Arsenal 0, Liverpool 0: Reds earn a deserved point after a dominant second half

It's another draw for the Reds, but not all draws are created equal.

Arsenal had everything to play for tonight. A chance to make a statement, take a commanding eight-point lead at the top of the league, and get payback for their 1-0 loss at Anfield a little over four months ago.

They knew how big the occasion was. I mean, they posted this video this morning.

For the first 45 minutes, the hosts dominated territory and possession. It felt inevitable that they'd find a breakthrough, maybe add another goal or two for good measure, and secure all three points.

That's not how it played out. Here's the tale of two halves.

First half: battening down the hatches

As feared, Liverpool were without star striker Hugo Ekitike. That left Arne Slot with Cody Gakpo as his only regular forward option. We can debate the coach's thinking all we want, but by this point, we know he doesn't consider Rio Ngumoha or Federico Chiesa contenders for serious minutes.

In response, Slot played Florian Wirtz and Dom Szoboszlai furthest forward with Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch anchoring the space behind them. Gakpo and Jeremie Frimpong were tasked with getting up and down the wings, defending deep when needed while also providing an outlet.

It didn't work for the majority of the opening 45 minutes.

The Reds defended well-ish and, with the exception of Conor Bradley and Milos Kerkez gifting the hosts a couple of dangerous set pieces, avoided silly mistakes.

The main problem was the lack of an attacking focal point when we won the ball back. Long balls into the path of the diminutive Frimpong or Wirtz were never going to work. Gakpo struggled to make it stick while holding the ball up.

There were a few neat passages of play, including the one that led to Bradley's desperately unlucky chip off the crossbar — eerily similar to Harry Wilson's effort from the Fulham game.

But mostly we sat in, doing just enough to clear the ball and prepare to face another wave of Arsenal attacks. Jurrien Timber, Declan Rice, and Leandro Trossard were consistent threats from wide areas. Bukayo Saka went closest to scoring an opener, but his strike was blocked brilliantly by Milos Kerkez.

Second half: reversing course and pushing for a winner

It's not that the second half was perfect. Again, our inability to create a clearcut chance was a huge problem. Testing David Raya zero times isn't a great stat.

But the players have to be lauded for the way they emerged from the intermission and grabbed control of the game. We effectively switched roles with Arsenal — suddenly they were the ones sitting deep, unable to free themselves from their defensive third when they won the ball back.

Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate were magnificent. They won their duels and won them high up the pitch, keeping the hosts from breathing. Mac Allister marshaled the midfield to great effect. Kerkez made a point of locking down Saka, Arsenal's talisman. The tricky winger blew by him once in the first half but didn't have the same luck in the second. One particular crunching tackle on Saka in the middle of the field was Kerkez at his best.

Jeremie Frimpong was outstanding again on the right wing. Neither Piero Hincapie nor Myles Lewis-Skelly could deal with his pace in behind. A marauding run from Gravenberch, another top performer, created the gap for a through ball to Frimpong, presenting Liverpool with their best chance of the game. Frimpong reached the box and spotted Wirtz streaking toward goal, but he misplaced his pull back, which would have given the German a wide open shot.

The only other opportunities of note were a handful of Szoboszlai strikes from outside the box and two penalty shouts. Trossard's barge into Wirtz, in particular, felt worthy of at least a VAR review.

Supporters should be proud

Finally, some mental fortitude from our team.

I didn't predict the second-half turnaround. It came after a bad first half, on the back of some dull performances, missing key figures, playing guys out of position.

I loved the pushing and shoving and talking smack, too, if I'm being honest. I never want to see a Liverpool player use violence or act disrespectfully, but fighting spirit, sticking up for your teammates, even a little intimidation — that goes a long way in this sport. Especially when you've lacked the toughness to see recent results through like we have.

Arsenal is a very good team, one of the best in Europe, but I'll say it: I don't like this iteration of Arsenal. I don't like the reliance on set pieces. I don't like that all their songs sound like ours. I don't like their manager. I didn't like Gabriel Margalhaes practically tearing Wirtz's shirt off after what looked like a penalty. And I especially didn't like what Gabriel Martinelli did.

Yes, it's another draw. And another day without enough chances created. And Conor is hurt. And we're in a hunt for top four, not the title.

But the Reds fought back, and Mikel Arteta looked really sad at full time. That feels good. For now, that's enough.