Team Arsenal ensured they will spent Christmas Day on top of the Premier League as they held title rivals Liverpool thrushing 1-1 draw at Anfield on Saturday.
Arteta’s side took an early lead through Gabriel Magalhaes, but Mohamed Salah hauled Liverpool level before the interval.
A draw was arguably the right result after both sides flexed their muscles.A flowing move cut open the Liverpool defence and ended with Gabriel Jesus’s shot deflecting just over.
It was a warning and Arsenal took the lead after only four minutes.
Martin Odegaard delivered a perfect free-kick into the Liverpool area and Gabriel rose to thump his header past Alisson Becker from eight yards.
The Brazilian defender celebrated by cupping his hands to his ears in front of the Kop.
Anfield was stunned but not silenced. Falling behind was nothing new to Liverpool, who had trailed in eight other Premier League games this season and only lost one of them.
Arsenal weren’t completely satisfied either.
Last season they led 2-0 at Liverpool but ended up drawing 2-2, a result that started their collapse in the title race.
Their failure to hold on this time should not have such a damaging impact, but it was still a missed opportunity.
Klopp had urged Liverpool fans to give Arsenal the “proper Anfield experience” after saying he was unhappy with the atmosphere during Wednesday’s 5-1 rout of West Ham in the League Cup.
The German said fans “not in the right shape” should give their ticket “to somebody else”, but Arteta was well aware of the maelstrom lying in wait.
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Arteta likened the visceral Anfield experience to being thrown around in a “washing machine”.Liverpool were controversially denied a penalty by VAR when Odegaard handled in the area after slipping under pressure from Salah.
Salah took it upon himself to ensure Liverpool weren’t left to rue that debatable decision as the Egyptian conjured a superb 29th minute equaliser.
Trent Alexander-Arnold’s raking pass picked out Salah down the right flank and he glided away from Oleksandr Zinchenko into the area before smashing a fierce strike past David Raya at his near post.
A thrilling half concluded with Arteta holding his head when Gabriel Martinelli shot wide moments after Saka ran through on goal but failed to finish.