Liverpool struggled to get stepping into an enormous conflict within the Premier League title race, struggling solely their second defeat within the Premier League, 3-1 to Arsenal.
Arsenal 3-1 Liverpool
Premier League (23), Emirates
February 4, 2024
Targets
Saka 14′
Gabriel OG 45+3′ (help – Diaz)
Martinelli 67′
Trossard 90+1′
In a sport of giant connotations, Liverpool had been fluid on the ball early on however Arsenal noticed the higher of possibilities, not least a header Bukayo Saka in some way skewed effectively broad after Gabriel Martinelli did the exhausting work.
Saka acquired the opener quickly after, although, a vibrant transfer seeing Kai Havertz thwarted by Alisson just for the winger to complete on the rebound.
Liverpool had been, largely, the architects of their very own distress as sloppy play on the again invited Arsenal on, with an opportunity wasted for Martin Odegaard after a mixup on the right-hand aspect.
Trent Alexander-Arnold grew in affect because the minutes ticked by, although, crafting half-chances for Cody Gakpo and Virgil van Dijk with sharp deliveries from out broad.
The equaliser got here in comical circumstances, with the persistence of Luis Diaz, chasing down a chipped go from Ryan Gravenberch, seeing the Colombian’s swing on the ball dragged into the objective through Gabriel’s hand.
HT: Arsenal 1-1 Liverpool
There have been no adjustments of personnel at half-time, however Jurgen Klopp appeared to have tweaked Curtis Jones‘ position to take a seat deeper, to deal with the panorama of the sport.
A triple substitution got here inside 12 minutes of the restart, although, with Andy Robertson, Harvey Elliott and Darwin Nunez all approaching.
However Arsenal had been again in entrance by the half’s midpoint, with a easy lengthy ball not handled by Van Dijk and a hapless Alisson to present Martinelli an open objective to faucet into.
The withdrawal of Martinelli and harm to Saka gave Liverpool the impetus to push on for a leveller, with Klopp rolling the cube with the introduction of Thiago late on.
However Liverpool’s distress was compounded by a pink card for Ibrahima Konate and a late strike from Leandro Trossard, by means of the legs of Alisson, for under a second defeat of the Premier League marketing 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
Subsequent match: Burnley (H) – Premier League – Saturday, February 10, 3pm (GMT)
