2023-12-24 00:32:54
The status of the Premier League as the best league in the world is confirmed by these types of matches that the competition offers us regularly. Liverpool and Arsenal signed one of those great matches that make the spectator vibrate, with a frenetic pace, chances for both sides and that finally left the locals with a bitter taste, as they did not manage to snatch first place from Arsenal, who will become leaders in the Boxing Day.
Arteta’s men came out responsive, without being intimidated by the appearance of Anfield. They were superior during the first twenty minutes, they tied up Liverpool’s exit with great pressure and took the lead on the scoreboard through Gabriel after a great service from Odegaard, once again excellent throughout the match. The goal allowed Arsenal to alternate their approach and on occasions the Gunners agreed to give the ball to their rival and try to find spaces after stealing.
Everything changed shortly before the half-hour mark when Salah tied the game with a trademark goal. The Egyptian has 121 goal contributions in 120 games at Anfield, figures that place him in the Olympus of Reds legends. Martinelli had a clear chance to put his team ahead again before the break, but his shot missed the target.
Second part allocated
The second half was crazier, an exchange of constant blows that could have decided the game for either side. The triple change that Jurgen Klopp made suited his team well and they took over the game as the minutes progressed. Elliot, as soon as he entered, and Alexander Arnold shortly after, had the clearest opportunities, but both shots hit the woodwork. Arsenal suffered and began to suffer from the effort, while the Reds grew along with their fans. The brilliant defensive performance of Gabriel and Saliba, the two Gunners centre-backs, saved their team and allowed them to obtain a fundamental point.
With Aston Villa’s draw everything remains the same in the Premier. Arsenal maintains its slim lead of one point over Emery’s team and Liverpool, tied at 39. However, the binge of matches that the Premier gives us every Christmas can change everything. There are still two days left before the end of the year, and Arteta’s men know that they cannot fail if they want to become winter champions.
Italian Serie A
Serie A already seems like a two-man affair. Milan’s draw against the bottom team, Salernitana, has left the Rossoneros eleven points behind Inter, a distance that seems insurmountable. Only Juventus is running as a rival for Inzaghi’s team. Both teams won their matches. Juventus did it with suffering, as has been usual this season. A goal from Vlahovic in the final minutes gave the Bianconeri the victory against Frosinone. Inter played hours later, and with goals from Bisseck and Barella they defeated Lecce to maintain the four-point lead over Allegri’s team.
However, this situation at the top of the table has caused a traffic jam in the immediately following positions. From Torino, tenth with 24 points, to Milan, third with 33, there are only nine points away and six other teams in contention for the two remaining Champions League places, assuming that Inter and Juve will be there next year. It comes in the maximum continental competition.
Just two points behind Milan is the great revelation of Calcio, Thiago Motta’s Bologna, which has capped a fantastic week. They defeated Roma the previous day, eliminated Inter from the Coppa with a comeback in extra time and beat Atalanta this Saturday. One point behind is Fiorentina who have found the consistency in the league that they lacked the previous season. Roma is sixth, after achieving a prestigious 2-0 victory against Naples, with goals from Pellegrini and Lukaku in the final minutes. It is precisely the current champion who is in seventh position. The arrival of Mazzarri has not improved anything for the Partenopean team, which has lost three of its last four Serie A games and was eliminated from the Coppa in a humiliating way against Frosinone by 0-4.
Gasperini’s Atalanta is still one point behind the Neapolitans after losing to Bologna and behind them are Lazio and Torino, both with 24 points. Sarri’s men beat Empoli 0-2, a fundamental victory to reclaim their position at the top, while Torino missed the opportunity to climb positions after failing to draw at home against Udinese (1-1). There are still more than twenty days left to play, but the fight for the European places, and especially for those two Champions League places, seems to have more contenders than usual and the fight between them promises to be exciting.
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