Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville has said that Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka broke one of the key Anfield ‘rules’ before Liverpool fought back to deny the Gunners victory on Sunday.
Arsenal took the lead early in the match, scoring twice inside 28 minutes through Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus.
But after Xhaka clashed with Trent Alexander-Arnold, Liverpool appeared to be re-energised.
Liverpool pulled one back shortly before half-time through Mohamed Salah, while Roberto Firmino came off the bench to score the leveller for Jurgen Klopp’s side.
After their 4-1 defeat to Manchester City the previous weekend, Klopp had warned that it would not be easy for their next opponents, being Arsenal, and the Reds came all out in the second half to win the game, but thanks to phenomenal saves produced by goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale.
“Arsenal played brilliantly in the first 40 minutes and then they just got the crowd up,” Neville said on his Sky Sports podcast.
Although the former United defender said he was not pointing directly at the Xhaka clash with Alexander-Arnold, “but there is a rule when you play here and it didn’t help,” he added.
“There are some rules here: get through the first 25 minutes, play the ball forward and don’t let them press you early on, if the crowd are sleepy, leave it that way.
“Don’t wind the crowd up or give a stupid free-kick away. Don’t get involved in a fight because they want the fire here.”
