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And that brings a bubbling day of live football to a close.

Sunderland won a fourth straight north-east derby with a late goal by Adam Johnson sending Newcastle fans home in bleak Christmas mood.

And late drama at Anfield saw 10-man Liverpool earn a draw against Arsenal who faced more shots than at any time in the last 11 years and had their lowest possession tally in the same period.

Merry Christmas, if you love your footy, fill your boots over the coming days. Remember Match of the Day 2 is on later and there is a tonne of video on our website, not to mention a live European football text.

Arsenal may well be up to sixth but not many would fancy their three games over the festive period.

Queens Park Rangers - who cannot win away from home - visit the Emirates on Boxing Day but then the Gunners face trips to West Ham and Southampton either side of the New Year.

Tricky. Andy Carroll will have a field day if Per Mertesacker sucks crosses as he did at the death today.

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Liverpool goalkeeper Brad Jones: "Come the end of the game it's a good point. Scoring late on and getting the equaliser, it's a boost. We dominated for long periods and were disappointed not to be well ahead. In the end the pressure paid off and we come away with a point but I think a fantastic performance.

"We lacked confidence at the start of the season with a lot of new players. Once that confidence comes back then you'll see the confidence and the results."

Arsenal midfielder Mathieu Flamini: "It's never easy to come to Anfield and win easily. Today the word is frustration because we did everything right until the last two minutes. But things like that happen in football.

"It's a point we are happy to take but we had the chance to win this game."

Neil: We need to completely change our defensive process. I don't think it's the players I think it's the system at the back. Arsenal second goal was a carbon copy of the move that Bournemouth failed to convert in the week. I knew a better team would try it.

Jimmy, Plymouth: Was halfway through declaring that although harsh that Rodgers should lose his job on the back of a loss to a good team like Arsenal, that's how it will play out. Then Skrtel happened! Doesn't solve the huge problem for the owners in that their team don't seem to believe they can beat any Premier League opposition, and that their coach will be asking them for another £50m.

David, Warrington: Referee shocking again. Why does no one notice the yellow card-fest that is the last ten minutes of premier league match? Do they have targets to meet?

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Three losses, three wins and a draw in their last seven league games.

Inconsistency has riddled Arsenal this season and they did not look like a side capable of grabbing a run of games by the scruff of the neck on today's showing.

The Gunners looked almost lazy in their approach to building possession but were at least able to compete when not playing well, a feature so often used as a means to praise sides by pundits.

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There have been five 90th minute or later goals in the last seven Premier League meetings between Liverpool and Arsenal at Anfield.

Today's marked Martin Skrtel's first goal of the season and few could argue with the Slovakian defender's commitment to the cause after a nasty looking head injury earlier in the game.

His header drew a raised fist from Brendan Rodgers and hugs among Liverpool's coaching staff but short of a great run in the coming Christmas period, the Reds look like they will finish way down on what they'd have hoped for in August.

spintowin: Just waiting for the same old we weren't at the required level physically rubbish from Arsene Wenger.

Alex Burgham: Ironic we end the game with two defenders and one of them scores. Get a new striker in.

Jack: Mertesacker showing no leadership again throughout the game ducking under the ball rather than attacking it. Disgraceful.

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A reminder you can listen to BBC Radio 5 live's 606 at the top of this page.

Ian Wright is in studio and just said the thing he hates about Christmas is "sprouts". The former Arsenal striker is dissecting today's 2-2 draw.

Lawrie is currently on the line from Bridlington and says Arsene Wenger's expiry date has long gone.

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Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers is currently speaking in a news conference and the general message is one of optimism.

He believes his side were very good and deserved more today. Asked if he thinks they can make an impression on the top four he replies before the question is finished: "Absolutely."

He expects to have Daniel Sturridge back after the Christmas period. "That will be really exciting for this team. Put him back in and we will be back to that flow in our game and results hopefully."

Ste Maguire: Sick of fickle fans wanting their manager/best players out after one poor match. Sort yourselves out.

EPM: All the sad acts calling for Brendan Rogers sacking, rather like West Ham and Allardyce last year.

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Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers, speaking to BBC Sport: "There's no doubt we deserved to win the game, our performance level was outstanding. Our performance today was better then when we won here last year 5-1. We had total domination of the first half, and 1-0 was probably about right. But then we gave away a disappointing goal right on half-time, and that can leave you a bit deflated.

"In the second half we continued to press, probe and create, and then all of a sudden we gave away a poor goal. There's no problem with our organisation. It is the decision making that can be our problem, and you cannot make poor decisions if you are going to keep clean sheets. But even down to 10 men we kept penetrating and the goal at the end was the very least we deserved, for the character we showed."

Liverpool will look at their next three games to drastically improve their league position.

They go to Burnley on Boxing Day and are then visited by Swansea on 29 December and Leicester City on New Year's Day.

All winnable games but with just two victories in nine outings, would you back the Reds against anyone?

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers: "It was an outstanding performance, our passing and movement on the pitch, which is terrible, was superb.

"We deserved to be one up at half-time and I don't think it was a free-kick in the build-up to their second. Alexis Sanchez dived for me and the referee bought it, but we have to defend better. We lost three duels and we need to win the first one.

"I'm delighted with our performances this week against Manchester United, Bournemouth and Arsenal, it shows we are getting back to where we are.

"At half-time we asked for more of the same with the same movement and then we showed great character to fight back from 2-1 down with 10 men.

"I don't think before this week we have been close to that level of speed and thought. You have to be creative as a coach to find a system that brings you back to that."

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger on Sky Sports: "It was important for us to come back before half time - 1-1 was a good result. Goalscorer Olivier Giroud was quite sick overnight and he became more influential in the second half.

"Adam Lallana and Philippe Coutinho in the first half caused us problems as did Raheem Sterling. We gave them more problems after the break."

On whether the result was fair: "My first job is to win the games. When you are 2-1 up with minutes to go you want to win, but objectively 2-2 is a fair result."

Queens Park Rangers defender Rio Ferdinand: Liverpool deserved the draw.

Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney: That was deserved.

Queens Park Rangers midfielder Joey Barton: Great header that. Liverpool have deserved at least that if not more today.

Keep sending your own views to #bbcfootball.

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Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger on BBC Sport: "It was maybe a fair result, but we are disappointed to give a goal away with a free header from a corner. It was an intense game. We played a little bit with a handbrake in the first half. Liverpool played well. We lost the ball too quickly in the first half - when you are not used to something it was frustrating.

"In the long stoppage time you have to survive two three corners and free-kicks. For their goal, we had plenty of defenders on the pitch. It's disappointing that we didn't even jump. You want everybody to be focused on the corner."