Jurgen Klopp has praised his players' "character" after <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/sport/football/2024/01/08/arsenal-v-liverpool-ratings-jan-7/" target="_blank">Liverpool held off Arsenal</a> to reach the fourth round of the FA Cup with a <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/sport/football/2024/01/07/liverpool-make-wasteful-arsenal-pay-in-fa-cup/" target="_blank">2-0 win at the Emirates Stadium</a> on Sunday. <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/tags/liverpool/" target="_blank">Liverpool</a> had to survive sustained pressure from Arsenal, who had enough chances to kill the tie by half-time before two goals in the closing stages gave them a hard-fought success. <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/tags/arsenal/" target="_blank">Arsenal's</a> Jakub Kiwior headed Trent Alexander-Arnold's free-kick into his own net in the 80th minute and Luis Diaz wrapped up the victory deep into stoppage-time. In the absence of the captain Virgil van Dijk, out with illness, as well as Mohamed Salah and Wataru Endo on international duty, <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/tags/liverpool/" target="_blank">Liverpool</a> showed they have the spirit required to win silverware this season. "In the end we came through. I'm really happy we could win this game. Arsenal could have won it without a doubt. We finished it off and it spoke for the character of the boys," Liverpool manager <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/tags/jurgen-klopp/" target="_blank">Klopp</a> said. "I'm super proud. It was a super difficult draw. Maybe the most difficult we could have got. It wasn't an easy game to enjoy in the first half. We changed a bit at half-time. We were really in the game in the second half. We scored the goals and fought for 95 minutes." With Premier League leaders Liverpool chasing four trophies and facing a League Cup semi-final first leg against <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/tags/fulham/" target="_blank">Fulham</a> in midweek, Klopp was relieved to avoid a draining FA Cup replay. Liverpool are two points ahead of second-placed Aston Villa and five above fourth-placed Arsenal as they chase a first title since 2020. <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/sport/football/2024/01/07/man-city-fa-cup-jan-7/" target="_blank">Champions Manchester City</a> lurk in third, also five points behind but with a game in hand. By avoiding an Arsenal rematch, Liverpool will have a revitalising break after the Fulham game until January 21 when they go to Bournemouth in the Premier League. "We desperately wanted to avoid a draw. Now I don't have to make any decisions which is good," Klopp said. "Wednesday is the next game and then a few days off. We have to make steps if you want to be where we are. We will have a winter break now." <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/tags/arsenal/" target="_blank">Arsenal</a> have now won just one of their last six games in all competitions, losing three in a row to leave their once-promising season in limbo; the Gunners are out of the FA Cup and League Cup and are no longer in pole position in the Premier League. Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta admitted they had only themselves to blame after squandering a host of chances to take the lead. "The performance was there and the amount of chances too. We just have to win the game, but we lost it and we are not capitalising," he said. "When you are better than the best team in Europe and you generate that amount of chances, I have not seen a team do it against them. But it is not enough. The reality is, it is not enough." <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/tags/mikel-arteta/" target="_blank">Arteta</a> insisted he would not panic despite Arsenal's untimely slump. "When my team plays with this confidence what can I do? I am still behind them 100 per cent," he said. "It is what it is and we have to continue to play the same way and be more efficient." Check out the photo gallery above for the player ratings from the Emirates Stadium. To move on to the next slide, click on the arrows or swipe if using a mobile device.