Arsene Wenger hailed Arsenal’s breathtaking 3-3 draw against Liverpool as a dream come true for soccer purists.
Wenger’s side staged a thrilling second half fightback that combined with Liverpool’s array of attacking talents to serve up a festive feast for millions of fans around the world.
Having trailed to goals from Philippe Coutinho and Mohamed Salah, Arsenal scored three times in five second-half minutes through Alexis Sanchez, Granit Xhaka and Mesut Ozil.
One of the Premier League’s games of the season was capped when Roberto Firmino’s equalizer rescued a point for Liverpool.
However, rather than rue the alarmingly creaky defensive play from both teams, the Gunners boss insisted he was pleased to have been part of such a memorable occasion.
“It was a thrilling game. I am frustrated at not winning, but that is the type of game you want in the Premier League,” Wenger said. “More for people who love football, let’s give credit to the creative force.”
“If you have no shots on goal the defenses it looks good, but that is not what people want to see,” he added.
Arsenal were out-classed in the first half at the Emirates Stadium in London, but he was impressed with the way they fought back with such verve, Wenger said.
“We played frozen with fear and not at our level in the first half. Maybe when you prepare for a game you want players to be ready, but you make the opponent too big in their heads,” Wenger said. “In the second half we played at our level. The good thing is that overall we did not give up.”
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