Liverpool vs Arsenal player ratings: William Saliba stars in defence as he bullies Cody Gakpo

Liverpool were held by Arsenal to a 1-1 draw in a thrilling match at Anfield.

Arsenal took the lead through Gabriel’s fourth-minute header but Mohamed Salah evened the score in the 29th. Salah’s 151st Premier League goal moved him to 10th on the all-time list. Liverpool pressed hardest in the second half and hit the woodwork twice.

Mikel Arteta’s team will go into Christmas at the top of the Premier League, with Liverpool a point behind in second.

Liverpool

Alisson Becker

Neither came for the ball nor stayed in position for Gabriel’s goal, for which he will be disappointed. Not overly busy otherwise. 6

Trent Alexander-Arnold

Exquisite passes are simply what the fans have come to expect. Fabulous assist for Salah’s goal but hit the bar when he had to score. 7

Ibrahima Konate

Lost Gabriel for Arsenal’s opener and appeared nervous at first. Grew into the game, though, and helped Alexander-Arnold in the battle with Martinelli. 7

Virgil van Dijk

Arsenal’s forwards kept their distance, instead preferring to target Konate. Calm on the ball and strong in the air, as usual. 7

Kostas Tsimikas

Forced off the pitch with a bizarre injury after tumbling into Jurgen Klopp on the touchline. He had been shoved by Saka. Replaced by Gomez. 6

Dominik Szoboszlai

Shuttled from box-to-box and found some encouraging positions in midfield, but never made the most of them. Diligent and disciplined. 6

Wataru Endo

A physical and energetic showing in midfield, where he lunged into tackles and stopped a number of Arsenal attacks. Impressive. 7

Curtis Jones

His running power, on and off the ball, caused problems for Arsenal. More than anyone, he helped to build momentum for Liverpool after their slow start. 7

Mohamed Salah

Produced a typically decisive finish to bring Liverpool level in the first half. Aside from the goal, he was strangely sloppy in promising positions. 7

Cody Gakpo

Seemed unable to shake off the monstrous Saliba and was bullied at times. Never had a sight of goal before he was replaced by Nunez. 5

Luis Diaz

Nowhere near his electrifying best and failed to trouble White here, despite opportunities to run. Substituted after receiving treatment for a heavy knock. 5

Arsenal

David Raya

The Arsenal goalkeeper had no chance of stopping Salah’s powerful strike. Has been jumpy at times this season but was calm on the ball here. 6

Ben White

Had the upper hand in the one-on-one duel with Diaz. Tried to get forward when he could but was more preoccupied with his defensive duties. 6

William Saliba

A giant at the back, once again. Totally dominated Gakpo and seemed to grow even stronger as the match progressed. Built for these games. 8

Gabriel Magalhaes

Powerful header gave Arsenal the lead, and he went on to defend with all of his usual aggression. Has become a leader. 8

Oleksandr Zinchenko

Beaten too easily by Salah for Liverpool’s goal and was clearly targeted. Offers so much on the ball but defensive vulnerability was a problem. 5

Martin Odegaard

Delivered the free-kick for Gabriel. Lived through some challenging moments but kept playing. Fortunate that his handball wasn’t punished. 6

Declan Rice

Defensive work was crucial as Arsenal faced sustained pressure for long periods. Showed his personality and ability to cover huge spaces. 7

Kai Havertz

Struggled to find a foothold in the game but did his defensive work when needed. Harshly booked for an innocuous challenge on Endo. 6

Bukayo Saka

Up for the physical challenge of playing at Anfield, shoving Tsimikas off the pitch. Arsenal’s biggest threat throughout, but could not find a decisive moment. 7

Gabriel Jesus

Fired over with his best chance, early in the first half, and was restricted to feeding off scraps after that. Needed more support at times. 6

Gabriel Martinelli

Willingness to run in behind made him a constant threat, but he did not do enough with the openings he had. Fired wide with one of the best chances of the game. 5