trying to move an opponent off the pitch. But it’s an understandable thing, too. I’d bet that Gabby thought Bradley was faking an injury to waste time, and in response, he did what you’ve seen other guys do in the past. He shouldn’t have shoved him, full stop.
But some of the responses have been way out of pocket. For example Gary Neville, on the air, said a Liverpool player should have taken the red card and struck Gabriel Martinelli.
Arne Slot, on the other hand, was classy and cool-headed, “I don’t know Martinelli but he comes across as a nice guy. The problem for him and in general is there’s so much time wasting and players pretending they’re injured that you can be annoyed… I’m 100% sure that if [Martinelli] knew what the injury might be, he wouldn’t do that.”
Mikel Arteta echoed the Liverpool manager, “”If anyone knows Gabby, he’s an incredible lovely guy. He didn’t realise what happened. I hope Conor is well, and I’ll have a word with him now.”
It was a silly but understandable thing for Gabriel Martinelli to do in the heat of the moment. Liverpool’s response, to get in his face, shove him, and defend their teammate, was appropriate. And that’s where it should all end. I’d like to see Gabriel Martinelli apologize to Bradley. It would be the kind, classy thing for him to do. You hope Bradley’s injury isn’t as bad as it looked.
Deep breath, folks. That was a frustrating game. It’s annoying to have not picked up more points on Manchester City and Aston Villa. But Arsenal didn’t drop points to them, either. It was far from their best performance, but let’s not get too worked up about drawing the 4th-place side in the pouring rain. Arsenal have gone from second place to six points clear over the Christmas period. That’s not bad at all.
