Six goals shared by Liverpool and Arsenal at Anfield

Liverpool and Arsenal put on a great show, finishing with a 3-3 draw at Anfield in the big match of the Premier League's 21st round. The hosts played very well in the first half and took the lead twice through Roberto Firmino (10' and 19'), but serious defensive mistakes allowed Arsenal to equalise each time, with Aaron Ramsey (14') and Olivier Giroud (25') scoring for the Gunners. The Frenchman completed the turnaround in the 55th minute, but Liverpool's pressure earned them an equaliser in the 90th minute from substitute Joe Allen.

Kolo Touré and Mamadou Sakho started in the centre of the Liverpool defence, while new signing Steven Caulker, who had joined the Reds the day before, sat on the bench. Roberto Firmino led the Liverpool attack, supported by Jordan Ibe and Adam Lallana on the wings. Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger made only one change to his side, with Joel Campbell starting in place of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

The home side started at a very high tempo and attacked their opponents from the first minute. In the tenth minute Cech tipped away Emre Can's shot, but the ball fell to Firmino, whose shot went through Koscielny's legs and into the net before Cech could react. 1-0. Arsenal equalised with their very next attack. Giroud headed the ball to Campbell, who played Ramsey through, and the Welshman shot into the right corner, exploiting poor positioning by Mignolet. 1-1. Five minutes later Firmino put Liverpool back in front with a superb strike from about 22 metres.

The match continued at the same furious pace, and in the 25th minute Sakho cleared off the goal line. Arsenal won a corner, from which Giroud equalised again.

Early in the second half Moreno missed a good opportunity for Liverpool, and Walcott responded with a shot just wide for Arsenal. In the 55th minute the visitors completed the turnaround. Campbell again found Giroud in the box, and the Frenchman turned with the ball and scored his second of the match. 2-3. Liverpool kept pushing for an equaliser right until the end. Ibe and Lallana both tried their luck, but Mertesacker blocked each attempt.

In the 90th minute Liverpool finally scored. Benteke headed down Henderson's cross and Joe Allen volleyed the ball into the net for the final score of 3-3.

Arsenal remain top of the table, although the Gunners now have the same number of points as Leicester, 43. Liverpool are ninth with 31 points.

Background to the match

The draw came early in Jürgen Klopp's time at Anfield. The German had agreed a three-year deal on 8 October 2015, replacing Brendan Rodgers, who was sacked on 4 October after a Merseyside derby draw with Everton. Klopp inherited a squad still adjusting to several summer signings, among them Roberto Firmino, whose move from Hoffenheim was announced on 24 June 2015 for a fee reported at around £29 million. The two goals against Arsenal were a sign of the Brazilian's growing influence in his first season in English football.

Arsenal arrived as one of the favourites for the title. Olivier Giroud's double at Anfield was part of his most productive campaign to that point at the club: he finished the 2015–16 season with 16 Premier League goals and 24 in all competitions.

How the season ended

The title race did not go Arsenal's way. Leicester City, level with the Gunners on 43 points after this round, went on to win the 2015–16 Premier League with 81 points, ten clear of Arsenal, and clinched the title with two games to spare. Arsenal finished second on 71 points, edging Tottenham Hotspur on the final day after Newcastle United beat Spurs 5-1. In the cups, Arsenal were knocked out of the Champions League by Barcelona in the round of 16 and lost an FA Cup quarter-final at home to Watford.

Liverpool finished eighth with 60 points, but their season was defined by two finals. They lost the League Cup final to Manchester City on penalties at Wembley on 28 February 2016, after a 1-1 draw, and reached the Europa League final, where they were beaten 3-1 by Sevilla at St. Jakob-Park in Basel on 18 May 2016. Joe Allen, the scorer of the late equaliser at Anfield, joined Stoke City in July 2016 for a reported £13 million.