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The Gunners were looking to make it six wins in a row, whilst the Reds were hoping to extend a six-match unbeaten run.
Liverpool unbeaten against Arsenal since February 2024
Back in August, a stunning 83rd-minute free-kick from Dominik Szoboszlai was the difference between the two teams, and handed Mikel Arteta's side their first defeat of the 2025/26 campaign.
Liverpool had also remained unbeaten in competitive fixtures against the North Londoners since February 2024, though had just scored five goals compared to Arsenal's four in those fixtures.
At the Emirates Stadium, the hosts had been unstoppable in 25/26, earning nine wins and one draw from their 10 games in the league, whilst their visitors had won four, drawn two and lost four away from Anfield - and were on a four-match unbeaten streak on the road.
Clearly, then, the games between these two storied English clubs have become a real battle royale, with only the slenderest margins between them.
Ekitike not fit for Gunners test
Bukayo Saka and Leandro Trossard replaced Gabriel Martinelli and Noni Madueke in the Gunners' starting XI, whilst Arne Slot had only swapped out Curtis Jones for Jeremie Frimpong.
Hugo Ekitike, who had been Liverpool's talisman in terms of goals scored this season (eight in the league), still wasn't considered fit enough for this game, and the Reds had only won 30% of their matches across all competitions this season when he wasn't in their starting XI (3/10 - D2 L5).
With Ekitike in the side from the start, Arsenal's visitors had a 63% win rate (12/19 - D3 L4).
Four different Dutch players began the game for the Reds - Frimpong, Virgil van Dijk, Ryan Gravenberch and Cody Gakpo - the most outfielders from the Netherlands named in a Premier League starting XI since Middlesbrough on December 18th 2004 versus Aston Villa (Reiziger, Boateng, Zenden and Hasselbaink).
Odegaard's 150th Premier League start
Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard made his 150th Premier League start, becoming the 32nd player to reach the milestone for the Gunners in the competition. The only previous player to see his 150th start come in a game against Liverpool was Steve Bould in May 1998.
Trossard's inclusion wasn't a surprise either, given that he had both scored and assisted in two of his last three Premier League home starts for Arsenal; more often than across his first 35 starts at the Emirates for the Gunners in the competition (once).
It was the Belgian who was most heavily involved in the opening exchanges, too, with a blocked shot and a yellow card before the game had really got going.
The visitors offered nothing in attack, and by 20 minutes of play, Arsenal had played 42 successful passes ending in the final third compared to just four from Liverpool.
That soon changed as Conor Bradley hit the woodwork, and both Gravenberch and Gakpo went close.
Arsenal's passing was a joy to watch
The Gunners were seemingly enjoying more success down their left side, taking advantage of Frimpong's penchant to attack, which left Bradley outnumbered on more than one occasion.
As might be expected, Arsenal's passing was a joy to watch, and both Declan Rice (91.5%) and Odegaard (94.3%) kept ball circulation in their side's favour despite an often congested midfield.
Indeed, they collectively retained 75% possession in the final 15 minutes before half-time, and that was a fair reflection of the game to that point.
Along with another excellent defensive showing from William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes, Liverpool were finding it difficult to break the hosts down.
That, and Liverpool's lack of purpose up front, saw them not have a shot on target in the first half in consecutive Premier League games for the first time since December 2015.
Gyokeres still lifeless for the Gunners
In 14 of their 21 games this season, that had also been the case, and only Sunderland (15) and Nottingham Forest (16) have failed to score more often in first halves this season in the Premier League.
Whilst no goals had been scored, the game was still an absorbing watch, though one concern that Arteta will have had, again, was the lack of work ethic from Viktor Gyokeres.
The Swedish international has struggled since his move from Sporting, and just seven touches in the first 45 indicate a recurring issue that has to be addressed quickly.
The pendulum swung in the visitors' favour right after half-time, with Liverpool gaining 69% possession and pushing the Gunners further and further back.
Liverpool on front foot, but no shots on target
Gakpo and Bradley, in particular, were heavily involved in one-to-one duels, attempting 14 and 12, respectively, as the Reds looked to up the ante and make life a little bit more uncomfortable for the hosts.
Gyokeres and Trossard were hauled off by Arteta just after the hour, replaced by the two Gabriel's, Martinelli and Jesus.
The former had been directly involved in six goals (4G, 2A) in his last seven Premier League games against Liverpool, and against no other opponent does he have more goals and assists in the competition (also six vs Crystal Palace).
He would have one of two on-target shots for Arsenal, but neither arrived until the 91st minute, the longest that the Gunners had gone in the second half of a league game without a shot since September 2024 against Man City (97th min).
Though Slot will almost certainly have been happy with the point, Liverpool had failed to attempt a single shot on target in a game for the first time since facing Wigan Athletic in March 2010.
Arteta, meanwhile, after Arsenal's first goalless draw of the season, is likely to have rued the missed opportunity to put real daylight between his side and the chasing pack.
