Positives & negatives from Arsenal's 2-2 draw at Liverpool

Negative #1: Merino's mixed day

Rubber-stamping the transfer of Martin Zubimendi can't happen soon enough because Arsenal need a more progressive passer at the base of midfield. Thomas Partey isn't it and neither is Merino, despite his best efforts on Merseyside in relief of an injured Declan Rice.

Those efforts eventually led to Merino's enthusiasm getting the better of him, and he received a second yellow card for this tackle on Szoboszlai.

It was reckless and ill-timed, but Merino had been trying to take the fight to the champions from the first whistle. He was snapping into challenges, both on the deck and through the air.

What Merino couldn't do was establish much smart use of the ball. His possession play was only ever functional, but rarely incisive.

That's the difference Zubimendi can make, even though it's disappointing Arteta is signing another defensive midfielder, instead of targeting a more advanced position. Arsenal still need something more progressive going forward, starting with finding support for Odegaard.

Positive #2: Odegaard didn't hide

Accusing Odegaard of hiding and shirking attacking responsbility has reached meme-levels for some of Arsenal's critics. While the skipper has merited some negative reviews recently, Odegaard didn't go into his shell when under siege at Anfield.

Odegaard responded the way a player adorned with the armband should. He stepped up his game in the second half, appearing quicker in both thought and action.

Quality on the ball has never been a problem for Odegaard, and the 26-year-old was able to use something close to his full range of passes. That meant exploiting gaps with the outside of his foot, the front of the foot and an unerring in-step.

Odegaard finding his range and getting some swagger back helped Arsenal maintain a credible threat in the final third. So did the captain's unusually high willingness to try his own luck from distance.

A thunderous Odegaard shot had Alisson reacting late, only able to palm the ball onto the post and gift Merino a simple goal. The venom in the initial hit may well have been the frustration Odegaard has felt at being called timid once too often in recent weeks.

There was nothing timid about the way he broke clear deep into stoppage time. There were runners available, but Odegaard didn't pass the buck. He stayed direct and took on the shot, only missing the target by the smallest of margins.

Getting the goal would have ensured all three points for Arsenal, but Odegaard did enough during the second half to remind the naysayers of his value. Now Arteta must find him a regular creative partner for next season.

Negative #2: Arsenal's defensive shambles

Under all of the hype about his so-called "process," refining Arsenal's defensive structure has been one of the few true improvements Arteta had made. Sadly, that structure has been showing signs of collapse the longer Arteta's team has been without vocal organiser Gabriel Magalhaes.

His injury has exposed William Saliba's too-little-talked-about penchant for mistakes. Saliba is a superior athlete, but he suffers from lapses in concentration, like when he was twice found wanting in the build-up to Liverpool's opening goal.

Saliba's positional sense deserted him too often at the home of the champions, but he wasn't the only defender to suffer a torrid time. Lewis-Skelly is ahead of the curve in terms of technique, but the 18-year-old has a ton of work to do defensively if he's going to stick at left-back.

Being ill-equipped in terms of timning and positioning often leads Lewis-Skelly into rash challenges. He was booked two minutes before the break and it looked as though yet another red card would inevitably follow for an academy graduate still rough around the edges.

Lewis-Skelly ultimately survived, but Arsenal's defending hardly improved. A drop in levels was inevitable once right-back Jurrien Timber could only the make bench, but a back four missing two regular starters was also let down by those in midfield.

Arteta strenghtened the Arsenal rearguard by drilling a riging 4-4-2 shape out of possession. This shape was anything but rigid thanks to Merino's wanderlust and Partey's lack of recovery pace.

The Gunners need a back to basics approach to restore what had become a team strength, but now appears overly reliant on personnel, rather than sound tactics and good habits.

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