Liverpool clips Arsenal's wings at the Emirates but, Gunners retain advantage

Premier League recap: Arsenal 0-0 Liverpool (6-pt lead holds), City draws, relegation battles (Wolves, Burnley, West Ham doomed?); FA Cup pause.

Arsenal's chance of going eight points clear fell flat at the Emirates on Thursday as Liverpool stood firm. Arsenal remains the favorite this season. Is there any stopping them? (Photo credit: Al Jazeera)

The Premier League continues to spring surprises. The fight at the top may be tilting towards the Gunners; however, the stalemate with Liverpool at the Emirates on Thursday night showed it's not done yet.

Liverpool went to the Emirates having drawn their last two games, and many expected the Gunners to roll over them, considering how strong Arsenal have been at home. Still, it was the Gunners who needed strength to cope with their visitors in the second half.

Liverpool, without the likes of Hugo Ekitike, Alexander Isak, and Mohammed Salah, offered nothing in the first half. Still, they nearly took the lead when Connor Bradley struck the woodwork from outside the box after a mix-up between William Saliba and David Raya.

Bukayo Saka was a menace on the right. Milos Kerkez struggled throughout the first half to cope with the pace and trickery of the Arsenal number 7, but a lack of proper movement in the box meant all the hard work of Saka amounted to nothing.

The game completely changed in the second half. Liverpool found a new gear and forced the Gunners to defend deep. Mikel Arteta's changes didn't do lots of things differently, and a draw was about the right result.

What does this mean for the title race? Arsenal remains six points clear at the top after three straight draws for Manchester City. The Citizens play their city rivals, Manchester United, next; that could be another big one for the title race.

In the relegation scrap, Wolves have nothing of note to bank on. Fourteen points off safety at this stage looks too much of a margin to surmount; however, they're not the only ones who must start preparing for life in the Championship next season.

Burnley and West Ham look set to join Wolves in the second tier next season. West Ham lost a relegation six-pointer to Nottingham Forest at the London Stadium; you can't even spare a thought for Nuno Espirito Santo – his side just won't improve defensively.

Leeds United looks like a team that wants to defy odds at all costs. They lost to Newcastle late on, but not for a lack of fight; they just need to keep picking up the odd points here and there, and they will be fine. What about Forest? They're not safe yet, but they can keep up the good work.

The league pauses this weekend for a bit to accommodate the FA Cup. We will be back next weekend to see where teams go from here.