It’s officially over between him and the club.

“I didn’t make this decision alone—the board has now confirmed that he will be sold. He will never play for this club again,” Arne Slot announced.

Adding fuel to the drama, one Liverpool player who lost possession more than anyone else in yesterday’s match has reportedly been banned from the dressing room as the club prepares for his departure this week.

Liverpool went into the halftime break against Arsenal on Thursday night at the Emirates Stadium with the score still 0-0, following a tense and closely contested first half. The Reds’ best chance came from young full-back Conor Bradley, whose inspired effort nearly stunned the home crowd and shifted the momentum of the game.

Before kickoff, Gary Neville had challenged Liverpool to head to north London and “send a message,” despite many doubting their ability to trouble the league leaders. Arsenal dominated possession in the opening 20 minutes, spending much of that time in Liverpool’s half, but their control brought little real danger to Alisson Becker. The Brazilian goalkeeper remained largely untroubled as Arsenal’s measured approach failed to create meaningful openings.

As the first half progressed, Liverpool began to settle into the game. Around the midway point, they pressed higher and moved the ball more assertively, showing increasing comfort against Arsenal’s tempo. It was during this period that they nearly caught the hosts by surprise.

Bradley attempted a forward pass to Jeremie Frimpong, only for William Saliba to intercept. However, Saliba’s backpass deflected off goalkeeper David Raya and fell invitingly to Bradley. Spotting Raya off his line, the Northern Ireland international attempted a daring chip, which sailed over the keeper but hit the underside of the crossbar and bounced back into play.

Cody Gakpo reacted quickly to the rebound, but his follow-up effort was blocked by Jurrien Timber, denying Liverpool a shock lead. On another night, Bradley’s audacious attempt might have found the net. BBC Radio 5 Live analyst Andros Townsend later described the 22-year-old’s effort as “brilliant” and “unlucky not to score,” highlighting the boldness of Liverpool’s approach.

Defensively, Liverpool were compact and well-organized, limiting Arsenal to an expected goals figure of just 0.3 in the first 45 minutes, according to SofaScore—a reassuring sign given earlier concerns about the Reds’ defensive vulnerabilities.

At the time of writing, the game remained goalless, though Arsenal were expected to increase the pressure after halftime in their bid to extend their lead at the top of the table to eight points.

Liverpool’s disciplined first-half performance suggested they were more than capable of competing. If they can maintain the same focus, energy, and bravery after the restart, they may fashion another opening like Bradley’s—and with a bit of luck, this time it could end in a goal.