Liverpool and Arsenal Play Out Thrilling 3-3 Draw

A 90th minute equaliser from substitute Joe Allen salvaged a 3-3 draw for Liverpool against Arsenal this evening at Anfield. An exhilarating affair that saw four goals scored during a frantic 15 minute period in the first half, both teams deservedly shared the points on a cold night on Merseyside.

Arsenal fell behind twice in the first half with Roberto Firmino (finally) proving his worth by opening the scoring in the 10th minute after Emre Can's shot was parried away by Petr Cech. Some rudimentary defending from Arsenal could have averted the goal but a lack of organisation and urgency, recurring themes throughout the match, could've seen a different outcome.

Arsenal answered only 4 minutes later through Aaron Ramsey who squeezed his shot between Simon Mignolet and the near post. An inadequate headed clearance from Kolo Toure gifted posession to Ramsey who lobbed the ball over to the in-form Joel Campbell before cutting through the box and receiving the return pass from the Costa Rican. Ramsey did well to pull Arsenal level however fans and pundits alike would have expected Mignolet to cover his near post more capably.

Liverpool pulled ahead once again through another Firmino goal, this time a long range effort that soared into the top right corner. While the goal was certainly well finished and no discredit to him, Firmino was fortuitous in the sense that Arsenal essentially gifted Liverpool possession of the ball inside the final third. An absurd amount of richochets between Per Mertesacker and winger Joel Campbell saw James Milner maintain possession before teeing up Firmino for the goal. While Mertesacker overall had a impressive performance, this goal, as with the first, could have been prevented.

Once again Arsenal showed their resilience and pulled the game back to 2-2 through a sloppy albeit effective set piece. Interestingly, Aaron Ramsey stepped up to take the corner as opposed to Mesut Ozil and nearly butchered it, with the ball veering closer to the goal line than the penalty spot itself. However, a deft touch from Olivier Giroud bounced favourably off the inside of Simon Mignolet's leg and into the back of the net. Just before the half finished, Firmino had a chance to seal his hat-trick however blasted his shot too high, grazing the bar as it rose into the nosebleed section. The two sides went into the break level, with many chances going astray due to the appaling conditions.

The second half began in similar fashion with both Alberto Moreno and Joel Campbell coming close to breaking the deadlock but it was Olivier Giroud who put Arsenal ahead in the 55th minute. With his 12th goal of the Premier League campaign, Giroud puts the Gunners in the drivers seat and silenced the Anfield crowd. A swift counter attack from Arsenal saw Walcott cross the ball to Ramsey but had it deflected along the way, falling into the path of the Frenchman. A gorgeous turn put the ball onto Giroud's favoured left foot and before he calmly placed it into the bottom corner.

Liverpool initially seemed disheartened by the goal with Arsenal pushing for another but were resolute in their defending and composed on the counter. A series of free kicks and careless defending from Arsenal saw Liverpool build some momentum leading into the final 10 minutes, with Christian Benteke's height and power causing trouble for the Arsenal defence. In the end, it was a looping header from the towering Belgian that fell to Joe Allen, better known as the 'Welsh Xavi". The Arsenal defenders once again lacked the urgency to clear the ball, allowing it to fall to the feet of the 5"6 Welshman who tucked the ball away from inside the six yard box.

The 3-3 draw sees Arsenal remain on top of the table, although only on goal difference after Leicester City snatched a 1-0 away win over Spurs. Liverpool slip down to 9th but are only three points of 6th placed Manchester United who are suffering their own problems.

While both teams will argue that they could have secured all three points, a draw is an appropriate finish to yet another thrilling game at Anfield.