Liverpool struggled to get going in a huge clash in the Premier League title race, suffering only their second defeat in the Premier League, 3-1 to Arsenal.
Arsenal 3-1 Liverpool
Premier League (23), Emirates
February 4, 2024
Goals
Saka 14′
Gabriel OG 45+3′ (assist – Diaz)
Martinelli 67′
Trossard 90+1′
In a game of huge connotations, Liverpool were fluid on the ball early on but Arsenal saw the better of chances, not least a header Bukayo Saka somehow skewed well wide after Gabriel Martinelli did the hard work.
Saka got the opener soon after, though, after a bright move that saw Kai Havertz thwarted by Alisson only for the winger to finish on the rebound.
Liverpool were, largely, the architects of their own misery as sloppy play at the back invited Arsenal on, with a chance wasted for Martin Odegaard after a mixup on the right-hand side.
Trent Alexander-Arnold grew in influence as the minutes ticked by, though, crafting half-chances for Cody Gakpo and Virgil van Dijk with sharp deliveries from out wide.
The equaliser came in comical circumstances, with the persistence of Luis Diaz, chasing down a chipped pass from Ryan Gravenberch, seeing the Colombian’s swing at the ball dragged into the goal via Gabriel’s hand.
HT: Arsenal 1-1 Liverpool
There were no changes of personnel at half-time, but Jurgen Klopp appeared to have tweaked Curtis Jones‘ role to sit deeper, to address the landscape of the game.
A triple substitution came within 12 minutes of the restart, though, with Andy Robertson, Harvey Elliott and Darwin Nunez all coming on, giving Liverpool a much-needed boost.
But Arsenal were back in front by the half’s midpoint, with a simple long ball not dealt with by Van Dijk and a hapless Alisson to give Gabriel Martinelli an open goal to tap into.
The withdrawal of Martinelli and injury to Saka gave Liverpool the impetus to push on for a leveller, with Klopp rolling the dice with the introduction of Thiago late on.
But Liverpool’s misery was compounded by a red card for Ibrahima Konate and a late strike from Leandro Trossard, through the legs of Alisson for only a second defeat of the Premier League campaign.
TIA Man of the Match: Alexis Mac Allister
Referee: Anthony Taylor
Arsenal: Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko (Kiwior 45′); Rice, Odegaard, Jorginho; Saka (Nelson 79′), Martinelli (Trossard 74′), Havertz
Subs not used: Ramsdale, Cedric, Walters, Elneny, Smith Rowe, Nketiah
Liverpool: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold (Robertson 57′), Konate, Van Dijk, Gomez (Thiago 85′); Mac Allister, Gravenberch (Elliott 57′), Jones; Gakpo (Nunez 57′), Diaz, Jota
Subs not used: Kelleher, Adrian, Quansah, McConnell, Clark
Next match: Burnley (H) – Premier League – Saturday, February 10, 3pm (GMT)
