The Premier League champions were given a guard of honour by their vanquished challengers, but an action-packed afternoon at Anfield didn’t quite stick to the script.
Liverpool 2-2 Arsenal
Premier League (36) | Anfield
May 11, 2025
Goals: Gakpo 20′, Diaz 21′; Martinelli 47′, Merino 70′
Red card: Merino 79′
1. Bradley takes the torch
The passing is complete, it’s been handed over. There was no added pressure on the young Northern Irishman this weekend because, let’s face it, everyone knew this situation was coming.
As Trent Alexander-Arnold strolled into Arne Slot‘s office in March and made clear his desires to try something new, the seed had been planted in the minds of the coaching staff and, most importantly – Bradley, that the time for succession was ripe.
Alexander-Arnold departing for pastures Spanish doesn’t require immediate hyperbole regarding the abilities of Bradley – we all know how good this lad is, even though he’s a rather contrasting footballer to the owner of the No. 66 shirt.
Bradley looked calm, composed and keen to carry out Slot’s instructions to a tee. He pressed when asked, dipped inside to provide a midfield pivot and searched hungrily for the overlapping ball down the channel.
At times he struggled with timing the runs of Leandro Trossard, but importantly managed to keep composing himself and regrouping; was afforded a big chant from the Kop after departing for Trent’s arrival, which stoked the fires of controversy good and proper.
The kids are alright, as the old adage goes, and Liverpool are fortunate to have this chap in the ranks.
2. Trent’s emotional swansong blows up
Well… that was quite something wasn’t it. Trent’s introduction from the bench saw the soon-to-be defecting star booed at Anfield by his own, as Steven Gerrard‘s iconic song rang out on the Kop. The tone was immediately set, and it was like something we’ve never seen before inside this famous old ground.
It became clear this week that the club had a specific game plan when it came to publicly confirming Alexander-Arnold’s desire to leave Anfield, and the assorted media publications that were to follow on the Liverpool channels.
Talk from within the club has since confirmed that there is a concerted effort from management to ensure Trent departs with little hostility, and only well-wishes.
This makes sense, regardless of the degree of your frustration towards the free-agent exit – but if Trent and the club were hoping to drum up the emotion during the long farewell, they were quite mistaken. It has absolutely not gone to plan.
The right-back took to the touchline in the first half to warm up, only to be entirely ignored by the stands. The party atmosphere inside Anfield boomed on and the outgoing asset wasn’t even an afterthought.
And then, the pitch greeting itself – it’s something Trent will never want to look back upon and something that will divide sections of the fan base.
Liverpool will always love their own while they wear the red shirt, but in the minds of many Trent is already a Real Madrid player – and it really isn’t pretty. It wasn’t supposed to end like this.
3. Anfield party rumbles on… but turns sour
The dance floor was never cleared, the doors never swung shut. Anfield bounced from the first whistle, as the masses arrived once again decked out in red.
The frenetic first 45 kept the decibels cranked high, as Liverpool bagged two goals in quick succession and rocked the weary visitors, fresh off the back of their Champions League exit.
Chants rained down onto the pitch, pumping up Slot’s men as they sliced through the Gunners at will, from ‘Where’s your European Cup’ to ‘Best team in Europe, you’re having a laugh’.
However, the turning of the tides in the second half, courtesy of Gabriel Martinelli’s early strike and the introduction of a certain Liverpool substitute thereafter, saw things go awry.
Volume remained high in and around L4, with plenty of vocal digs made at the away end. But an air of bitterness and frustration had crept in; perhaps this wasn’t the match to introduce Trent as an impact sub.
4. Konate shows his worth
Player Ratings: Liverpool 2-2 Arsenal
Ibrahima Konate has been the quiet powerhouse of the Liverpool defence this season, and his performance here was yet another reminder to Richard Hughes and Co. that a head start absolutely needs to be made on arranging a new contract.
Real Madrid – they never let up, do they? – are rumoured to be anticipating the prospect of taking him on a free in the near future, along with French giants PSG. Liverpool cannot allow this to happen.
The big Frenchman was imperious, and showcased his abilities with a stellar moment in the first half when carrying the ball the entire length of the field, puncturing the Arsenal ranks and almost setting up a goal with a threaded ball to Salah.
William Saliba will still now be wondering how he didn’t get on the score sheet, as Konate somehow blocked his effort off the line with a split-second header. With Van Dijk committed on new terms, his fellow cornerstone must now be kindly persuaded to do likewise.
5. Slot tastes the new challenge
It’s been a whirlwind debut season for the Liverpool manager, and though Slot will have adored being able to take on Arsenal at Anfield having already secured the title, this match served up an emotional boiling pot of things to consider.
As the new Kop rendition of the iconic Dutch national team song rang out for Slot, the Reds boss saw a galvanised Arsenal coming back at his men, while disorientating boos rang out from the stands. It can’t have been easy to play under, and Slot has now seen the blunt emotion of the Liverpool faithful in full flow, for better or worse.
The passion cranked up proceedings and seemingly spilled out onto the pitch as Mikel Merino was shown a red card, but as the game wore on Slot will have sensed a glimpse of things to come.
If Liverpool are to try and fiercely defend their crown next season, as many expect and hope they will, Arsenal will likely be the team in the opposing corner again.
Arteta is now in very dangerous territory as the perennial nearly-man, or ‘always the bridesmaid’ as one sharp banner on the Kop taunted. That has to change, and Arsenal will spend big this summer as part of what could be a final Hail Mary to get Arteta over the line.
Slot has faced Arsenal in the driving seat and, now, he’ll be plotting for the sieges of attack that sit on the immediate horizon.
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