English Premier League: Arsenal, Liverpool share spoils in top-of-table deadlock

Arsenal have had the better of a breathless 1-1 draw at Liverpool to lay down their English Premier League title credentials and climb back to the top of the table.

Mikel Arteta's team - who have won five of their last seven matches, but have not tasted victory in a league match at Anfield since 2012 - have 40 points from 18 games. Liverpool are second on 39 points, ahead of Aston Villa on goal difference.

Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp had urged fans to crank up the volume at Anfield, after a couple of uncharacteristically quiet games at the Merseyside stadium.

Although the fans obliged, Arsenal took an early lead, when Gabriel outwitted Cody Gakpo to head in a floated pass from captain Martin Odegaard in the fourth minute.

Liverpool forward Mohammed Salah scored a brilliant equaliser in the 29th minute, when Trent Alexander-Arnold found him with a pinpoint long pass. Salah stepped easily around Oleksandr Zinchenko, before unleashing a fierce left-foot shot into the net.

Both sides had chances to grab winner in the second half, but had to settle for a point, which was a good result for champions Manchester City who are fifth, six points behind the leaders.

 

Spurs into top four

Tottenham Hotspur have ended Everton's excellent run with a typically entertaining, high risk-reward 2-1 home victory that capped their own impressive December and took them back into the top four.

Goals by Richarlison and Son Heung-min had Spurs 2-0 up inside 20 minutes, but things are never straightforward for the home side and, as Everton took command in the second half, they hung on desperately, when Andre Gomes made it 2-1 eight minutes from time.

They did so - just - to secure their third win in a row, after a five-game winless run, that lifted them above champions Manchester City into fourth place.

Everton will wonder how they got nothing from the game, after dominating the second half, and continue to hover just above the relegation zone, thanks to their 10-point deduction.

They came into the match on a run of four successive league wins, without a goal conceded, but all too aware of their dire form against Spurs in recent years, winning only one of their last 21 meetings, drawing 10.

That sturdy rearguard was soon punctured twice, as Spurs put together a series of slick attacks.

A low cross by Brennan Johnson was neatly swept in by former Evertonian Richarlison after nine minutes for his fourth goal in three games, after managing two in the previous 39.

It was the first Everton had conceded since losing 3-0 to Manchester United in November, but nine minutes later, they were undone again, when Johnson's shot was parried by Jordan Pickford straight to Son, who bundled it back past the England keeper.

Sticking relentlessly to the Ange Postecoglou playbook, Spurs showed remarkable skill and poise to play the ball out of their own box with intricate passing patterns. However, it was not without danger and Everton nicked the ball back too frequently for the nervous home fans.

Affter engineering promising positions, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, James Garner and Jack Harrison all finished tamely, allowing Guglielmo Vicario to make comfortable saves.

Calvert-Lewin finally found the net five minutes into the second half, but the goal was ruled out by video review for a foul on Emerson Royal.

 

Crisp shot

Garner brushed a post with a crisp shot, as Everton continued to press, and Tottenham refused to try to close the game down.

Richarlison went off, feeling his back, and there was a nice touch, as he applauded the Everton fans, who returned the compliment to a player whose goals saved them from relegation two seasons ago.

Everton continued to press and, in his first appearance since May 2022, Gomes lashed in a great low shot to make it 2-1 after 82 minutes, before a brilliant save by Vicario prevented Arnaut Danjuma levelling.

Everton piled forward relentlessly and, almost comically, so did Spurs in a relentless finale, but the home side held out.

"We went through that difficult spell, where we got ourselves in front, but didn't end up putting the game to bed," Postecoglou said. "In the context of everything we're going through with the squad, it's a big three points.

"We started taking too many touches on the ball and slowing the game down, which played into their hands. We had to show resilience in the second half to get a result."

Everton manager Sean Dyche was frustrated by the disallowed goal decision, but as upbeat as any manager could be after a defeat.

"That was one of the performances I'm most proud of - superb," he said. "The way we played, asking questions.

"Bizarrely, we come away with nothing, but that was an outstanding performance. The level of performance today was absolutely excellent." 

