Liverpool 2-2 Arsenal: Ten-man Gunners earn point after impressive comeback despite Mikel Merino red card | OneFootball

Arsenal were two-goals down at half-time but rallied to leave Anfield with a point

But Arsenal responded superbly after half-time, as Gabriel Martinelli swiftly pulled one back with a flicked header and the visitors remained on the front foot.

They got their reward with 20 minutes remaining when Martin Odegaard’s fierce strike was tipped onto the post by Alisson, and Merino was on hand to head home the rebound.

The Arsenal midfielder was shown a second yellow card with ten minutes remaining, after an ill-advised lunge on Dominik Szoboszlai, and it left Arsenal content to try and hold on for a point.

Mikel Arteta’s side did just that, despite Andy Robertson putting the ball into the net deep in stoppage-time, only to look across and see the flag was up for a foul from Ibrahima Konate.

The result leaves Arsenal two points clear of Newcastle, who they host next weekend, as Arsenal attempt to wrap up second place in the Premier League.

The main story for Liverpool was that Trent Alexander-Arnold was booed by a significant section of the Anfield crowd when he was brought off the bench, in the first match since he confirmed he would be leaving the club as a free agent this summer.

Alexander-Arnold, who is expected to join Real Madrid, also had to endure boos when he touched the ball in the first few minutes after he came on, and he then played Merino onside for Arsenal’s equaliser.

Bukayo Saka bundled wide early on with only goalkeeper Alisson Becker to beat before Liverpool took full control, scoring twice the space of 87 seconds.

Arsenal switched off at a throw-in quickly-taken by Curtis Jones and Andy Robertson crossed for the unmarked Gakpo to head in.

Then Mohamed Salah picked out the run of Dominik Szoboszlai and he wrong-footed David Raya allowing Diaz to slide in the second.

Half-time offered a chance for Arsenal to reset and Leandro Trossard, switched to the left, caused Bradley problems.

A half-hearted tackle inside the area was one thing but the Northern Irishman would have been even less happy when the Arsenal forward too easily stepped inside him to curl a cross onto the head of Martinelli.

Things started to unravel as he was then booked for a challenge on Myles Lewis-Skelly, although his tackle on Martinelli almost certainly saved a goal.

Alexander-Arnold's arrival began the pantomime, heightened when Odegaard's shot was tipped onto a post by Alisson and Merino followed in.

Liverpool complained about offside but, to add to his new woes, Alexander-Arnold was playing him onside.

Robertson volleyed wide in the 89th minute and put in the rebound from Virgil Van Dijk's header with virtually the last touch of the game only for the goal to be ruled out for a foul.