Arsenal missed the chance to go eight points clear at the top of the Premier League as they were held to a 0-0 draw by Liverpool.

Manchester City's 1-1 draw with Brighton & Hove Albion on Wednesday opened the door for the Gunners to increase their handsome lead at the summit, but they were kept at arm's length by the defending champions at a sodden Emirates Stadium.

Arsenal never seriously worried goalkeeper Alisson throughout the contest, failing to attempt a shot between the 45th minute and second-half stoppage time.

Liverpool were also lacklustre in the final third without injured forward Hugo Ekitike, though they did hit the crossbar in the first half through Conor Bradley, who was later carried off with an apparent knee injury.

Having seen their run of seven straight home Premier League wins halted, Arsenal are six points clear of Man City and Aston Villa. Liverpool remain 14 points behind the Gunners in fourth.

How the match unfolded

Arsenal bossed the opening stages, with everything going through Bukayo Saka, who saw a dangerous centre cleared in front of a gaping goal.

But Liverpool grew in stature and went agonisingly close following a rare mix-up between William Saliba and David Raya. The latter's rushed clearance fell to Bradley, whose inventive effort bounced clear off the woodwork (below).

That was the closest either team came in the first half, with Arsenal's momentum waning and their threat being limited to tame strikes from Leandro Trossard and Declan Rice.

Martin Zubimendi then took a dangerous Trossard pass out of Saka's path as Arsenal's frustration built in the second half, and a Dominik Szoboszlai free-kick landed on the top of the net, with Liverpool in the ascendancy.

Arsenal finally fired off a trio of shots after the fourth official's board went up, but Gabriel could only hit the side netting from the best of those half chances.

Big chance goes begging for leaders

There was a raucous, expectant atmosphere at the Emirates, with Arsenal fans aware just how significant a victory could be.

Liverpool's title defence has been a disappointing one to date, and a run of three straight draws for Man City meant opportunity was knocking for Mikel Arteta's team.

Arteta recalled Trossard and Saka after they were rotated for Saturday's win at AFC Bournemouth, and the latter started brightly, almost picking out Zubimendi for a tap-in before curling an effort at Alisson.

Many of Arsenal's best first-half moments came down Saka's side, including a lovely dummy from Martin Odegaard that allowed Jurrien Timber to reach the byline, but that was one of several occasions in which the full-back's final pass was inaccurate.

But for all their neat interplay, Arsenal struggled to penetrate and there was little improvement after the break. It was no surprise when Arteta withdrew Viktor Gyokeres just after the hour-mark, but more of a shock that Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke were not called upon until the 78th minute.

Arsenal's frustration was summed up by Gabriel Martinelli unwisely attempting to push Bradley off the field when the Liverpool full-back was down injured late on, and a hushed silence greeted the final whistle.

After cup ties against Portsmouth and Chelsea, Arsenal return to league action at Nottingham Forest on 17 January; time will tell if this is a point gained or two dropped.

Liverpool lack bite but keep it tight

After Szoboszlai's stunning free-kick guided Liverpool to a 1-0 win over Arsenal in August, Arne Slot's side held a 100 per cent record and were favourites to retain their crown.

But ahead of this game, a host of teams – down to ninth-placed Fulham – were within three points of Liverpool, with UEFA Champions League qualification now their primary concern.

And with Alexander Isak and Ekitike absent, Slot had Szoboszlai lead Liverpool's press from the front, rotating with Florian Wirtz and Cody Gakpo when the Reds had possession.

Liverpool's unorthodox system started to cause Arsenal issues, with Bradley inches away from a memorable goal and Wirtz seeing a penalty appeal waved away early in the second half, when the German was challenged by Trossard.

By that point, Liverpool were giving Arsenal a taste of their own medicine, with Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate smothering attacks at source.

Ryan Gravenberch was another exceptional performer as he kept things ticking over in midfield, and Slot will be delighted with the control his team exerted over the leaders, whose exasperation grew with every misplaced pass.

The only thing missing was a goal, while Bradley's injury will also be a major concern ahead of an FA Cup third-round tie against Barnsley on Monday.

What the managers said

Mikel Arteta: "It was very tight. It shows how small the margins are. In the first half, we were the better team and created some big situations, but we didn't find the players in the box to score at least one goal.

"The second half changed, it was hard to press them and they had no threat in the box at all. We were imprecise with the ball and couldn’t generate better chances."

Arne Slot: “In the first half, they were the team that played the most in our half and led to a few crosses, but not too many chances.

"In the second half it was exactly the opposite. We dominated the ball for almost all the 45 minutes and played in their half. The only thing that was missing from my side was to create even more chances. A performance against this Arsenal team is something I am positive about.” (premierleague.com)

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