Arsenal wanted a statement, but there won’t be much more said about this 0-0 draw with Liverpool at all – outside the controversy surrounding Gabriel Martinelli’s shameful moment. It was perhaps surprising that Arne Slot’s players didn’t respond with even greater fury after he pushed a clearly injured Conor Bradley off the pitch.
It was otherwise very much like the game in August, except without a moment of magic to settle it, or pretty much any creativity at all.
An otherwise great Christmas for Arsenal still ends up feeling, well, like a rainy midweek evening in January. The entire occasion involved a certain restlessness but the home crowd can at least remind themselves that they are in a better position than they were a month ago, and a commanding six points clear.
It was just that Mikel Arteta’s side were too willing to cede control in this game, for a game that can at least offer Slot some solace.
This was a third successive draw, but one that wasn’t like the others.
If Arsenal are to end up winning the title, they will have done so without actually beating last season’s champions in the league. Liverpool have claimed four points against them, out of two matches where the best you can say is that both showed each other an awful lot of respect. That’s despite constant murmurs they don’t really like each other too much.
Perhaps that was seen in Martinelli’s stunning intervention, but there’s absolutely no excuse for that. That could be one moment from this match that provokes further discussion – and a lot of controversy – but not in the way anyone wants.
Liverpool did enough to remind of what their quality should be without showing it. Arsenal weren’t allowed to play their game. Liverpool had most of the possession in the second half.
Ultimately, though, very little actually happened out of a match where everyone expected much more.
And, for want of actual discussion from this match, it’s impossible not to say that more was by now expected of Viktor Gyokeres. It is a talking point.
Arsenal may still be in firm control of their destiny but one of the lingering doubts is about the forward line, and what Arteta actually ends up deciding there.
How long will he keep faith with Gyokeres?
The recovering Gabriel Jesus is already a ball of energy any time he comes on, something that stands out all the more when it is put in immediate contrast to the Swede’s relative sluggishness. Kai Havertz is meanwhile expected back on Sunday.
There’s even an argument that midfielder Mikel Merino is a more useful option right now.
It’s hard not to think that Gyokeres will soon be on the bench, which is probably better for Arsenal than five yards behind a ball that flashes across the box.
This isn’t to immediately dismiss the player. He’s clearly still adapting to the leap that the Premier League represents, and isn’t quite up to speed.
It is very much that speed that is the issue, though.
There were three big moments in the first half, where you would have expected a striker signing of his profile to do everything to get there.
One was a Jurrien Timber head back. One was a Saka cut-back. Another was a flashed Leandro Trossard ball across the box.
And yet, for each, Gyokeres ended up around five yards behind play.
He ended up going off on 64 minutes with a mere eight touches.
A bit more force for even one of those chances and it could have been nine and a goal.
For Gyokeres’ part, he did offer one fine moment with a smart reverse pass for Timber. Arsenal didn’t even have another shot until the 90th minute, either, but that wasn’t completely down to the attacking options.
Arteta was evidently willing for his team to be much more contained.
That was despite Liverpool not having much in attack themselves, which is much more explainable.
Three of their attacking stars are out, and they ended up playing a forward who has occasionally filled in at left wing-back up front.
They did begin to get control of the game in the second half, but couldn’t do much with it.
They didn’t have the individual creativity or the collective integration.
Florian Wirtz was often left looking frustrated near the area as another Liverpool attack went nowhere, and certainly not into him.
This is maybe the greater concern for Slot. His team aren’t really building. They’re now too dependent on individual inspiration.
The difference in what Liverpool were and are could be seen in one set-piece – albeit not from Arsenal. Back in August, Dominik Szboszlai struck a 30-yard free-kick and it flew in the top corner. Here, it flew into the crowd.
Wayward, indulged and not looking like anything it was expected to be: a bit like the team right now.
He did get closer with one that was closer in. Like so much in this match, though, it did not ultimately end with a shot on target.
Arsenal couldn’t even do that with one of their late set-pieces, with the final whistle going just after Gabriel headed down and wide.
Even the last word was muted.
