ANFIELD, LIVERPOOL — Arsenal ensured they will sit top of the Premier League on Christmas Day as they played out an entertaining 1-1 draw with Liverpool.
Gabriel gave the Gunners a dream start at Anfield when he headed in a Martin Odegaard free-kick with just four minutes on the clock.
But the hosts responded before the break, Mohamed Salah powerfully driving in after being found over the top by Trent Alexander-Arnold.
An engrossing contest followed, with Alexander-Arnold coming closest to winning it for either side when he struck the bar on the break.
However, neither team could find the breakthrough, ensuring Arsenal top the table at Christmas with Liverpool in second just a point behind.
Liverpool vs Arsenal final score
| Fulltime | Goalscorers | |
| LIV | 1 | Salah (29) |
| ARS | 1 | Gabriel (4) |
Lineups:
Liverpool lineup (4-3-3): Alisson (GK) — Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Tsimikas — Szoboszlai, Endo, Jones — Salah, Gakpo, Diaz.
Arsenal lineup (4-3-3): Raya (GK) — White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko — Odegaard, Rice, Havertz — Saka, Jesus, Martinelli.
Liverpool vs Arsenal updates, highlights, and commentary
FULLTIME: LIVERPOOL 1-1 ARSENAL
The whistle sounds to mark the end of an engrossing clash between two title contenders at Anfield. No team could find the winner in the end but we saw plenty of evidence that these two teams will be engaged in a nip and tuck battle for supremacy across the remainder of the season.
90th min: Five minutes to be added on. Plenty of time for a winner!
89th min: Anfield is raging after Saka catches Endo late but replays show the Englishman slipped and so it looks a good call not to show him a card.
84th min: Salah kicks the ball away in frustration after being pulled up for a foul on Nketiah and earns himself a booking.
81st min: A quick VAR check for a penalty after a coming together between Alexander-Arnold and Havertz but noting comes from it.
78th min: A change for Arsenal now as Nketiah replaces Jesus up top. Can he be the hero?
72nd min: Off the bar!!!
Liverpool nick the ball off Odegaard and hare up the pitch through Salah, who waits until the final moments to pick out the onrushing Alexander-Arnold.
The defender looks all set to take the roof off Anfield but smashes his effort onto the crossbar. He should have scored.
69th min: Luis Diaz is down hurt after what looked like a clash of knees with Bukayo Saka.
Jurgen Klopp is using the break in playing to make three changes, with Darwin Nunez, Harvey Elliott and Ryan Gravenberch entering the fray in place of Diaz, Cody Gakpo and Curtis Jones.
Arsenal, meanwhile, swap out Gabriel Martinelli for Leandro Trossard.
60th min: Zinchenko fires over moments after Saka sends a delicious low cross right across the face of the Liverpool goal.
Arsenal have weathered the storm early in this second half and are starting to threaten again.
54th min: Joe Gomez arrives late into the box to latch onto a Diaz pass and curls a shot inches wide of the far post.
That would have been a good time to get his first ever Liverpool goal.
52nd min: Salah gets away down the right before feeding Diaz but his attempt is a horrible miscue that dribbles wide.
Liverpool looking improved in the early stages of this second half.
49th min: Rice climbs all over Gakpo as he attempts to run towards the Arsenal goal and that'll be another booking.
We have had a few of those today!
KICKOFF: LIVERPOOL RESTART THE GAME
HALFTIME: LIVERPOOL 1-1 ARSENAL
45th min (+3): And now another booking, this time for Kai Havertz for dragging Endo down as he looked to drive forward.
45th min (+2): Wataru Endo now sees yellow for a cynical drag back on Martinelli as he attempts to break.
45th min: Four minutes to be added on at the end of this half.
41st min: The ball falls to Martinelli in the box after Saka bursts in behind but he can only direct his attempt wide of the post.
There may have been an offside in the build-up so it's not clear whether that would have counted.
38th min: Saka cynically trips Jones as he attempts to drive through midfield and sees the game's first yellow card.
34th min: Tsimikas is tripped by Saka as the pair battle for a ball on the touchline and goes bundling into Klopp, knocking the German over.
It's a sore one for Tsimikas, so much so that he has to be replaced by Joe Gomez and leaves the field clutching his shoulder. A blow for the hosts.
29th min: GOAL!!! LIVERPOOL LEVEL IT UP FROM NOWHERE!
The hosts haven't really got going yet but they are somehow back in this game.
Their equaliser comes from Mohamed Salah, who latches onto a sumptuous Trent Alexander-Arnold ball over the top and cuts inside Zinchenko before unleashing a thunderous effort that gives Raya no chance.
Watch in UK
Lightning quick start for Arsenal at Anfield ⚡ pic.twitter.com/IgPyuu1r3i
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) December 23, 2023
Watch in Australia
Gabriel gives Arsenal a three and a half minute lead at Liverpool! 😱
— Optus Sport (@OptusSport) December 23, 2023
This top-of-the-table clash explodes into life early - and that's the Gunners' fastest ever goal at Anfield in #PL history! ⚡️
Stream LIVE, or on-demand after, here 📲 https://t.co/wdM7tdgfb9#OptusSport pic.twitter.com/n7dqm1qnUH
Watch in USA
Gabriel heads the Gunners in front at Anfield! #LIVARS
— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) December 23, 2023
📺 @NBC & @peacock pic.twitter.com/hfh2aTin2i
27th min: Liverpool really struggling to create in the first half-hour of this game. That is down to a finely tuned Arsenal press but also some excellent defending whenever the hosts do manage to pass through.
