Liverpool held Premier League leaders Arsenal in a four-goal thriller.

Gabriel Martinelli put the visitors ahead on 10 minutes after pouncing on Virgil van Dijk’s poor interception and firing past Alisson with a close-range finish.

The Gunners doubled their lead with remarkable simplicity shortly before the half-hour mark as Martinelli picked out Gabriel Jesus for a downward header.

Mohamed Salah handed Jurgen Klopp’s side a lifeline by sliding home after Jordan Henderson had helped on Diogo Jota’s ball across the face of goal.

Salah later spurned a chance to draw the hosts level from the penalty spot from Rob Holding had fouled Jota but dragged his effort wide of goal.

But the Reds salvaged a point when substitute Roberto Firmino met a cross from Trent Alexander-Arnold with a superbly taken header in the 87th minute.

Here were the key talking points from Anfield:

Gunners forget Anfield’s golden rule

The Premier League title may still be within Arsenal’s grasp but they made a colossal mistake that denied them a first win at Anfield for over a decade.

After racing into a two-goal lead in 30 minutes against muted Liverpool, everything seemed to be going to plan for Mikel Arteta’s champions-elect.

But then the Gunners did the one thing no visiting team should ever consider, let alone execute, against their beaten-down hosts; they made them angry.

If the title does elude north London next month, it will be because Granit Xhaka took it upon himself to begin needling with Trent Alexander-Arnold.

That flashpoint helped rouse a previously sleepy Anfield into bearing its teeth while Jurgen Klopp’s players also discovered their own stomach for the fight.

Those renewed tensions continued to simmer after the half-time whistle had sounded as Andy Robertson appeared to be elbowed by one of the linesmen.

Several Reds’ players crowded around referee Paul Tierney in the immediate aftermath but they channeled that anger into a spirited second-half display.

Proof why you should always beware a wounded animal.

Van Dijk’s aura has vanished

Time was that no defender in world football held a candle to Virgil van Dijk.

For the best part of five years, his reading of the game remained second to none and helped Liverpool rack up as many trophies as he did clean sheets.

Those days, however, are long gone as the Holland international finds himself exposed on an almost weekly basis but never quite in this alarming fashion.

Successive failed attempts to prevent Arsenal’s 10th-minute opener were only a sample of why Van Dijk is no longer the gold standard of centre-backs.

He became a glorified bystander in the build-up to Gabriel Jesus doubling the visitors’ lead; practically ball watching as Gabriel Martinelli’s cross floated in.

Van Dijk has not simply become a bad defender overnight. Much like Alexander-Arnold, it is somewhat aligned to Liverpool’s dismal fortunes.

Still, he no longer exudes the imposing aura which left various opponents daunted at the prospect of going toe-to-toe with him.

Time to take Salah off penalties

Mohamed Salah enjoyed a largely untouchable status in Liverpool’s frontline. Scoring hatfuls of goals including ice-cold penalties tends to have that effect.

Yet the Egyptian is now increasingly undermined by his wastefulness at the business end of the pitch and extends to a once flawless spot-kick record.

Fresh from failing to convert at Bournemouth before the international break, Salah retained Klopp’s confidence as he stepped up for a potential equaliser.

Just as he did on the South Coast, the 30-year-old struck his effort wide of Aaron Ramsdale’s right-hand post after wrongfooting the Arsenal stopper.

Little wonder, then, that Salah cut a frustrated figure for large parts of that second half as he failed to punish the visitors’ lackadaisical defending.

Had Klopp harboured any misgivings about Liverpool’s attacking talisman taking a step back from penalty duties, he may soon be reassessing that.

To miss once from 12 yards is unfortunate but twice looks like carelessness.