"I didn’t mean it, of course" - Bukayo Saka issues public apology as Liverpool star suffers broken collarbone

Arsenal star Bukayo Saka has apologized to Konstantinos Tsimikas after the Liverpool defender was injured in their 1-1 draw.

The two sides clashed in an entertaining Premier League encounter at Anfield on Saturday (December 23). Gabriel Magalhaes scored the first goal of the match inside four minutes, assisted by Martin Odegaard.

Mohamed Salah then equalized for the Reds with an excellent finish just before the half-hour mark after he was set up by Trent Alexander-Arnold. In the 33rd minute, Saka shouldered Tsimikas off the pitch in an attempt to win the ball.

The Greece international inadvertently collided with Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp as he went down, sending the German boss flying. Tsimikas stayed down injured and was replaced by Joe Gomez.

The Greek defender was subsequently sent to the hospital and Klopp later confirmed after the match that Tsimikas broke his collarbone in the incident. Saka has now issued a public apology for the full-back's woes. The Arsenal forward said after the match (via The Mirror):

"I heard he has gone to hospital so obviously, I want to apologize to him, I didn’t mean it, of course."

He added:

"For me, it was a 50/50 and I have gone shoulder to shoulder with him. I didn't see it but he must have taken a bad fall, I didn't see him go into Jurgen Klopp either. I was focused on running forward because I didn’t think it was a foul. That's my take on it."

While the match did not feature any further goals, it was tightly contested, with both sides more or less sharing possession of the ball. Liverpool and Arsenal had a total of 13 shots in the encounter, most of which were inside the box.

Jamie Carragher makes title race prediction after Liverpool 1-1 Arsenal

Liverpool icon Jamie Carragher has made a surprising title race prediction that may upset fans. The pundit believes Arsenal are in a better position to win the league this season than the Reds. He told Sky Sports after the draw:

"I think I would favor Arsenal over Liverpool. When I look at that strength of the two centre-backs [William Saliba and Gabriel] and Declan Rice in midfield, they look really solid."

Carragher added:

"Coming to Anfield, it was tough for them but they really didn't give away too many chances. It was the same at Aston Villa, they were unfortunate to lose that."

"And Liverpool and Aston Villa are the two best teams at home this season, the records tell you that. Even though Arsenal only picked up a point from those two games, I was more impressed with the performances than what they picked up points-wise."

Arsenal are currently top of the Premier League table after 12 wins, four draws, and two losses in 18 league fixtures this season. The Gunners are one point ahead of second-placed Liverpool.

The Merseysiders have lost only once so far (against Tottenham Hotspur) but have dropped points in six draws this season.