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Key events
Ed Aarons’ match report
The last email of the night comes from Peter Oh
“Arsenal’s winning run? End of.”
The updated Premier League table
Full time: Arsenal 0-0 Liverpool
Madueke’s big, inswinging corner is headed wide by Gabriel, just beyond the far post. That was a pretty good chance, but the ball dipped more sharply than expected and Gabriel couldn’t make clean contact.
That’s the last touch of a largely uneventful but genuinely intriguing game. Liverpool’s gameplan – defend solidly in the first half, control the game in the second – was perfect, apart from one small detail: a winning goal.
90+7 min Madueke wins a corner, Arsenal’s first of the second half. There is added added time because of the Bradley injury time.
90+5 min: Liverpool substitution Bradley is stretchered off, hands over his face. Joe Gomez replaces him. Gary Neville has called Martinelli’s actions “disgraceful… I don’t know why a Liverpool player didn’t just whack him and take a red card.”
90+3 min Bradley collapses in pain after losing his footing when putting the ball out for a throw-in. Martinelli drops the ball on the prostate Bradley – I’m not certain he meant to do it – and then tries to push him off the pitch. The second part was deliberate, and it’s bang out of order because Bradley was in obvious pain. It kicks off briefly and there are yellow cards for both Martinelli and Konate.
90+2 min Jesus and Konate try to undress one another in the penalty area. To the distaste of the home crowd, the referee gives a free-kick to Liverpool.
90+2 min And there’s another, a whipped shot from the left of the area by Martinelli after a lively run. Alisson falls to his left and holds on.
90+1 min Four minutes of added time. Saliba’s cross from a narrow position is headed towards goal by Jesus and held easily by Alisson.
It was a very tough chance for Jesus as he jumped backwards, but at least it’s an attempt on target – Arsenal’s first of the half.
90 min Mac Allister is booked for a tactical foul.
89 min A draw would leave Arsenal six points clear with 17 games to play, still a very healthy lead given the vulnerability of their fellow title challengers. But most people – certainly this pri- writer – expected a bit of a statement victory tonight.
88 min “The tension is palpable,” writes Alan Baverstock. “I am really palping the tension. I can definitely palp the tension. The tension is being palped.”
We both know that entire email is palp fiction.
87 min “Dare I say it or are Liverpool outpassing Arsenal in this second half?” asks Colum Fordham. “Some very slick, tikitaka-like interchanges between Slot’s players. Nice to see Szoboszlai playing further upfield where he is bossing play. Also impressed by Kerkez this evening who is closing down Saka very well.”
You dare say it. Given the quality of opposition and their own issues, Liverpool’s second-half performance has been quite outstanding.
86 min Arsenal still haven’t had an attempt at goal since half-time. In that context, a late winner would literally stink of symbolism.
85 min Now one of the Liverpool backroom staff has been booked, Sipke Hulshoff I think.
84 min “Re: Kari’s 34min note of remembering joys of games played in torrential rain,” begins Saffron Rainey. “I was a student in Valladolid in 94. The Blancavioletas were bobbling at the base of La Liga when the great Barcelona team of Johan Cruyff rolled into town midweek in March. The heavens opened and the Jose Zorrilla was treated to an incredible performance from the Blaugrana winning 3-1. Stoichkov, Koeman, Guardiola, Romario and Michael Laudrup. Amavisca scored a good consolation goal. Everyone left the stadium soaked and smiling.”
This video isn’t the best but it gives a flavour of the conditions that day.
83 min Mikel Arteta has been booked for repeatedly leaving his technical area. How strange that he should suddenly start doing that after all these years.
82 min Szoboszlai is fouled 25 yards from goal by Gabriel Jesus. His second free-kick is much better, a dipping effort that brushes the top of the net. The leaping David Raya probably had it covered.
80 min Zubimendu drives an outstandinbg long pass to Timber, who controls it on the chest and plays it quickly to Madueke. He beats Kerkez and plays an inviting ball across the face of goal. Alas for Arsenal, all the other attackers were on their heels.
78 min: Double substitution for Arsenal Noni Madueke and Eberechi Eze replace Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard. A year or two ago it would have been unthinkable that Arsenal would take off Saka and Odegaard while chasing a winner.
77 min A low shot from Szobozslai on the edge of the area is blocked by Gabriel. Liverpool have been brilliant in the second half and a winning goal wouldn’t flatter them.
76 min Frimpong runs Rice down the right and hits a cross that is headed away by Saliba. Szoboszlai collects on the edge of the area and splashes a half-volley into orbit. A very tough chance, even for him.
75 min “Your MBM correspondents have been wonderful tonight, far better than the 22 players on the pitch,” writes Nick Parish. “Charles Antaki is particularly masterful. I think he should be summonable on demand, like a genie or a Deliveroo order. We could have used him when Travis Head was smashing 634 not out off 11 balls, that’s for sure.”
How dare you bring up Perth 2025, on today of all days.
75 min The decision to play Bradley and Frimpong on the right has worked really well for Liverpool; their greatest attacking threat has been down that side.
72 min In the second half Arsenal have had 25 per cent possession and no attempts at goal. Crikey.
70 min Saka is lucky not to be booked for a gratuitous hack at Kerkez.
68 min “‘The low block’ fits readily into our contemporary social habits of antagonism: it’s just this thing,” writes Dean Potter. “A noun that is against us. We hate it! Whereas someone has to ‘sit deep’. A person, with feelings and a dog. Probably a useless c-word, to be sure, but a human being or eight.”
I think this is already my favourite MBM email of 2026.
67 min Martinelli runs towards a long pass from Odegaard and then goes over in the area after a little shove from Frimpong. It’s checked and eventually cleared by VAR.
65 min Frimpong scampers into the area from the right, with a chance to shoot across goal from a tightish angle. Instead he tries to tee up Wirtz and plays the ball behind him. That was a really good opening for Liverpool.
65 min: Double substitution The Gabriels, Jesus and Martinelli, come on for the ineffective Leando Trossard and the anonymous Viktor Gyokeres. Apparently he had only one touch in the second half.
64 min “Hold on, son, are Arsenal actually sitting back now?” writes Ian Copestake. “ Am I Arteta? Am I made of Lego?”
63 min After a good Liverpool move, Szoboszlai pings a drive from 22 yards that is blocked by Gabriel.
Liverpool are the better team right now.
62 min … but this time Szoboszlai wobbles the free-kick miles wide.
