Arsenal suffered a blow in their Premier League title race against Manchester City on Sunday afternoon. The Gunners threw away a 2-0 lead against Liverpool at Anfield as they drew 2-2 - with Aaron Ramsdale's heroics in the second half stopping the result from being any worse.
A key incident that happened during the first half saw Granit Xhaka and Trent Alexander-Arnold square up to each other - causing the home crowd to burst into life. Arsenal had done a brilliant job of frustrating and quieting the Anfield atmosphere in the opening half an hour, but Xhaka was criticised for 'waking the crowd up'.
Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville were critical of Xhaka for his role in the incident with Alexander-Arnold - who was having a difficult time dealing with Gabriel Martinelli in the match. Neville said of Xhaka's decision to engage in the row with Alexander-Arnold: "Why would he? He cannot get involved, he cannot get involved. He’s been so good for Arsenal this season, that’s exactly what Liverpool would want."
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Neville's co-commentator Jamie Carragher also chimed in, adding: "I mean what is he thinking though, Xhaka? Two-nil up away at Anfield, throws his arm or something into Trent. Just ridiculous. Trent reacts and then the crowd gets up, the ball’s already gone. It’s two-nil, moments before half-time."
After the game, Carragher doubled down on his criticism of Xhaka's antics in the first half and insisted the moment of madness played a part in the Anfield crowd stepping up their intensity. The Liverpool legend said: "I think it did [get Liverpool going].
"It sounds silly, I'm glad Xhaka did it but I'm angry. I'm not an Arsenal fan but if I was an Arsenal fan, what are you doing?
"It’s absolutely daft. The game’s in your hands, you get involved - even leading the challenge with the arm, why do it?" the former Liverpool man continued. "And now going back head-to-head with Trent riles the crowd up and it’s absolutely idiotic from Xhaka to do that.
"Do you know what? He’s been fantastic this season in a slightly different role higher up the pitch, had a huge impact on this team, but that was going back to the old Xhaka.
"Honestly, who knows if it leads to the goal, we don’t know, but it was just for an experienced player to do something like that in this ground, and the position they found themselves in, there was only one way Liverpool could get back into that game and that was with the help of the terraces.
"If that was just a football game, Liverpool right now can’t compete with Arsenal, but with the energy in the stadium they can and they almost lost the game."
Arsenal icon Ian Wright disagreed with Carragher's comments though - insisting the Swiss midfielder was not to blame for Liverpool's comeback against the Gunners. Speaking on the BBC’s Match of the Day 2 programme, Wright said: “It doesn’t take much to get that crowd going.
“Even if Granit Xhaka went in there and slapped someone it’s not going to get them going any more than they’re going to get going. The fact is that he’s been brilliant for us this season.
"I think the narrative is that people are trying to point at someone. That’s how Granit Xhaka plays.
"He’d probably play like that if he’s playing in his own garden! I wouldn’t put that (the result) on him. What I would put on us is the way we weren’t able to see that out and continue to play the way we played in the first half.”
Goals from Mohammed Salah and Roberto Firmino saw Liverpool come from 2-0 down to pick up a crucial point.
Aaron Ramsdale saw Salah miss a penalty, before denying the Egyptian with a brilliant save and then stopping Ibrahima Konate from scoring in the dying seconds to help the Gunners leave Anfield with a point.
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