Arsenal defender Rob Holding has revealed what it was like playing in the Gunners’ infamous 2-2 draw at Liverpool back in April.
Mikel Arteta’s side have a notoriously poor record away at Anfield, but led 2-0 after half an hour on Merseyside during the latter stages of the 2022/23 season.
If Arsenal had held on, they would have moved eight points clear of Manchester City at the top of the Premier League table, though Pep Guardiola’s men had a game in hand on the Gunners.
But Arsenal wilted and were pegged back by the resilient Reds, who very nearly won the game deep into stoppage time, with Aaron Ramsdale twice coming to the visitors’ rescue.
Speaking on the JAXXON podcast, Holding admitted that Liverpool had the ‘craziest’ set of fans and discussed how Arsenal failed to deal with the ‘pressure’ of that fateful April day.
“We were 2-0 up and suddenly there was an action and their crowd just got lifted and got aggressive and you could see it boost their players,” Holding said.
“Their players then look a bit taller, run a bit faster so it is a tough, tough place to go and take all three points and we should have to be fair. The Kop just sucks the ball into the back of the net. it’s like this energy, like pressure, pressure and then it breaks through.
The result started a disappointing run of four games without a win for Arsenal that all but cost them the title as Manchester City cut the gap and surged past.
They threw away another 2-0 lead away at West Ham the following week before needing two late goals just to rescue a 3-3 draw at home to 20th-placed Southampton. City then hammered the Gunners 4-1 at the Etihad Stadium in a title showdown.
What we know
- Arsenal led 2-0 at Liverpool in a Premier League game in April during title run-in
- The Reds secured late 2-2 draw and could have even won it in stoppage time
- This kick-started a run of four games without a win for the Gunners