Liverpool went into the interval level with Arsenal on Thursday night, and in a tense, tightly contested first half at the Emirates Stadium, it was Conor Bradley who came closest to opening the scoring.
Clear chances were rare, but the young full-back produced a moment of inspiration that nearly stunned the home supporters and shifted the tone of the match.
Before kick-off, Gary Neville had challenged Liverpool to head to north London and “send a message,” despite many already dismissing their chances against the league leaders.
Arsenal controlled much of the ball early on and spent most of the opening 20 minutes in Liverpool’s territory, yet their dominance in possession brought little real threat to Alisson Becker’s goal.
The Brazilian was largely untroubled as Arsenal’s slow, methodical approach failed to create meaningful openings.
As the half wore on, Arne Slot’s team began to settle. Around the midway point of the first half, Liverpool started pressing higher, moving the ball more assertively, and looking increasingly comfortable coping with Arsenal’s tempo.
It was during this spell that they almost caught the hosts by surprise.
Bradley attempted to thread a forward pass towards Jeremie Frimpong, but William Saliba stepped in to intercept. His backpass, however, deflected off goalkeeper David Raya and fell invitingly into Bradley’s path.
Reacting instantly and spotting Raya off his line, the Northern Ireland international tried an audacious chip. The ball sailed over the keeper but struck the underside of the crossbar and bounced back into play.
Cody Gakpo reacted first to the rebound, but his effort was blocked by Jurrien Timber, denying Liverpool a shock lead.
On another evening, Bradley’s brave effort might have gone in. BBC Radio 5 Live analyst Andros Townsend later said the 22-year-old was unlucky not to score, calling it a “brilliant attempt” that deserved a goal.
The moment highlighted Liverpool’s growing belief and willingness to take risks in a challenging atmosphere.
Many pre-match predictions had suggested a tough night for Liverpool, but their first-half display told a different story.
Defensively, they were compact and well organised, restricting Arsenal to an expected goals figure of just 0.3 in the opening 45 minutes, according to Sofascore — a positive sign given earlier concerns about Liverpool’s defensive issues.
At the time of writing, the match remained scoreless, although Arsenal were expected to increase the pressure after the break as they chased a win that could extend their lead at the top of the table to eight points.
Even so, Liverpool’s disciplined first-half showing suggested they were fully capable of competing.
If the Reds can maintain the same concentration, energy, and bravery after the restart, they may fashion another opening like Bradley’s — and next time, a little luck could see it end up in the back of the net.
