Arsenal problem outlined as Liverpool repeat sneaky Real Madrid trick at Anfield

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Arsenal secured a 1-1 draw away at Liverpool yesterday to keep their spot at the top of the Premier League going into Christmas.

Mohamed Salah’s stunner cancelled out an early opener from Gabriel Magalhaes, and both teams had a few good chances in what was a very even game overall.

Liverpool did suffer injuries during the game, as Kostas Tsimikas and Luis Diaz were both withdrawn after heavy collisions, and both came as a result of players slipping on what was a very wet Anfield pitch.

Martin Odegaard was also somewhat fortunate as he was not penalised for handling the ball in the box as he slipped, and there were several instances where Arsenal players failed to keep their footing.

Whilst some may attribute this to the heavy rainfall in the area leading up to the game, this is not the first time where Liverpool’s home pitch has been notably slippery.

Did Liverpool over-water their pitch against Arsenal?

Jurgen Klopp’s side lost 5-2 at home to Real Madrid in the Champions League last season, and reports after the game suggested that Liverpool had heavily watered the pitch to slow the ball down.

This was perhaps intended to disrupt Real Madrid from playing a short passing style, whilst Liverpool would then play the ball long in the air to avoid the turf, which would have been far less smooth than what the visitors were used to.

The same trick seemed to be applied yesterday, as Gabriel Martinelli, Bukayo Saka and Odegaard all found themselves slipping throughout the game, including in dangerous attacking zones as Martinelli failed to take a big chance in the first half.

Were both sides affected by the Anfield pitch?

The injury to Tsimikas came as a result of a collision with Saka, after the winger had slipped near the touchline, causing the Greek defender to smash into Klopp.

Trent Alexander-Arnold could also have given his side the lead with a huge chance in the second half, but he hit the crossbar after the ball bobbled following a pass from Salah. With the pitch not allowing the ball to roll smoothly, both sides saw their passing ability affected.

This did affect Arsenal more than Liverpool, as the start of the second half saw the visitors give the ball away several times with poor passes, and invited a wave of relentless pressure from the hosts.

Arsenal dug in and secured the point, with William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes excellent at the back, but Real Madrid’s previous struggles on the same pitch have shown that the difficulties faced by Mikel Arteta’s side were by design.