Liverpool kept up their long run of draws in the Premier League with a 0-0 stalemate at league leaders Arsenal on Thursday night.
It was far from a pulsating classic between the two top-flight heavyweights, as only four on-target efforts were registered by the two battling sides all night long, but Arne Slot's men could walk away from the game happy with how they contested the affair against Mikel Arteta's pace-setters.
Liverpool
Indeed, as Sky Sports' Daniel Sturridge put it, the away side delivered an "experienced" display at the Emirates, as they never looked like buckling under Arsenal pressure.
Several Reds players managed to stand out in this regard, as the Merseyside giants continue to pick up points to edge closer to the table-topping Gunners.
Liverpool's standout performers vs Arsenal
It was certainly a match where the Liverpool defence shone the brightest, as Arsenal failed to excite the North London masses with chances galore.
Alisson would collect a well-deserved sixth clean sheet of the season when making four saves in total, as the likes of Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice nearly caught the Brazilian napping in the first half.
Moreover, Ibrahima Konate stood firm throughout as the hosts tried to carve out openings, with seven clearances registered in total, keeping Alisson's clean sheet intact.
Liverpool did have some bright moments here and there in the attacking areas. Connor Bradley hit the bar in the first half while Jeremie Frimpong caused Arteta and Co all sorts of headaches with his blistering pace on the right channel. Sadly for the visitors, his end product would end up being inaccurate more times than not, registering no accurate crosses from six attempts.
This wouldn't deter journalist Jack Gill from saying that Frimpong has all the attributes to become an "absolute superstar" for the reigning champions, with Sturridge, again, weighing in with his own thoughts when stating that he would be "proud" of his own efforts, after enduring an on-and-off start to his Anfield career.
It wasn't all positive for Liverpool come the full-time whistle, though.
arne-slot-liverpool
Liverpool star must be dropped after Arsenal
Often, encounters between Arsenal and Liverpool are laden with goals, as seen in the Reds picking up a 2-2 draw at the Emirates last season, on the way to storming home to the Premier League title. Indeed, this fixture had no finished goalless since 2015 when Arsene Wenger and Brendan Rodgers were in charge of the two sides.
A goal laden affair certainly wasn't the case on Thursday evening, as Slot's men failed to register a single on-target effort at David Raya's goal. Cody Gakpo notably put in another forgettable performance down the left channel.
Gakpo's performance in numbers
Stat
Minutes played
Goals scored
Assists
Touches
Shots
Accurate passes
Key passes
Crosses
Possession lost
Successful dribbles
Total duels won
Tackles
Stats by Sofascore
After scoring against Fulham the match before this trip to North London, Gakpo would have hoped he had turned a corner as a first-team regular under Slot.
Unfortunately, up against Arteta's formidable opponents, he receded into the version of himself that saw him go four matches without a goal or assist to close out 2025 and start 2026, as the below-par number 18 managed to register just one weak effort at the home side's goal all evening long.
Cody-Gakpo
Moreover, Gakpo would further close out his uninspired showing with zero successful dribbles accumulated, possession given away ten times, and only 42% of his duels timidly won, leading to Liverpool World journalist Will Rooney handing him a low 5/10 post-match rating.
Social media account Liverpool News would even bluntly state that Slot's men "need a new left winger" in the near future, with 17-year-old Rio Ngumoha perhaps the long-term fix, considering he has a Premier League goal to shout about this season, from only 79 minutes of action.
Ngumoha could be handed that chance to impress, in place of the hot-and-cold Dutchman, when Barnsley come to Anfield on Monday night in the FA Cup, with that third round tie against League One opposition giving Slot an apt opportunity to experiment.
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