Liverpool 2-2 Arsenal: Visitors dampen Anfield party with second-half fightback

Arsenal, who are still fighting to ensure a second-place finish, gave Liverpool a guard of honour before kick-off and were equally welcoming with their defending early on.

Two goals in the space of 87 seconds had Liverpool cruising, with Cody Gakpo heading in the first in the 20th minute, having been left totally unmarked to meet Andy Robertson's cross at the near post.

The second came following a delightful pass from Mohamed Salah to Dominik Szoboszlai, who squared for Luis Diaz to tap into an empty net.

However, Arsenal came roaring back after half-time, with Gabriel Martinelli glancing Leandro Trossard's cross home to give them hope in the 47th minute.

Arne Slot introduced Trent Alexander-Arnold for his first appearance since announcing he will leave Liverpool in the 67th minute, and his every touch was booed by many of those present at Anfield.

And Alexander-Arnold played a part in Arsenal's 70th-minute equaliser, playing Merino onside for a diving header into an empty net, after Alisson pushed Martin Odegaard's long-range strike onto the post.

Merino would not finish the game, though, as, having already been booked, he lunged into two ill-advised challenges on Darwin Nunez and Szoboszlai and received his second yellow card in the 79th minute.

Odegaard fired wide on the break, but Liverpool went closest to a winner, with Robertson's close-range finish chalked off due to Ibrahima Konate's foul on Myles Lewis-Skelly, with the on-field decision to disallow the goal confirmed by the VAR.

The point keeps Mikel Arteta's men 15 behind Liverpool and two clear of their next opponents, Newcastle United, and a victory in that game next Sunday will ensure the Gunners qualify for the Champions League.

Merino could have gone from hero to villain in this game, but his Arsenal team-mates dug deep to hold onto their point late on.

Merino's red card was Arsenal's sixth in the Premier League this season, only receiving more in the competition in 1998-99 (seven).

The Spaniard is the fourth player to both score and be sent off in the same game for Arsenal in the competition.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (in January 2020 against Crystal Palace), Arteta (in October 2013 against the same opponents) and Ian Wright (in December 1996 against Nottingham Forest) were the first three.

Arsenal's fightback meant Liverpool failed to win a Premier League game in which they were two or more goals ahead at half-time for the first time since a 4-3 defeat at Bournemouth in December 2016.