“Of course it was a penalty” – Arsenal defender William Saliba admits Arsenal were lucky to escape with a draw against Liverpool

Arsenal were lucky to not be penalized for Odegaard's handball against Liverpool.

“Of course it was a penalty” – Arsenal defender William Saliba admits Arsenal were lucky to escape with a draw against Liverpool

William Saliba on the penalty call. (Image Source: X/@Arsenal & ThePaulMachin)

Arsenal will spend Christmas atop the Premier League table. The Gunners ‘held on’ to a 1-1 draw at Anfield as goals from Gabriel Magalhães and Mohamed Salah canceled out each other. Even though Arsenal did not manage to break their winless record at Anfield in their last 10 games, a point against Liverpool was enough to push them to the top. Arsenal defender William Saliba said that they (Arsenal) were ‘lucky’ to escape punishment against the Reds.

Even though Arsenal put up a solid performance at the back, it was not without their solid share of luck. A video replay of an incident in the Arsenal box shows Martin Odegaard handling the ball. Even though fans may claim that the incident was a ‘slip’ from Odegaard, Liverpool fans are raging that they have been done wrong by the referee’s call.

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Following the game, Saliba spoke to the Press and admitted Arsenal were lucky to not be penalized for the same.

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Yes, of course, it was a penalty. But I'm not the referee and we have to accept his decision.
William Saliba on the penalty incident

Even though the Arsenal captain was let off the hook, the Arsenal defense deserves its praise. William Saliba who was paired with Gabriel Magalhães in defense, put up a mammoth performance to keep out Mohamed Salah and co. upfront.

Arsenal and Liverpool share the spoils, the Reds maintain an unbeaten streak at Anfield

Arsenal went into the tie with many labeling them as ‘second best’ to Liverpool. However, the Gunners put up a ‘praiseworthy’ performance in front of the Kop and will celebrate Christmas atop the Premier League table. The highly anticipated fixture did not disappoint, as fans were kept on their toes throughout the game.

Gabriel Magalhaes' goal vs Liverpool
Gabriel Magalhaes’ goal vs Liverpool. (Via X/@Arsenal)

Arsenal, who were winless in their last 10 trips to Anfield, put their best foot forward. The visitors took the lead within 4 minutes as Gabriel Magalhães headed home from a Martin Odegaard free-kick. Mo Salah then hit the side netting before Odegaard was let off the hook for a suspected handball inside the box. Salah then quickly followed up with a spectacular goal.

Trent Alexander-Arnold’s sublime pass found Mohamed Salah, who dribbled past Oleksandr Zinchenko before unleashing a bullet shot past David Raya. In another moment, Konstantinos Tsimikas tumbled into Jurgen Klopp and was forced off the pitch with an apparent collarbone injury.

The most chaotic moment of the match came in the second half when Arsenal were caught on the counter. Faced with a 5v1, Trent Alexander-Arnold hit the crossbar from point-blank range. The game ended 1-1, as Liverpool and Arsenal respectively take second and first spot in the Premier League.

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