21st min: Salah clips a cross into the middle that goes agonisingly over Gakpo's head, allowing Arsenal to clear.
13th min: Jesus shoots over after a good work by Martinelli on the break and then Liverpool respond by finding Salah in the box for an effort that hits the side-netting.
This is really getting going now.
10th min: Arsenal in front and good value for it so far. They are penning Liverpool in, making it hard for them to progress the ball up the pitch.
4th min: ARSENAL TAKE THE LEAD!!!
Anfield is silenced as Gabriel leaps highest to meet an Odegaard free-kick delivery and loop a header beyond a helpless Alisson.
Arsenal had made a sharp start to this game and now they have their noses in front! What a start.
Watch in UK
WHAT a ball from Trent ⚽
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) December 23, 2023
WHAT a finish from Salah 💥 pic.twitter.com/WCK2PD8Qps
Watch in Australia
World class from Mo Salah and sublime from Trent Alexander-Arnold! 🔥
— Optus Sport (@OptusSport) December 23, 2023
Liverpool get level against Arsenal with some seriously simple football, executed to perfection! 💥#OptusSport #PL pic.twitter.com/dpV61KU6yU
Watch in USA
WHAT A PASS.
— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) December 23, 2023
WHAT A FINISH.
WHAT A GOAL.
Mo Salah brings Liverpool level! pic.twitter.com/ifPNH2BQU9
1st min: Arsenal straight on the front foot here, with Jesus seeing an effort deflected over the bar after the ball falls to him from an awkward Alisson attempt claw a cross away.
Havertz then heads the subsequent corner goalward, but not with enough power to trouble the Liverpool goalkeeper.
KICKOFF: ARSENAL GET US UNDER WAY
5 mins to KO: Here come the players to a cacophony of noise. Klopp's pep talk to the crowd might just have done the job.
10 mins to KO: A pre-match reminder that Arsenal's last win at Anfield came in September 2012, when Mikel Arteta played in midfield in a 2-0 success for the visitors. A victory today really would be a seismic statement from the Gunners.
25 mins to KO: The players are out for their warm-ups and Anfield is filling up nicely. Jurgen Klopp had plenty to say about the atmosphere after the midweek win over West Ham - will he be happier with what he hears from the stands today?
45 mins to KO: So, Jurgen Klopp making a big call in leaving Darwin Nunez on the bench for this one. He will hope the Uruguayan can still have an impact coming in as a substitute.
As for Arsenal, absolutely no surprised they are unchanged from a dominant performance at Brighton.
1 hr to KO: The team news is in! Check out the line ups above or scroll down to see the full squads.
1.5 hrs to KO: Some interesting early team news reaching us, with suggestions that Cody Gakpo is in line for a start up top in place of Darwin Nunez. That would be a big call from Jurgen Klopp.
2 hrs to KO: Hello and welcome to The Sporting News' live coverage of Liverpool vs Arsenal from Anfield. We're building up to a mouthwatering clash between the Premier League's top two, with a place at the summit for Christmas Day on the line.
Liverpool vs Arsenal lineups
Liverpool lineup (4-3-3): Alisson (GK) — Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Tsimikas — Szoboszlai, Endo, Jones — Salah, Gakpo, Diaz.
Subs: Kelleher, Gomez, Nunez, Elliott, Gravenberch, Clark, McConnell, Quansah, Bradley.
- Injured: Matip, Thiago, Jota, Robertson, Mac Allister, Bajcetic.
- Suspended: None
Curtis Jones retains his starting spot in midfield after a brilliant two-goal showing against West Ham United in midweek.
The other big selection call comes up top, where Cody Gakpo starts in attack, pushing Darwin Nunez onto the bench.
Arsenal starting 11
Arsenal lineup (4-3-3, right to left): Raya (GK) — White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko — Odegaard, Rice, Havertz — Saka, Jesus, Martinelli.
Subs: Ramsdale, Smith Rowe, Nketiah, Kiwior, Soares, Trossard, Jorginho, Reiss Nelson, Elneny.
- Injured: Vieira, Tomiyasu, Partey, Timber, Jorginho (doubtful), Elneny (doubtful).
- Suspended: None
With no new injury concerns ahead of this one, Mikel Arteta sticks with the same starting lineup that defeated Brighton last time out.
That means four changes from the Gunners' 2-2 draw at Anfield in April, with the additions of David Raya, William Saliba, Declan Rice and Kai Havertz.
Liverpool vs Arsenal live stream, TV channel
Here's how to watch this Premier League match across selected areas of the world's major regions:
| Region | TV | Streaming |
| USA | NBC USA Network, Peacock | Fubo, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo |
| Canada | — | |
| UK | Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Premier League | Sky GO, Now TV |
| Australia | — | Optus Sport |
| India | — | Hotstar VIP, JioTV |
USA: This game is being broadcast on the NBC USA and Peacock networks. Spanish language streaming options are on Telemundo which are available via Fubo.
Canada: Every Premier League game this season is live streaming exclusively via Fubo in Canada.
Australia: Fans in Australia can stream every match live and on demand on Optus Sport.
UK: This match is available for live broadcast with Sky Sports and streaming options via Sky GO and Now TV.