As the weeks go by, Liverpool is showing the quality and resilience to be Manchester City’s chief title rival in the Premier League this season. Liverpool twice came from behind to draw 2-2 at Arsenal on Sunday, with Mohamed Salah scoring the second equalizer in the 81st minute at Emirates Stadium. It’s just one loss in 13 games in all competitions for Liverpool under new manager Arne Slot this season.
A testing past week has seen the Reds beat Chelsea 2-1 in the league, eke out a 1-0 win in Leipzig in the Champions League, and now battle back for a draw at Arsenal — the other likely challenger for City’s crown. If Liverpool’s inner belief is growing, then doubts might be increasing about Arsenal’s durability in the title race after finishing runner-up to City for the past two seasons. The biggest concern might be the list of injuries, to which defenders Gabriel and Jurrien Timber were added after they came off in the second half.
With defensive linchpin William Saliba missing through suspension, Arsenal finished the game with a makeshift back four and paid the price as a long ball forward from Trent Alexander-Arnold found Darwin Nunez, who crossed for Salah to sidefoot home. It left Liverpool in second place, a point behind City, and Arsenal five points off the pace after nine games. Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka said his teammates were a “bit disappointed.
” “We just felt we didn’t show our best selves for the 90 minutes,” said Saka, who opened the scoring.