'Reaffirmed them' - National media give Liverpool verdict after 'breathless' Arsenal clash
Liverpool had sights on being top of the table at Christmas. However, they missed the chance to leapfrog Arsenal at the summit of the Premier League after drawing the massive match with their title rivals 1-1 at Anfield.
It was a nightmare start from Jurgen Klopp's side as they fell behind inside four minutes. Defender Gabriel lost his marker and capitalised on Alisson Becker's hesitancy to head the visitors into the lead.
The lead would only last 25 minutes, however, before Trent Alexander-Arnold superbly found Mohamed Salah, who danced past Oleksandr Zinchenko before firing past David Raya at his near post.
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Liverpool had chances to win the game with Alexander-Arnold rattling the crossbar following an incisive counter-attack. There was also some frustration at Anfield as Chris Kavanagh failed to spot any wrongdoing in the first-half when Martin Odegaard handled in the ball in the area.
And here is how the national media, and the Liverpool ECHO's Paul Gorst, reacted to the blood-and-thunder clash.
"This was far, far better from Liverpool"
Jason Burt of The Telegraph wrote: "As Jurgen Klopp demanded, Liverpool brought the noise, but the loudest cheer, perhaps, was down the M62 where Manchester City arrived back from winning the Club World Cup to find out they had not lost too much ground in the Premier League title race and their hopes of another trophy.
"This hugely-entertaining draw against Arsenal was a second in a row at home for Liverpool, who were looking to make a statement in those fixtures. But whereas the stalemate against Manchester
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