Liverpool holds Arsenal to blow title race wide open

Title contenders Arsenal and Liverpool share the spoils in a 2-2 draw, as Mikel Arteta sees the result as fair, and the title race heats up.

Gabriel Martinelli celebrates Arsenal's opener against Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday. It ended 2-2. (Photo credit: Sky Sports)

Arsenal saw their lead at the top cut down to six points after they were held at home by Liverpool to a 2-2 draw, but the reactions that followed the game explain where both clubs are.

Arsenal underlined their title credentials with a point on a field where Manchester City lost and Manchester United conceded seven without returning one; to see Liverpool celebrate the point and Arsenal left devastated says a lot.

Gabriel Martinelli rolled the ball past Allison within the opening ten minutes to give the visitors a great start, and Gabriel Jesus headed home brilliantly midway into the first half.

Mohammed Salah had a chance to level but fired wide before he eventually halved the deficit minutes before halftime.

Liverpool had a contentious penalty awarded to them when a coming together occurred in the Arsenal area, but Salah missed from six yards to keep the score at 2-1. 

Roberto Firminho came off the bench to level matters late on, but Mikel Arteta feels it’s the right result.

"When you concede at the end, it's always like two dropped points," Arteta said. "But Liverpool had four big chances and could have scored a penalty [missed by Salah].

"You also need your goalkeeper in title races—you need magic moments from your keeper—and Aaron was there for us, just like Alisson has been for Liverpool so many times.

"But we look at ourselves in the mirror and could have done better with some big chances.

"We started well in the first few minutes [of the second half] but then lost control. It became a very transitional game, very chaotic. Liverpool could score three or four, but it is true we could have scored two or three, so maybe at the end the score is fair."

City has a game in hand and is also set to welcome Arsenal to the Etihad. 

The title race is well and truly on now, but regardless of how pundits are talking down Arsenal, the Gunner still has all the advantages.