(Video) ‘Unlucky’ Conor Bradley comes within inches of giving Liverpool half-time lead v Arsenal

Liverpool got to half-time on level terms against Arsenal on Thursday night, and it was Conor Bradley who came the closest to scoring in a first half of few chances at the Emirates Stadium.

Gary Neville implored the Reds before kick-off to ‘make a statement’ in north London despite being largely written off, and while the home side had the lion’s share of possession and territory in the opening quarter, they never truly tested Alisson Becker.

Arne Slot’s side began to grow into the game around the 25-minute mark, and it was during that bright spell that they almost stunned the natives into silence.

Bradley strikes crossbar after lobbing Raya

Bradley’s attempted pass into Jeremie Frimpong was intercepted by William Saliba, but his attempted backpass ricocheted off David Raya and rolled kindly for Liverpool’s number 12.

Spotting the Arsenal goalkeeper off his line, the Northern Ireland international chipped the Spaniard and saw his effort come down off the underside of the crossbar, with Cody Gakpo’s attempted follow-up blocked down by Jurrien Timber.

Bradley unfortunate not to fire Liverpool in front

On another night, Bradley’s audacious chip may well have gone into the net rather than back into play, and BBC Radio 5 Live pundit Andros Townsend said that the 22-year-old was ‘unlucky’ not to get on the scoresheet after a ‘hell of an effort’.

Many pundits were predicting a painful night for Liverpool in the lead-up to this game, but a resolute first-half displays from the Reds restricted Arsenal to an xG of just 0.3 (Sofascore).

It’s goalless at the time of writing, although one would expect the Gunners to throw everything at trying to break the deadlock on a night when they have the opportunity to go eight points clear at the top of the Premier League.

The champions have rightly been criticised for some of their defensive work this season, but they couldn’t be faulted in that regard in the opening 45 minutes away to the league leaders, and hopefully they can maintain that effort after the interval.

Perhaps if someone else gets the chance to replicate what Bradley attempted in the first half, they might get a little luckier and find the Arsenal net!

You can view Bradley’s effort below, via @SkySportsPL on X:

Liverpool so close to taking the lead!

Conor Bradley's effort CRASHES against the crossbar! pic.twitter.com/ylmgvHplPs

— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) January 8, 2026

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