Arsenal and Liverpool shared a tense 0-0 at the Emirates Stadium, a result that steadied the Premier League title race rather than shaking it. On a night billed as a defining moment for the leaders’ push to end a 22-year wait for a league crown, Arsenal could not land the blow that would have stretched their cushion to eight. Instead, they remain six points ahead of Manchester City, who had earlier dropped points against Brighton.

This was a high-stakes evening in north London, and it felt like it. The crowd knew the path that had opened up; the table said seize it. The game did not.

Title-race chance slips by after City’s stumble

The context could hardly have been kinder for Mikel Arteta’s side. City’s draw with Brighton meant Arsenal kicked off with the chance to go eight clear at the top. They came in on a five-match league winning run since a December loss to Aston Villa, and they had just stung Bournemouth 3-2, with Declan Rice scoring twice in that thriller.

At the final whistle, though, the maths read like a compromise. Arsenal sit on 49 points from 21 matches (15 wins, 4 draws, 2 losses; goal difference +26). City are second on 43 from the same number of games (13-4-4; GD +26). Liverpool, the reigning champions under Arne Slot and the very team the Gunners want to dethrone, are 14 adrift of Arsenal. There are still 51 points on the board across the final 17 matches. The race remains open, but this was a missed chance to apply pressure.

“Two points dropped, not one gained — these are the margins of May.”

Arsenal bright early, Liverpool steadier late

Arsenal enjoyed the best of the first half. Bukayo Saka, who had scored in each of his previous three home league games against Liverpool, was the early spark. He drew the first meaningful save from Alisson, who was Liverpool’s calmest figure while those in front of him rode out waves of pressure.

Yet even while “on the ropes”, Liverpool carried a punch. Conor Bradley’s drive rattled the woodwork before the break, a reminder that one clean strike could flip a tight contest. After half-time, the visitors grew into the game. They pinned Arsenal in for long stretches and controlled more of the territory. Dominik Szoboszlai twice threatened, most notably with a late free kick that dropped just over the bar.

For all that push, Arsenal’s David Raya remained largely untroubled. The action asked questions, but not enough to force a breakthrough.

“If Saka doesn’t score, who does? The No.9 story writes itself.”

Key flashpoints: fine margins, no whistle

Moments, not moves, defined this match. Gabriel Jesus and Gabriel Martinelli came on for Arsenal to change the tempo and almost did. Both forced smart saves from Alisson in the closing stages, with Martinelli also flashing danger in half-chances that would have sparked bedlam had they gone in.

There was controversy, too. Martinelli went down in the box under contact from Jeremie Frimpong, but referee Anthony Taylor waved play on and VAR did not intervene. Earlier, Martinelli had shoved a clearly injured Bradley off the pitch, which angered Liverpool’s players before the right-back was taken off on a stretcher. It added needle to a game short on clear openings.

Selection stakes: droughts and absences

Viktor Gyökeres began up front for Arsenal but was withdrawn as his open-play drought stretched into double figures. That run is a real subplot now, particularly on nights like this when one clinical moment is the difference between statement wins and stubborn stalemates.

Liverpool were without their top scorer Hugo Ekitike due to injury, and pre-match team news also listed Mohamed Salah away on international duty with Egypt, plus Alexander Isak as a long-term absentee. In that light, the holders’ resolve made sense: discipline first, take the moments if they come. Slot’s team arrived unbeaten in eight league matches, even if they had just drawn back-to-back against Leeds and Fulham (the latter via a stoppage-time equaliser from Harrison Reed).

History hinted at a tight game as well. Four of the previous six league meetings between these clubs had ended level, with one win apiece in the others. This draw felt true to that pattern — heavy on structure, short on chaos.

“Title winners turn cagey nights into 1-0s. Can Arsenal do that yet?”

What it means for the Premier League table

By the numbers, very little changed but the mood shifted. Arsenal still lead the Premier League and still control the race, yet the missed chance to stretch the gap to eight will nag. The Gunners have been consistent for years, finishing second in each of the last three campaigns, and this felt like a line to cross: a big team at home, a rival wobbling, the table asking for a statement.

Instead, it was a mature Liverpool performance that got the job done — a performance that keeps the champions in the picture, even from distance. Fourteen points is a large gap, but with 17 matches left and 51 points to play for, nothing is fixed. Arsenal’s goal difference remains strong at +26, matching City’s mark, and their points return (49) is a platform most title winners would accept in January.

The verdict: a solid point, a missed moment

This was not a collapse, nor was it a breakout. It was a reminder that championships are often won on days when you cannot find a goal, and lost on days when you cannot. Arsenal’s first-half control was real; Liverpool’s second-half composure was, too. Between them, a stalemate that will feel like two points dropped to the home side and one calmly banked by the visitors.

For Arsenal, the mission remains simple: turn more of these cagey nights into one-goal wins. With City in pursuit, that skill decides titles. For Liverpool, the message is equally clear: keep collecting results and wait for a wobble. There is still time, still traffic ahead, and still a lot of football to play.

On a night billed as defining, nothing was decided. But the Premier League rarely decides anything in January. It only narrows the options. Arsenal kept control. The question is whether they will keep their nerve.