Liverpool pass Arsenal test with flying colours

With Manchester City having dropped two points in a scoreless draw against a good Crystal Palace side on Monday night, Liverpool went into the game with Arsenal two days later with the chance to close to within one point of the league leaders.

An enormous night, therefore, for the Reds at the Emirates against one of the league’s in-form outfits that has seen the Gunners rise to fourth and the last, coveted Champions League spot.

Of the 10 league games left in their season, after the Man City clash due on 10 April, this was seen by many as the most difficult challenge facing Liverpool, the one where we would find out the seriousness of the Reds’ title aspirations.

And, indeed, in the first half the magnitude of the occasion seemed to have got to Liverpool, who were nervous, passive and intimidated by Arsenal’s energy and the passion of the home crowd, which, after years of seeing their side in the doldrums, are now optimistic that the successful Wengerian years are on the way back.

Yet, for all Arsenal’s good play in the first half, their chances were few and far between and they had no shots on target. Still, the Gunners seemed more likely to score than Liverpool, for whom the half-crocked Mo Salah, their top goalscorer, only started on the bench. It was a relief for Liverpool to go in at the break with the scores level. Surely, Jurgen Klopp wouldn’t allow his players to get away with similar levels of performance in the second period?

And, indeed, within a minute of the restart, Sadio Mané, latching onto a through ball from Jordan Henderson, slid the ball passed Aaron Ramsdale into the Arsenal goal, only for the linesman to correctly judge the Senegalese striker offside.

The game turned decisively in the 50th minute. A terrible back pass from Thiago Alcantara – Klopp excused the Spaniard after the game by suggesting the skilful midfielder simply couldn’t tolerate to clear the ball haphazardly and was always looking for a team-mate – found itself not at the feet of Alisson Becker but Alexandre Lacazette. The French striker laid the ball to Martin Odegaard, who blasted it goal-wards only for Alisson to make a brilliant block that sent the ball over the bar.

Klopp had seen enough and prepared to bring on Salah and Roberto Firmino.

In the meantime, the lucky Thiago threaded the ball through the eye of a needle into the path of Diogo Jota in the Arsenal area. Despite being wide, the Portuguese got off a hopeful shot, which squeezed passed Ramsdale, not covering his near post properly, to put Liverpool one up.

It was Jota’s last action. Having made a decisive contribution he was, along with Luis Diaz, hooked.

Again, Klopp’s prompt substitutions were just what was required. A goal in front and with Salah and Firmino on – reviving the classic Salah, Firmino, Mané upfront triumvirate – Liverpool never looked back and took complete control of the game.

A second goal came seven minutes later. Great pressing from Firmino ended with Salah and then Andy Robertson having shots blocked by a desperate Arsenal defence.

The industrious Robertson chased his block to the touchline and retrieved the ball after Bukayo Saka had blasted it against him in a vain attempt at a clearance. The Scot dribbled to the goal line, crossed into the path of Firmino who brilliantly flicked the ball passed the despairing Ramsdale. At no point, thereafter, did Liverpool’s lead look in jeopardy, nor did they press significantly for a third goal. The last half hour of the game was, as Liverpool would have wanted, a tame affair.

Next up for Liverpool is an FA Cup quarter final clash away at Championship high-flyers Nottingham Forest, who knocked out Arsenal and holders Leicester in previous rounds.

It won’t be an easy game but even with a Wembley semi-final spot on the line, Klopp is sure to make significant changes to the lineup.

An international break follows, then Liverpool are up against relegation-threatened Watford, a win or draw against the Hornets will put Liverpool on top of the table before Manchester City play against Burnley at Turf Moor.

Liverpool put Gunners to the sword to restate title credentials

 

 

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.

Liverpool too strong for Arsenal and revive top four chances

Liverpool made a successful return to Premier League action with an emphatic 3-0 victory against a poor Arsenal side at their Emirates stadium

The Reds controlled the game from start to finish, though, in the first 45 minutes, created few chances – James Milner, in for Gini Wijnaldum, who played three games in a week for the Netherlands, should have done better on 30 minutes when the excellent Trent Alexander Arnold cut the ball back to him on the edge of the area only for Milner to shoot past the post. Going in scoreless at the half, it seemed as if Liverpool, like so many times this season, might have squandered their dominance and Arsenal wouldn’t be so passive in the second half.

And, indeed, in the first 10 minutes of the second 45, Arsenal enjoyed some useful possession that drew Allison Becker into action and it looked as if we might have a different game. However, once Jurgen Klopp made the decision after an hour to take off Andrew Robertson at left-back, Milner slipping in there, and bring on Diogo Jota – like Wijnaldum rested after his international exploits for Portugal – the game decisively changed in Liverpool’s favour.

