Arsenal empata 0-0 com o Liverpool em um empate tenso no Emirates, encerrando sua sequência de cinco vitórias e expondo falhas ofensivas

Arsenal’s five-game winning run came to a halt on a frustrating night at the Emirates as they were held to a 0-0 draw by Liverpool in the final match of Premier League Round 21 — a result that exposed lingering attacking issues despite the Gunners maintaining their position at the top of the table.

For Liverpool, the draw extended their unbeaten league run to nine matches and produced a rare statistical anomaly: this was the first league 0-0 between the two sides since 2015, in a fixture that has averaged nearly four goals per game over the last decade.

A cagey classic that never ignited

The tone was set early. Despite Arsenal’s formidable home record (nine wins and one draw this season) and a run of 15 consecutive games scoring in all competitions, they struggled to break down a Liverpool side missing key attacking players such as Mohamed Salah.

Ironically, the best chance of the first half fell to the visitors.

In the 27th minute, Conor Bradley capitalised on a defensive mix-up and attempted an audacious lob that crashed off the crossbar — the closest either team came to scoring all night. The move stemmed from a poor clearance by David Raya, and for a moment the Emirates fell silent.

Aside from that, Bukayo Saka and Leandro Trossard both tested Alisson, but neither could beat the Brazilian goalkeeper. Liverpool, meanwhile, recorded zero shots on target in the first half, ending a remarkable run of over 600 consecutive Premier League matches with at least one effort on target.

Injuries, stoppages and late drama

The second half never found rhythm. In the 57th minute, Arsenal were forced into a defensive reshuffle when Piero Hincapié went off injured and was replaced by Myles Lewis-Skelly, slightly weakening the left side of their defence.

Liverpool attempted to take advantage through set pieces. Dominik Szoboszlai twice went close from free-kicks, keeping Arsenal’s back line under pressure without finding the breakthrough.

Tensions boiled over in stoppage time. After Bradley went down injured without contact, Gabriel Martinelli tried to push him off the pitch to restart play, sparking a confrontation. Both players were booked, Bradley was forced off, and Joe Gomez came on to see out the game.

The incident caused widespread debate, with pundits such as Roy Keane calling Martinelli’s actions “unacceptable” and “disrespectful.” The Brazilian later apologised on social media, saying he acted in the heat of the moment without realising the severity of the injury.

A tactical stalemate

From a tactical perspective, this was a chess match.

Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal maintained their high press, but Martin Zubimendi and Declan Rice struggled to supply dangerous passes into the final third against Arne Slot’s compact defensive structure.

The €65 million striker Viktor Gyökeres endured a particularly difficult night, playing 64 minutes without registering a single shot, which quickly became a focal point of post-match criticism.

Even after the introductions of Gabriel Jesus and Martinelli, Arsenal could only create half-chances — both of which were comfortably dealt with by Alisson.

Liverpool, for their part, sacrificed attacking ambition for control. Alexis Mac Allister and Szoboszlai dominated the midfield battle, disrupting Arsenal’s rhythm and protecting a back line that rarely looked truly stretched.

The result also meant that Arne Slot remains unbeaten in four meetings with Arteta (1 win, 3 draws) — the first coach to achieve that in his opening four encounters with the Arsenal manager.

What it means for the title race

While Arsenal’s winning streak is over, the damage is limited. They still hold a six-point lead at the top, helped by draws for both Manchester City and Aston Villa this round.

Elsewhere among the big clubs:

• Tottenham lost 2-3 to Bournemouth
• Chelsea lost 1-2 to Fulham
• Manchester City drew 1-1 with Brighton
• Manchester United drew 2-2 with Burnley

What’s next?

Attention now turns to cup competitions before the league resumes on January 17 with a blockbuster schedule:

• Manchester United vs Manchester City
• Chelsea vs Brentford
• Liverpool vs Burnley
• Tottenham vs West Ham
• Arsenal away to Nottingham Forest

For Arsenal, this draw is not a disaster — but it reopens old questions. For Liverpool, it’s proof that even without firepower, they can still block the path of the league leaders.

And in a title race where margins are thin, nights like this tend to echo louder than they first appear.