Arsenal certainly made a statement at Anfield by fighting back from a two-goal deficit to earn a draw, marking the third time in their last five league clashes with Liverpool that the match ended in a similar fashion. The result also ensures Arsenal finish the season unbeaten against the traditional “Big Six” once again.
Although Arsenal haven’t won in their last two games, their effort has been commendable. The squad gave everything they had, especially in the second half against Liverpool and the first half against PSG.
However, Arsenal’s squad has been hit hard by injuries. Declan Rice and Jurrien Timber were both unavailable, with Timber traveling but unable to play. After the match, Mikel Arteta hinted that some players were starting despite not being fully fit due to necessity rather than choice.
“Psychologically, the danger is we collapse late on because there are players out there today who probably shouldn’t be,” Arteta said. “But to see that fight and energy—that responsibility falls on me.”
The injury list continues to grow, now including Kai Havertz, Gabriel Magalhaes, Gabriel Jesus, Jorginho, and Takehiro Tomiyasu, while Leandro Trossard appeared to suffer a hamstring injury during the game. Ethan Nwaneri didn’t feature, raising concerns he may also be dealing with a problem after limited involvement recently.
Several key players like Martin Ødegaard, Bukayo Saka, Ben White, Mikel Merino, and Gabriel Martinelli are also far from full fitness, yet they still managed to hold their own against a fired-up Liverpool side.
Despite this, Arteta wasn’t in a forgiving mood post-match. In both his TV interviews and press conference, he made it clear he was disappointed—particularly with the first-half performance.
When asked what frustrated him most, Arteta responded: “Many things—especially our defensive standards and giving the ball away in areas we simply can’t against a team like Liverpool. I’m very upset. Yes, we reacted, but I hate having to react—I prefer we take initiative. If we’re chasing trophies, we need to be proactive. If we can’t win the title, we must at least be the best of the rest. That wasn’t good enough today.”