Arsenal misses chance to go eight points clear
Arsenal missed the chance to go eight points clear at the top of the Premier League after being held to a 0-0 draw by Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium.
A run of three straight draws for Manchester City gave Mikel Arteta's side a chance to further stretch its advantage at the summit, but the Gunners produced a lacklustre attacking performance to frustrate their home fans.
Arsenal started brightly with Bukayo Saka at the heart of several promising moments, but neither the England winger nor Jurrien Timber could pick out a red shirt from the byline.
Liverpool went close in the 27th minute after a mix-up between William Saliba and David Raya.
Saliba's poor back pass forced Raya into a rushed clearance, and after seizing upon the loose ball, Conor Bradley saw his delicate lob bounce off the crossbar.
Neither team created a better opportunity than that for the remainder of the contest, with Arsenal not attempting a single shot between the 45th minute and second-half stoppage time.
Dominik Szoboszlai – who scored a stunning free-kick in the reverse fixture – sent another dead-ball effort onto the roof of the net, while Arsenal finally fired off three shots after the fourth official's board went up.
However, Gabriel Magalhaes hit the side netting from the best of those half-chances, while tempers boiled over when Gabriel Martinelli attempted to push Bradley – who was down with a serious-looking knee injury that led him to be carried off – over the sideline.
Arsenal is six points clear of City and Aston Villa after seeing its winning run halted at five games, while Liverpool remains fourth, two points clear of the chasing pack.
