Since the Brendan Rodgers era, Liverpool have enjoyed some crushing and memorable victories over Arsenal at Anfield and today, despite recent resurgence in the Gunners’ form, which has seen them go on a run of eight undefeated and up to sixth in the table, was no different.
A slow start from the Reds – whose lineup saw Kostas Tsimikas replace Andy Robertson at left-back and Thiago Alcantara in for Jordan Henderson, both regulars recovering from international duty injuries – in which Liverpool struggled to hit an attacking rhythm while Arsenal looked comfortable at the back and showed some promise going forward didn’t prove to be much to worry about as Liverpool’s intensity, pressing and quality and Arsenals’ propensity to lose the ball in midfield began to define the game.
Thus, after 25 minutes, Liverpool began to find space and accurate passes and Trent Alexander Arnold and Alex Oxlade Chamberlain looked particularly dangerous running at the Arsenal defence and putting in balls from the opposition left.
On the other side of the pitch, Tsimikas was playing well both going forward and in his defensive role but, once again Sadio Mané was proving wayward and wasteful in his play and one has to assume that once Roberto Firmino recovers from his hamstring injury – another week or so – the Senegalese striker will face strong competition for his starting place.
An altercation on the touchline between the managers after Mikel Arteta remonstrated with the referee over an innocuous challenge by Mané trying to get him sent off – not the first time, Jurgen Klopp said after the game that the opposition has targeted the rugged Mané – not only resulted in Klopp and Arteta being yellow carded but it also inspired the crowd whose enthusiasm and energy found its way onto the pitch as Liverpool created clearer openings, spectacular saves by Aaron Ramsade keeping out Mo Salah and then Alexander Arnold.
The inevitable Liverpool goal came on 39 minutes after a free kick given away by Aubameyang resulted in Arnold Alexander swinging in the ball from the right straight onto the head of Mané, who firmly guided it into the corner of the net.
Liverpool continued positively and aggressively into the second half as, at the same time, Arsenal’s ability to keep the ball or find a man in yellow became increasingly erratic.
Chances and opportunities came for Salah and Oxlade Chamberlain before, on 51 minutes, a wretched pass from Nuno Tavares straight to Diogo Jota on the edge of the Arsenal area resulted in the Portuguese striker keeping his calm, first sitting down Ben White and then Ramsdale, before knocking the ball into the back of the net to give Liverpool a 2-0 lead.
With the game over and Liverpool so dominant, the story became Mo Salah’s determination to get on the scoresheet, to end a three-game goal drought for the Egyptian.
Eventually, Salah’s diligence paid off when on 72 minutes a move that began with Alisson Becker then headers from Tsimikas and Jota found Mané on the left who chipped the ball into the centre of the Arsenal goal where the Egyptian was waiting to jubilantly score with the simplest of finishes.
The rout was complete four minutes later when a sweeping move that began with Tsimikas, from the left back position, finding Henderson – just on for Oxlade Chamberlain – in the middle of the pitch and his lob forward to Mané, who passed to Salah who knocked it to Alexander Arnold on the right and his pacy low cross found the ecstatic sub Taki Minamino – having replaced Jota – at the far post to tap in for 4-0.
Next for Liverpool is Porto at Anfield in the Champions League, a competition in which the Reds have already won the group and are into the knockout stages. An opportunity for Klopp to rest some players and give others a chance before another home game next weekend against Southampton.
