(Football news) Thanks to their 1-1 tie with Liverpool on Saturday night, Arsenal finished the first round of the league top-ranked. Earlier in the day, the Irons defeated an underperforming Manchester United 2-0. 

Due to Aston Villa’s inability to continue their incredible home winning streak in the Premier League against Sheffield United on Friday night, Arsenal and Liverpool entered the Anfield cauldron with the knowledge that the winner would undoubtedly win the title of “winter champions” on Christmas morning.

Gabriel Magalhaes’ header in the fourth minute put Mikel Arteta’s team on track to end their 11-year run without a top-flight victory on Liverpool’s ground. It was also their fastest-ever Premier League goal at Anfield. However, just 25 minutes later, a vicious finish from Mohamed Salah pulled Jurgen Klopp’s team level.

Gunners should have held back on their Christmas celebrations, as they have yet to win the league in a season where they were at the top on December 25. Nevertheless, they rode home to North London with the point that kept them above the Reds in first place, emerging unscathed from a controversial Martin Odegaard handball decision and five-on-one counterattack.

A winning run of just one from their last four matches in all competitions may seem insignificant, but home is still where the heart is for the hosts. In addition, Arteta’s team could drop to the bronze medal position if both Villa and Liverpool win on Boxing Day.

It has been more than two years since Arsenal last lost an all-London Premier League game at home, having won eight of them and drawn four since Chelsea’s two-goal victory in August 2021. In fact, the Gunners’ 2-0 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion earlier this month marked their fifth straight Premier League win at the Emirates Stadium.

But the Irons have already had some success this season in the EFL Cup against their red and white rivals, and although Liverpool dashed their hopes of winning the tournament in the spring, David Moyes saw his players react admirably against a former employer.

The first half of West Ham vs. Man United was dull, so neutral supporters could have been forgiven for flipping to a different channel. However, in the second half, Mohammed Kudus and Jarrod Bowen proved too strong for Erik ten Hag’s out-of-sorts charges, condemning them to an all too familiar Premier League defeat.

Also read: Manchester United defeat Aston Villa 3-2