Liverpool 3-1 Arsenal
Liverpool went joint top of the Premier League tonight thanks to a well earned 3-1 victory over Arsenal.
The Gunners came into this game having beaten Liverpool twice over the past two months but they were overwhelmed in a first half in which Trent Alexander-Arnold was simply sensational, providing an assist for his fellow wing-back Andy Robertson to give the Reds a half time lead.
New signing Diogo Jota scored a late goal to make it 3-1 as the Reds ran out worthy winners.
Highlights of the game
Liverpool laid siege to the Arsenal goal from the off, and David Luiz was on the spot to make a goal-line clearance after Virgil van Dijk had climbed highest to meet a deep cross from Trent Alexander-Arnold. And the flying wing-back almost provided yet another assist when he swept a superb ball across the penalty area which Sadio Mane met but Bernd Leno showed strong hands to parry the ball away.
Alexander-Arnold was inches away from scoring himself when he let fly from 20 yards; the ball ricocheted off Arsenal defender Hector Bellerin onto the floor and then up onto the crossbar with Leno beaten.
Liverpool had dominated the first 25 minutes and had the Gunners on the ropes, but they went behind when Arsenal broke away at speed. Granit Xhaka released Ainsley Maitland-Niles down the left and he crossed into the danger area, where the normally reliable Andy Robertson made a complete hash of it; and when the ball bounced up and into the path of Alexandre Lacazette he miss-hit his shot but it bounced just over Alisson and into the net.
It was as scruffy a finish as you’re likely to see all season, but when Liverpool hit back quickly it was a more clinical goal. Mo Salah drove down the right and when his cross-shot was palmed out by Leno, Sadio Mane, who had been fouled in the build-up, was there to smash the ball home.
It was a great show of determination by the Senegalese striker and no more than the Reds deserved. And they were ahead, on 34 minutes, when Alexander-Arnold swung in another brilliant cross and Robertson was there to make amends for his mistake at the other end, collecting the ball and coolly lifting it over Leno and into the net.
The champions had totally dominated the first half but Arsenal showed more ambition after the break, and Alisson had to make a brave save to deny Lacazette who was clean through on goal.
Roberto Firmino came close to making the game safe, on 73 minutes, but his goal-bound shot was deflected wide. Then Jurgen Klopp gave a run-out to new signing Diogo Jota and he had a good chance to score but hammered his shot into the side netting.
While there was only one in it Arsenal were still in the game, but Jota got his debut goal with three minutes to go with a beautifully hit volley, drilled into the bottom corner.
Key statistics
The pre-match Liverpool vs Arsenal betting odds gave a price of 1.47 on the Reds to win and they dominated throughout, winning the shot count by 21 to four.
Jurgen Klopp’s brilliant team has scored in 36 consecutive home Premier League fixtures and are unbeaten in 61 top-flight games at Anfield.
Andy Robertson has had 33 goal involvements (four goals 29 assists) since his Liverpool debut in 2017, more than any other defender in the league and one more than his mate Alexander-Arnold.
What’s next?
Well, SBOTOP Premier League fans, we’re heading back to Anfield again on Thursday when these two teams lock horns in the Carabao Cup, and then Liverpool head south to Birmingham to take on Aston Villa in their last game before the international break.
Arsenal are at home next weekend to Chris Wilder’s Sheffield United who did so well last season but have started this campaign with three successive defeats.
The pick of the Premier League 2020 results from an action-packed weekend was Manchester City’s stunning 2-5 defeat to Leicester City, which left the Sky Blues playing catch up again and the Foxes proudly at the top of the Premier League table with three wins from three. But Liverpool drew level on nine points tonight and are already six points ahead of Pep Guardiola’s title favourites.
The action keeps on coming, and there’s more to come off the field as the summer transfer window is open for another week, but this Liverpool side might already have enough to retain their title.
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