On the 64th minute, a perfect cross from Alexander Arnold on the right bisected the Arsenal centre-backs and found the head of Jota just outside the six-yard box and he powered the ball past the helpless Bernt Leno.

Four minutes later, a superb curling chipped ball forward from the outstanding Fabinho bamboozled Gabrielle who mistimed his tackle on Mohammed Salah, not getting enough of the ball as he made a sliding challenge, allowing Salah to go through one-on-one with the oncoming Arsenal keeper, Salah calmly slotting the ball through his legs and into the back of the net.

Arsenal had no meaningful response and Liverpool continued to dominate possession and look threatening. The third goal came in the 81st minute after awful play out from the back from Arsenal led to an interchange between Alexander Arnold and Salah on the right and culminated with the Egyptian sliding the ball into Mané who miscontrolled only for the onrushing Jota to slam home.

A potentially crucial win for Liverpool. Not only does it put them firmly back in the race for the top four –elevating the Reds to 49 points, just two behind Chelsea – who were surprisingly beaten 5-2 at home by lowly West Bromwich Albion – and seven behind Leicester – who went down 2-0 to Manchester City; but it will also stand them in good stead for the upcoming Champions League quarter-final tie against Real Madrid. Another clean sheet for the makeshift centre back partnership of Nat Phillips and Ozan Kabak; but it remains to be seen how these two inexperienced defenders manage against a far more canny Spanish team led in attack by Karim Benzema and Vinicius Junior.

Jota off the mark as Reds overwhelm Arsenal

 

Liverpool made it three wins out of three to join Leicester and Everton at the top of the table after coming from behind to beat Arsenal, consigning Mikel Arteta’s side to their first defeat of the season.

Coming from behind makes it sound as if Arsenal gave the defending champions a fright in this game, when in reality they were barely in it. The visitors took advantage of a defensive blunder to go in front, though rather than looking like the first away team to win at Anfield in 60 attempts they quickly began to resemble a side regretting their temerity in forcing Liverpool to play with a little more urgency.

Even without Jordan Henderson and the not-quite-fit Thiago Alcântara the home side were on top throughout, even if poor finishing let Arsenal down in the few occasions they were close to their opponents’ goal.

Read more here.

Reds crush Arsenal to maintain perfect start

In the context of Arsenal’s lamentable record in this stadium this was actually an improved performance, whatever the scoreline might suggest. They were worn down in the end by a Liverpool side that started ponderously but eventually found their rhythm and confidence, with Mohamed Salah enjoying one of his most effective games for a while, though until David Luiz went into malfunction mode in the second half there was little to choose between the two teams at the top of the Premier Leaguetable.

If Liverpool are now the only side with a 100% record, Arsenal did enough to suggest that once their new signings settle in they should be a force again this season. It is debatable whether a couple of expensive errors by David Luiz can be filed under “settling in”, for this was a display to justify all the doubts raised by those who questioned whether the notoriously fragile Gunners’ defence really needs such a loose cannon at its heart. While it would be harsh to state that David Luiz cost Arsenal this game, he certainly blighted their chances of making a comeback.

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Klopp reacts to Reds 5-1 victory over Arsenal

It seems Pep Guardiola might be wrong about Liverpool feeling the pressure now they are out in front in the Premier League – all the slip-ups and chokes are currently coming from the teams immediately below them, with the leaders sailing serenely on. 

Jürgen Klopp’s team were almost untouchable here, taking advantage of Tottenham’s unexpected collapse at Wembley to open up an impressive nine-point gap at the top of the table. Klopp insists it is too early to talk about titles and leads, though if his side are still unbeaten after their visit to the Etihad on Thursday it is hard to imagine who or what might derail the most powerful assault on the Premier League Liverpool have ever mounted.

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Reds concede late Arsenal equaliser

Unai Emery wants to write a new history at Arsenal. It is one of his buzz phrases and he reaches for it at every available opportunity. On a frenetic night in north London, the club’s new manager could delight in a performance of intensity and old-fashioned guts.

Would the team of the later Arsène Wenger years have fought back to equalise in the closing stages? Would they have continued to believe against opposition as streetwise as Jürgen Klopp’s Liverpool? The point was no more than Arsenal deserved and it came when Alexandre Lacazette nipped on to a pass from the substitute Alex Iwobi and outfoxed Alisson, who had been lured off his line, before curling home.

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