Arsenal miss out on victory over Liverpool, allowing their rivals to pull into the breakaway

Arsenal faced Liverpool in the marquee match of the 9th round of the English Premier League at the Emirates Stadium, where the stakes were high for the Gunners.

Mikel Arteta's side desperately needed a victory to prevent rivals Manchester City and Liverpool from pulling ahead in the title race.

The first half was action-packed, keeping fans on the edge of their seats. Just nine minutes in, Bukayo Saka opened the scoring with a well-placed shot following a pass from Ben White.

With this goal, Saka became the youngest player in Arsenal's history to reach 50 goals in the Premier League.

Liverpool responded quickly, leveling the score through Virgil van Dijk. However, before the halftime whistle, the hosts regained the lead thanks to Mikel Merino, who netted his first goal for Arsenal.

As the second half unfolded, Liverpool ramped up the pressure on David Raya's goal, but clear-cut chances were few and far between.

The match descended into a gritty battle, resulting in two injuries for the Gunners as defenders Gabriel and Jurrien Timber had to leave the pitch.

Arsenal's makeshift defensive lineup became a liability as Liverpool launched a counterattack that was expertly finished by Mohamed Salah.

There were no more goals in the match. In that, Arsenal are five points behind leading Manchester City and four points behind Liverpool.

• Premier League, Round 9
  Arsenal - Liverpool 2:2
  Goals: Saka 9, Merino 43 - Van Dijk 18, Salah 81