Mohamed Salah came to Liverpool's rescue, scoring a late equalizer that prevented a loss against Arsenal at the Emirates. However, the 2-2 draw wasn’t enough to keep Liverpool atop the Premier League standings, as Manchester City took the lead after their win over Southampton.

The Reds, led by Dutch manager Arne Slot, needed a victory to maintain their top spot in the league amidst a fierce battle with Pep Guardiola’s City. But Arsenal, despite their recent loss to Bournemouth, proved a challenging rival with title aspirations of their own.

The result was disappointing for both teams. Liverpool’s drop to second and Arsenal's position further away from the top spots leave both clubs with ground to make up. Liverpool now trails City by one point, while Arsenal lags five points behind the reigning champions.

Arsenal initially took control with Bukayo Saka in the spotlight. A long pass from Ben White set up Saka, who outpaced Andrew Robertson and scored past Caomhin Kelleher at the near post.

Liverpool nearly equalized soon after, but Salah missed his chance. Four minutes later, a corner taken by Trent Alexander-Arnold saw Virgil van Dijk capitalize after a flick from Luis Díaz.

Arsenal regained the lead before halftime. In the 43rd minute, Mikel Merino’s header from a Declan Rice free-kick was confirmed by VAR, putting the Gunners ahead.

Liverpool turned the tide with sustained pressure in the second half, especially after Slot introduced Kostas Tsimikas, Dominik Szoboszlai, and Cody Gakpo. The Reds’ persistence paid off in the 81st minute with a classic long ball from Alexander-Arnold to Darwin Núñez, who found Salah. The Egyptian converted with a smooth finish past David Raya, leveling the score but leaving Liverpool just short of holding the league’s top position.