ARSENAL 2-2 LIVERPOOL

Games like this should be viewed from beneath the safety of a hard-hat. Two teams under construction and in constant danger of self-destruction.

On one level, it represents all that is wrong with the English game. Some of the defending, for one thing, was utterly comical. Yet, it was an exhilarating spectacle, played at a breakneck tempo with flashes of brilliance, glorious goals and saves.

Comeback kid: Walcott scored the equaliser for Arsenal mid-way through the second half

Match facts

Arsenal: Szczesny, Sagna, Mertesacker, Vermaelen, Gibbs (Santos 37) , Ramsey, Wilshere, Cazorla, Walcott, Podolski, Giroud.

Subs not used: Mannone, Diaby, Koscielny, Rosicky,Oxlade-Chamberlain, Jenkinson.

Booked: Cazorla, Giroud

Scorers: Giroud 64, Walcott 67.

Liverpool: Reina, Johnson, Agger, Carragher, Wisdom, Lucas, Gerrard, Henderson, Downing, Suarez, Sturridge (Jose Enrique 71).

Subs not used: Jones, Allen, Borini, Sterling, Shelvey, Skrtel.

Booked: Gerrard.

Scorers: Suarez 5, Henderson 60

Referee: Kevin Friend (Leicestershire)

Attendance: 60,089

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Liverpool went ahead in the fifth minute when Luis Suarez punished Arsenal for a sequence of mistakes, and Jordan Henderson doubled the lead on the hour with a terrific solo effort.

But the Gunners have made a habit of stirring into life once they are two behind. It happened against Manchester City and Chelsea without any effect and it happened again here.

This time, they were able to salvage a point. Olivier Giroud scored the first, climbing high to head a free-kick from Jack Wilshere past Pepe Reina, with Theo Walcott equalising three minutes later.

A point did neither team much good on a day when teams around them stumbled.

Brendan Rodgers may have been encouraged by a spirited response to the debacle at Oldham but, ultimately, his team squandered a chance to go level on points with Arsenal.

Arsene Wenger was encouraged by the spirited fightback but perhaps the happiest man in the ground was Roy Hodgson, who saw lots of English talent performing well. Walcott is in potent form and Wilshere close to his creative best, while Henderson’s midfield energy was exceptional.

Net result: Suarez wheels away to celebrate after his deflected shot hit the back of the net

Daniel Sturridge and Stewart Downing linked up well with Suarez, who scored his 22nd of the season, courtesy of a catalogue of defensive errors.

First Bacary Sagna fell over his own feet and landed on his backside as he tried to adjust and collect a pass by Suarez intended for Glen Johnson but totally mishit. Johnson fielded the loose ball and whipped a low cross into the area. Thomas Vermaelen missed his kick as he tried to clear and the ball found Sturridge at the far post.

He twisted inside and forced a good block from Wojciech Szczesny but Henderson was quickest to the rebound, seizing possession and prodding a pass to Suarez, who swung at goal. His effort clipped Per Mertesacker and evaded Szczesny.

Red alert: Henderson scored his fifth goal for the club after Arsenal failed to clear in the area

Wenger must have been furious. It was an awful start. The home crowd were not impressed, aiming their abuse at Sagna. The French full-back is the current whipping boy — at least until Andre Santos replaced Kieran Gibbs, who hobbled off in the first half with a thigh strain, and played poorly.

In general, though, Wenger’s team reacted well to the early setback. Reina parried well to thwart Walcott, Daniel Agger blocked a Vermaelen drive with his head and Reina produced another spectacular save from Walcott, who set up Giroud only for the French striker to head straight at the keeper.

Sturridge twice went close at the other end and Suarez, playing mostly wide on the left, lashed another shot across goal after losing his markers with the slightest movement.

Perhaps unsurprisingly behind this chaos, Szczesny grew nervous. The Pole came from his line to reach a high corner and was nowhere near as Agger’s header was hacked off the goal-line by Lukas Podolski.

Heads up: Giroud's header began the Gunners' fightback

Then Henderson burst on to a pass from Downing which tempted Szczesny out of his goal. From wide on the left, with the keeper marooned, Henderson chipped over the 1recovering defenders but the ball dropped just over the bar.

Fifteen minutes after the restart, Henderson found the net. Accepting the ball on the right, he dodged Mertesacker and held off Santos, took a lucky ricochet off Aaron Ramsey and slid the ball into an empty goal.

Giroud quickly pulled one back, leaping to meet Wilshere’s free-kick with a firm header before Walcott pounced for his 18th of the campaign and his seventh since Christmas.

Both teams searched for a winner, producing some excellent football, if not any more goals. In terms of entertainment, it is a hard-hat to follow.