Florian Wirtz plays new Liverpool role as Jeremie Frimpong causes panic - 5 talking points vs Arsenal

Liverpool frustrated Arsenal in the Premier League with Ryan Gravenberch impressing and Florian Wirtz playing a new role. This is what we spotted at the Emirates Stadium.

Martin Zubimendi of Arsenal battles for possession with Florian Wirtz of Liverpool.(Image: David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)

EMIRATES STADIUM, NORTH LONDON // Liverpool frustrated Arsenal and threatened to nick all three points against the Premier League leader in a tight encounter between the two giants.

After a goalless first half in which Liverpool couldn't do much going forward but defended well, Arne Slot's men sustained possession more frequently in the second period. Jeremie Frimpong, in particular, caused consternation for the home crowd with his speed, but the Dutchman wasn't able to tee up a teammate or find the back of the net himself.

If you had offered the Reds a point before kick-off, they would no doubt have taken it. Here are the five things Liverpool.com spotted as the game unfolded.

Florian Wirtz's new role

Jeremie Frimpong and Florian Wirtz have both looked much better in recent weeks, with the former coming back from injury and the latter finding some form.

Frimpong started on the right flank as an out-ball but the number of times he saw the ball was only small in the first half. When he did get a hold of it, Liverpool threatened, like when Conor Bradley hit the bar.

Second half, Frimpong got more opportunities, but he wasn't able to make the most of them. His speed got Liverpool into good positions but he couldn't quite find the final pass, even if he caused plenty of panic for Piero Hincapie and then Myles Lewis-Skelly.

Wirtz, meanwhile, was tasked with man-marking Martin Zubimendi whenever Arsenal was in possession. In terms of his own impact, he was less influential than he would have liked, albeit with some classy touches in tight spaces.

Number nine missing

Cody Gakpo thought he had won the game for Liverpool against Fulham at the weekend. Here, there was a bit more frustration for him as he had one or two moments, but little more.

Liverpool defended deep and was forced back by a very dangerous Arsenal team to begin with. With no Alexander Isak or Hugo Ekitike, it lacked a focal point, and so the ball just kept coming back in the first 45 minutes. As mentioned, Frimpong and Wirtz could only do so much before they were outnumbered.

After the break, Liverpool did offer more, but not quite enough. At times, Arne Slot's men kept hold of the ball well but could only get so close to David Raya before it fizzled out. Liverpool was defensively organized, but at the cost of offering not quite enough going forward.

Arne Slot plan pays off

Arne Slot responded to the accusations of his team being boring ahead of the game. He wanted to win, he said, but also to entertain. In response, this was a good showing by his players, albeit not one that will get the pulses racing in terms of being exciting.

Enticing the Arsenal press and playing through it well at times, with Ryan Gravenberch dropping deep and the midfielders playing their passes much quicker than has been normal of late, there were moments where the Reds looked really slick.

Liverpool had been on a nine-game unbeaten run heading into this game, as uninspiring as some of those fixtures have been. It is now 10, with this showing a good one.

Against the likely Premier League champion, sitting in and trying to counter is understandable (especially without Isak and Ekitike); it is against the lesser teams where more spark is required. In this game, the approach was the right one, but just without that finishing touch.

Set-piece irony

Set-pieces have been a thorn in Liverpool's side all season long under Arne Slot, with the Reds boss never afraid to speak openly about that fact. Arsenal, at the opposite end of the table when it comes to dead balls, has a huge threat in that regard.

In a game of few chances, Liverpool did well to limit the number of corners and free-kicks that Arsenal could swing in. Sitting in its low block, Liverpool won lots of duels and made itself hard to beat. When set-pieces were awarded, it dealt with them well.

Premier League state of play

With a 14-point gap between the two teams heading into this game, the best Liverpool can hope for from this point in the season is to best prepare itself for a title challenge next year. Anything more than that has long been impossible.

This was a chance, then, to continue to head in the right direction, and to put down something of a marker, proving that Liverpool can still compete with the best — as it has already this season in Europe.

Mikel Arteta said ahead of the game that Arsenal had a "point to prove" against Liverpool, but that applies to both sides. In the Premier League title race, this was a big match for the host; for the current title holder, a chance to show it is still capable.

Who would emerge the happier? Liverpool, certainly. The Reds have looked there for the taking in recent weeks but halted the probable champion here.