Liverpool player ratings, winners and losers as Salah good but two ...

EMIRATES STADIUM, NORTH LONDON // Mohamed Salah rescued a point for Liverpool against Arsenal in a game between the two Premier League title rivals.

Bukayo Saka opened the scoring before Virgil van Dijk powered home a header from a Luis Diaz flick-on after a Trent Alexander-Arnold inswinging corner. Before half-time, though, Declan Rice's set-piece had found Mikel Merino, who put his side ahead after a lengthy VAR check.

Salah's leveler pulled the sides back to parity again but neither side could find a winner. Saka, just back from injury, couldn't last the 90 minutes and neither team created that much.

Mohamed Salah moment says it all as Liverpool rescued again - 4 talking points from Arsenal Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya already eyeing up 'celebrations' in confident boast to Liverpool fans Winners

Kostas Tsimikas gave things a good go when he came off the bench but it says plenty that few others stand out from the Reds' perspective. Arsenal was a deserving winner and won too many of the battles that Arne Slot has often talked about. Dominik Szoboszlai and Cody Gakpo also came on and offered something, but nowhere near enough.

Losers

This was a match to forget for Alexis Mac Allister, who didn't really match the required intensity in the middle of the pitch and was replaced by Szoboszlai just after the hour mark. He was booked and had an afternoon of frustration. The Argentine started slowly and never really got out of that initial gear. Unfortunately for Liverpool, he wasn't the one.

Player ratings

Caoimhin Kelleher (7). He could do nothing with the Arsenal goals that beat him and found the back of the net. Arsenal didn't pepper his goal with chances but would have wanted a bit more from those in front of him.

Trent Alexander-Arnold (6). Just about solid enough defensively against a tricky customer in Gabriel Martinelli, albeit a winger who has not been in the best of form this season. His passing, though, just never got going until the second Liverpool equalizer. It was a sensational pass to Nunez, who squared for Salah.

Ibrahima Konate (7). Made a few good tackles and had to use his recovery pace a few times to get back and cover. You are always going to need that against a team like Arsenal, which has so much pace in forward areas.

Virgil van Dijk (7). Has anyone worked out what he was doing to Kai Havertz yet? That strange moment summed up the early pressure that Liverpool was under as he seemed to snap. Solid after that.

Andy Robertson (5). Saka beat him down the right flank for the opening goal and then got inside him too easily inside the penalty area before firing home. It was a game to forget to Robertson, who struggled early against Chelsea before turning his fortunes around. It was a different outcome here.

Ryan Gravenberch (6). The Dutchman was able to put in a few strong tackles but there was no time and space for him to dictate things with his passing. Declan Rice and Mikel Merino did well to shut him down.

Curtis Jones (6). Selected ahead of Dominik Szoboszlai, the Liverpool number 17 didn't really work for Liverpool. He pressed but isn't as physically capable of the Hungarian and didn't make a huge difference in possession either.

Alexis Mac Allister (5). Booked for a cynical foul on Saka, who caused plenty of the Liverpool team problems. He struggled a little bit to get on the ball and keep possession amid the intensity around him. Just never really got going and was replaced.

Mohamed Salah (7). He had a couple of dribbles at Jurrien Timber but was largely kept quiet. When he had the ball, he usually had two or three bodies around him, right until the moment he popped up with the decisive goal.

Darwin Nunez (6). Dropped back in and defended well for Liverpool but barely had an impact going the other way. He did the defensive stuff against Chelsea and then scored against Leipzig but couldn't kick on again here and take the next step.

Luis Diaz (6). Diligently tracked back to try and help defend as best he could but his attacking output was limited. The Colombian didn't get much change out of the out-of-position Thomas Partey.

Substitutes

Dominik Szoboszlai (6). They injected some running power into the middle of the pitch, which was much needed for Liverpool. His influence waned as time went by.

Cody Gakpo (6). Held up the ball pretty well and maintained the width. Like Szoboszlai, though, started loudly and got quieter.

Kostas Tsimikas (6). Came in and looked lively down the left, getting in plenty of crosses and adding some more attacking threat.

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