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Arsenal player ratings vs Liverpool: Bukayo Saka is back - but Gunners count the cost of Gabriel injury despite Ben White's centre-back heroics

Much of the conversation heading into Arsenal's clash with Liverpool focused on the need for the hosts to avoid defeat to simply remain out of crisis, and they played like a team with renewed vigour just as Mikel Arteta promised. However, they could not see the game out amid more injury concerns as the two title-challengers played out a 2-2 draw.

The Gunners took the lead inside the opening 10 minutes when a long ball over the top from Ben White caught Liverpool cold. Bukayo Saka, on his return from injury, plucked the pass out of the sky, sat Andy Robertson on his backside coming infield and fired beyond Caomhin Kelleher at the near post, grabbing his 50th Premier League goal.

But the Reds weren't behind for long as a corner from Trent Alexander-Arnold was flicked on by Luis Diaz and nodded in by Virgil van Dijk, who had slithered in front of his marker, Thomas Partey, to equalise.

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Shortly before the break, Arsenal went back in front. Declan Rice's wicked free-kick from midway inside the Liverpool half flew over a sea of bodies but not that of Mikel Merino, who thumped a header past Kelleher. The goal survived a mighty long VAR check for offside, with the Spaniard's toe being deemed on by a matter of millimetres.

The hosts controlled much of the second half, but conceded against the run of play heading into the last 10 minutes. Trent Alexander-Arnold's pass, not too dissimilar to White's for the opening goal, sliced between Jakub Kiwior and Myles Lewis-Skelly. Darwin Nunez collected the ball and squared for Mohamed Salah to brush home.

With stoppage-time looming, Arsenal thought they had grabbed a late winner when Kai Havertz dinked Kelleher, only for their celebrations to be cut short as the whistle had already gone for a foul, and so the spoils were shared.

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