Reuters

Arsenal have had the better of a breathless 1-1 draw at Liverpool to lay down their English Premier League title credentials and climb back to the top of the table.

Mikel Arteta's team - who have won five of their last seven matches, but have not tasted victory in a league match at Anfield since 2012 - have 40 points from 18 games. Liverpool are second on 39 points, ahead of Aston Villa on goal difference.

Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp had urged fans to crank up the volume at Anfield, after a couple of uncharacteristically quiet games at the Merseyside stadium.

Although the fans obliged, Arsenal took an early lead, when Gabriel outwitted Cody Gakpo to head in a floated pass from captain Martin Odegaard in the fourth minute.

Liverpool forward Mohammed Salah scored a brilliant equaliser in the 29th minute, when Trent Alexander-Arnold found him with a pinpoint long pass. Salah stepped easily around Oleksandr Zinchenko, before unleashing a fierce left-foot shot into the net.

Both sides had chances to grab winner in the second half, but had to settle for a point, which was a good result for champions Manchester City who are fifth, six points behind the leaders.

 

Spurs into top four

Tottenham Hotspur have ended Everton's excellent run with a typically entertaining, high risk-reward 2-1 home victory that capped their own impressive December and took them back into the top four.

Goals by Richarlison and Son Heung-min had Spurs 2-0 up inside 20 minutes, but things are never straightforward for the home side and, as Everton took command in the second half, they hung on desperately, when Andre Gomes made it 2-1 eight minutes from time.

They did so - just - to secure their third win in a row, after a five-game winless run, that lifted them above champions Manchester City into fourth place.

Everton will wonder how they got nothing from the game, after dominating the second half, and continue to hover just above the relegation zone, thanks to their 10-point deduction.

They came into the match on a run of four successive league wins, without a goal conceded, but all too aware of their dire form against Spurs in recent years, winning only one of their last 21 meetings, drawing 10.

That sturdy rearguard was soon punctured twice, as Spurs put together a series of slick attacks.

A low cross by Brennan Johnson was neatly swept in by former Evertonian Richarlison after nine minutes for his fourth goal in three games, after managing two in the previous 39.

It was the first Everton had conceded since losing 3-0 to Manchester United in November, but nine minutes later, they were undone again, when Johnson's shot was parried by Jordan Pickford straight to Son, who bundled it back past the England keeper.

Sticking relentlessly to the Ange Postecoglou playbook, Spurs showed remarkable skill and poise to play the ball out of their own box with intricate passing patterns. However, it was not without danger and Everton nicked the ball back too frequently for the nervous home fans.

Affter engineering promising positions, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, James Garner and Jack Harrison all finished tamely, allowing Guglielmo Vicario to make comfortable saves.

Calvert-Lewin finally found the net five minutes into the second half, but the goal was ruled out by video review for a foul on Emerson Royal.

 

Crisp shot

Garner brushed a post with a crisp shot, as Everton continued to press, and Tottenham refused to try to close the game down.

Richarlison went off, feeling his back, and there was a nice touch, as he applauded the Everton fans, who returned the compliment to a player whose goals saved them from relegation two seasons ago.

Everton continued to press and, in his first appearance since May 2022, Gomes lashed in a great low shot to make it 2-1 after 82 minutes, before a brilliant save by Vicario prevented Arnaut Danjuma levelling.

Everton piled forward relentlessly and, almost comically, so did Spurs in a relentless finale, but the home side held out.

"We went through that difficult spell, where we got ourselves in front, but didn't end up putting the game to bed," Postecoglou said. "In the context of everything we're going through with the squad, it's a big three points.

"We started taking too many touches on the ball and slowing the game down, which played into their hands. We had to show resilience in the second half to get a result."

Everton manager Sean Dyche was frustrated by the disallowed goal decision, but as upbeat as any manager could be after a defeat.

"That was one of the performances I'm most proud of - superb," he said. "The way we played, asking questions.

"Bizarrely, we come away with nothing, but that was an outstanding performance. The level of performance today was absolutely excellent." 

Reuters

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