By OUR MAN AT THE EMIRATES
FORGET the fireworks. This was a damp squib in a North London monsoon.
Arsenal and Liverpool played out a lifeless 0-0 draw on Thursday night as Storm Goretti turned the Emirates Stadium into a high-priced ice rink. Mikel Arteta’s men missed a golden opportunity to move eight points clear at the top, while the defending champions, Liverpool, seemed happy to merely survive the elements in a rain-lashed capital.
The Emirates was rocking before kick-off, a sea of red and white banners defiant against the swirling winds. But as the rain turned torrential, the “Home is where the heat is” pre-match slogan felt like a cruel joke.
The stadium’s slick surface became the evening’s main protagonist, making a mockery of the Premier League’s two most expensive squads.
Raya’s Rain-Slicked Scare
The biggest roar from the home crowd wasn’t for a goal, but a collective gasp of horror. William Saliba’s backpass skidded across the sodden turf, catching David Raya in no-man’s land.
Liverpool’s Conor Bradley—later stretchered off in a heartbreaking stoppage-time exit—lofted a speculative chip that rattled the crossbar. It was the closest the North London venue came to witnessing a goal all night.
Arteta’s Gamble Fails to Ignite
Arteta tried to inject some life into the frozen Emirates atmosphere by hooking talismans Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard with 12 minutes to go. The introduction of Noni Madueke and Eberechi Eze brought noise to the stands but no joy on the pitch.
Even Viktor Gyokeres, the man tasked with firing the Gunners to their first title since 2004, looked like he’d rather be anywhere else than the rain-soaked Holloway Road.
For Arne Slot’s Liverpool, it was a tactical masterclass in “boring but brave.”
Shorn of Mo Salah and Alexander Isak, the Reds sat in a low block that sucked the soul out of the Emirates.
As the final whistle blew, the North London faithful headed for the tubes, drenched and disappointed.
Arsenal remain six points clear, but on a night where the venue was the biggest winner, the title race remains wide open.
