Mikel Arteta admits Arsenal 'didn't have courage' during pulsating draw with Liverpool

Gunners squandered lead twice at the Emirates Stadium as injury woes mounted

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  Mohamed Salah celebrates scoring Liverpool's second goal in their 2-2 Premier League draw with Arsenal at Emirates Stadium on October 27, 2024. Getty Images

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  Mohamed Salah scores Liverpool's second goal in the 81st minute. PA

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  Liverpool's Mohamed Salah celebrates making it 2-2. Reuters

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  Arsenal midfielder Mikel Merino heads home to make it 2-1 in the 43rd minute. AFP

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  Arsenal's Mikel Merino celebrates after scoring. AP

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  Virgil van Dijk celebrates scoring his Liverpool's first goal in the 18th minute. Getty Images

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  Virgil van Dijk heads home for Liverpool to make it 1-1. Reuters

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  Bukayo Saka celebrates after scoring to make it 1-0. EPA

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  Bukayo Saka scores the Arsenal's first goal at the Emirates Stadium. AFP

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  Bukayo Saka celebrates after putting Arsenal 1-0 after nine minutes. AP

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta insisted injury-hit Arsenal will fight back in the Premier League title race after Sunday's 2-2 draw against Liverpool.

The Gunners squandered the lead twice and the showdown at the Emirates Stadium reached its peak when Mohamed Salah's equalised nine minutes from full-time.

Arsenal led through Bukayo Saka's early opener and Virgil van Dijk's equaliser was followed by Mikel Merino's header on the stroke of half-time.

Salah's late equaliser meant the single point was not enough for the Reds to reclaim top spot in the Premier League, leaving champions Manchester City at the summit.

Having failed to win their last two league games, third-placed Arsenal sit five points behind City.

Arteta was left frustrated by Arsenal's failure to turn their first half dominance into further goals, with their spluttering performance after the interval adding to his disappointment.

"The first half was total domination, the scoreline should have been bigger, but without giving anything away we conceded two goals. That is the disappointing thing," Arteta said.

"We were better by far, but we didn't do a couple of things better in the second half, that's why we didn't win. We didn't have courage. I'm more disappointed and frustrated by that."

Arteta admitted Arsenal's defensive crisis was a significant factor in their second half woes.

"Very proud of the team especially with the (injury) situation we are going through at the moment that you couldn't imagine," he said.

"It is what it is. We had to adapt to it and we will continue to adapt to that."

Arsenal were hamstrung by second half injuries to Gabriel Magalhaes and Jurrien Timber, weakening an already under-strength defence missing the suspended William Saliba and the injured Riccardo Calafiori.

They finished the game with a makeshift rearguard of midfielder Thomas Partey at right-back and Ben White shuffled from right-back into central defence.

Arteta was unable to provide an update on the status of Gabriel and Timber, but he is certain Arsenal's title prospects remain intact.

"You don't want to be in that position, you want to be five points ahead. This is football, the circumstances are going to make us better. The team want it," he said.

After winning 11 of his first 12 games since arriving from Feyenoord to replace Jurgen Klopp, Liverpool boss Arne Slot passed a major test of his team's title hopes.

Slot had benefitted from a relatively undemanding fixture list until the last seven days, when Liverpool defeated Chelsea, beat Leipzig in the Champions League and took on Arsenal.

"Going behind two times against a very good team, to get a point is pleasing to see. They dominated us in the first half. We came back so strong in the second half," Slot said.

"Can you get a result in a difficult way like this? We put more energy into it in the second half. They had to take off a few of their quality players and maybe that helped us."

However, Slot refused to look much into the title race.

"I know you guys like to talk about title contenders and where we are exactly in the league – and that's also part of your job," he said. "The only thing I look at is: can you get a result in a difficult away game like this one?

"The way we did it pleased me a lot. To see that we can compete with such a strong Arsenal team in their stadium, that is very pleasing to see.

"But where that exactly will lead towards the end of the season, I cannot tell you yet."