Trent Alexander-Arnold praises Liverpool's 'character' in 2-2 thriller against Arsenal

Liverpool full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold lauded his side's fighting spirit as the Reds came from behind to hold Premier League-leading Arsenal to a 2-2 draw at Anfield on Sunday.

The 24-year-old struggled defensively as Arsenal raced into a 2-0 lead within the opening half-hour. Gabriel Martinelli managed to evade Alexander-Arnold's recovering challenge before sending the ball trickling into Liverpool's net after eight minutes. The jet-heeled Brazilian burst past Liverpool's full-back for Arsenal's second as well, finding room for a cross which teed up Gabriel Jesus for a close-range header.

However, the Reds responded before the interval, halving Arsenal's advantage through Mohamed Salah on the cusp of half time. The Egyptian missed a second-half penalty but Roberto Firmino came off the bench to level, nodding in Alexander-Arnold's delicate cross in the 87th minute.

Alexander-Arnold summed up a thrilling encounter with one word: "Intense," he exhaled. "Very good game of football. Both sides played great football at times. We didn’t start like we wanted to but we showed character. We had a huge chance to win it at the end but we’ll take a point."

Liverpool began the game with a slightly tweaked system, with Alexander-Arnold noticeably drifting into midfield much like Arsenal's inverted full-back Oleksandr Zinchenko. It did not work.

Trying to explain his side's groggy start, Alexander-Arnold said: "We lacked intensity and weren’t compact enough as a team. Towards the end of the first half, we started playing the way we wanted to and definitely in the second half. Against a team like that you’ll get punished for not starting quickly enough."

A turning point in the contest was a flare-up between Alexander-Arnold and Granit Xhaka moments before Salah's first-half strike. Arsenal's combative Swiss midfielder was slightly late with a tackle on Alexander-Arnold which the full-back took exception to. The incident ignited a previously subdued Anfield crowd, as Alexander-Arnold explained:

"I think a little bit of fire in a game like that there’s nothing wrong with it. He nudged me off the ball so it’s a natural reaction to do it back. It got the crowd going."

Liverpool may have dented Arsenal's title ambitions but they remain mired in eighth place, 12 points off Manchester United in fourth with nine matches of the season to play. "Every game we want three points," Alexander-Arnold concluded. "Disappointed to not get it today but there are lessons in there."

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