Gunners grant Reds a date with destiny

Liverpool are on the brink of winning the Premier League title after Arsenal were held to a 2-2 draw by Crystal Palace on Wednesday. 

Jean-Philippe Mateta’s spectacular late equaliser for Palace at the Emirates Stadium means all that Liverpool need to do is avoid defeat against Tottenham at Anfield on Sunday.

The Reds are 12 points ahead of second-placed Arsenal with one more game in hand than the latter. 

While the champagne remains on ice for Arne Slot’s men, it is only a matter of time before Liverpool finish their relentless march to the title after Arsenal’s third draw in their last four league games.

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 “We are disappointed with the result and performance. We didn’t find enough consistency in actions to dominate the game,” Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta lamented. 

“In many aspects we should have done better. Palace were very organised and deserve credit, but we dropped our standards,” he added. 

Jakub Kiwior headed the Gunners ahead early on (third minute) via a free-kick from Martin Odegaard, but Eberechi Eze’s volley from the edge of the box drew the visitors level 23 minutes later. 

Leandro Trossard put Arsenal back ahead in the 42nd minute as the Belgian took Jurrien Timber’s pass and deftly evaded two Palace defenders before clipping a deflected finish into the bottom corner from 12 yards.

However, the Gunners’ incredibly reliable centre-back William Saliba carelessly conceded possession late in the game and Mateta pounced to chip a superb finish in the 83rd minute over the out of position goalkeeper David Raya from 30 yards to leave Liverpool within touching distance of the title.

For Arsenal, their only remaining shot at winning silverware is via the Champions League. They will take on PSG in the first leg of their semi-final clash next week.

With no Premier League fixture over the weekend, Arteta is hoping his charges are well-rested for what he termed as ‘the most important game of the season.’
“It is nice to have long gap, we need it and we need players back to full strength. We have the most important game of the season in six days. We need to get our energy back,” said Arteta.

12
No. of points that separate EPL leaders Liverpool from No. 2 Arsenal

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