Three takeaways from Liverpool's draw with Arsenal

A real humdinger, with two heavyweights going at it, Liverpool leave the Emirates and gallop off into the Brighton sunset with a point.

Attritional and hard-going at times, Liverpool got a point at the Emirates in the league for the first time since 2022.

Here is what we learned.

Liverpool are right in the title race

Liverpool’s title race last season fell down, in part thanks to defeat at Arsenal.

For me, Liverpool had to allay a ghost, a fear of going to big places in big moments during a big title race on Sunday.

Games against Arsenal and Manchester City in recent years have become stumbling blocks for Liverpool.

My thoughts on these are, you come out of these really well if you draw your away games and win your home games.

Liverpool have done the former, and it’s a platform to build-off.

Headlines tonight will be the harm done to Arsenal’s title race challenge, and deservedly Mo Salah.

Liverpool came from behind twice, and that may go under the radar. The Reds have showed not that they can do it, and under the radar suits us.

Ibrahima Konate is really good at football

Ibrahima ‘Ibouuuuu’ Konate has excelled in recent weeks, risen above his station, and firmly laid claim to his spot in the team.

He has gotten goals against Wolves and AC Milan, assisted against AFC Bournemouth, not to mention his superhuman defensive blocks across a myriad of matches.

Konate, 25, has had his injury problems at Anfield, and when that happens it inevitably makes it more difficult for you to build momentum.

This game was the biggest test that Liverpool have had so far, Konate stood up and was counted.

He won 100 per cent of his ground duels, and made 6 recoveries. Seemingly countless times he got Arsenal fans back in their seats, after snuffing out a counterattack.

That’s what he’s for. That’s what he can do. We know you can, Ibou, keep going!

Liverpool-Arsenal officiating

Additional to the Konate being really good at football point, this is really not news, but provided another case in-point.

In my personal opinion, it seems ridiculous to me that a son of Greater Manchester is allowed to referee a Liverpool game,  and a son of Manchester United is allowed to commentate Liverpool-Arsenal on UK national TV is beyond me.

Anyway, it always seems these big games are beyond Anthony Taylor, and there is that idea that he can never appease anybody.

But it seems to me that there is no consistency in equivalent decisions, things are enforced and then they’re not.

A Liverpool player turned Rice in the first half and there was no yellow card, yet Mac Allister was given a yellow card for a similar offence.

We will never know what was said, but the referee cares about wrongdoing on the sidelines booking Slot and at least one member of Liverpool’s backroom staff, and then doesn’t enforce Arteta’s constant encroachment of the turf beyond the penalty area.

Arsenal fans too will point to Luis Diaz kicking the ball away.

Maybe there are subtle differences in these things in the eyes of the PGMOL, then it needs laying out for us a framework across seasons that explains it to us.

This is a bane on supporters from week-to-week and surfaces most in the big games.