Liverpool suffered a major blow to their Premier League title bid as they lost 3-1 to Arsenal in unexpected circumstances.
There were golden opportunities in the 15th minute of the first half, with Gabriel Martinelli heading Bukayo Saka and Cody Gakpo bursting through the home defense after receiving a pass from Alexis McAllister. However, it didn’t take long for Arsenal to find the door.
Kai Havertz got past Germany’s Alisson Becker but couldn’t find a way through. But the Brazilian was helpless when the ball fell to Saka, who countered easily.
The Reds looked to be behind at half-time but made no progress before equalizing in surprising circumstances. Luis Diaz was battling William Saliba for the ball, with the Arsenal defender waiting for David Raya to help him.
But no help came and Diaz caught the ball with his fingers. The ball bounced off Gabriel’s hand and crossed the line before the Brazilian recovered to give Liverpool a stunning half-time gift.
If the goal was unexpected, the manner in which Arsenal took the lead was unconvincing. Virgil van Dijk’s interplay with Alisson caused him to miss the ball completely, leaving Martinelli with a wide open net to turn the ball over.
Liverpool couldn’t find their way into the game and things got worse when Ibrahima Konate was sent off for his second yellow card and Leandro Trossard scored in added time.
Find out who’s back
42 games and 284 days later
, Thiago Alcantara is finally back in the Liverpool team. And not before it’s time.
There were times when some Reds fans wondered if they would ever see him in a Liverpool shirt again. With his contract expiring this summer and his injury getting worse, it looks like we have seen his last game for the club.
But he could play a big role for the rest of the season and his return could come at the perfect time. With Dominik Sbososzlai ruled out and the extent of his injury still unknown, Liverpool are once again lining up an elite option.
Change of plans
We all got used to seeing Trent Alexander-Arnold in a hybrid right-back/midfielder role last year, and when he returned to the starting line-up it felt like an obvious ruse. However, Jurgen Klopp thought otherwise.
Instead, Joe Gomez appeared to be the man tasked with moving into midfield, with Alexander-Arnold remaining on the right. Perhaps it was because Conor Bradley was rushed to play on the wing and assume his usual right-back role, but he looked ineffective in a difficult first half.
Gomez’s predicament was perhaps summed up when he was shown a yellow card for dragging Declan Rice in the center of the park and leaving him on the touchline for the rest of the game. Alexander-Arnold took the lead early in the second half, which was exciting at the time.
Ignore the stats
Even Liverpool fans will be scratching their heads as to how their team managed to break even. The 1-1 draw was notable for the Reds not having a single shot on target.
In just two games this season, Liverpool have had fewer shots overall than they have in three games at the Emirates. Coincidentally, one of those games was against the Gunners in the FA Cup. However, after the break, areas for improvement were clearly revealed. Without Mohamed Salah, Darwin Nunez and Dominic Szoboszlai, there would be no goal threat.
He was confused
There is no other way to describe Liverpool, who fell behind again in the second half.
It was surprising that Arsenal got an equalizer just before the break, but it was unconvincing that Liverpool put them back in front. But whether Van Dijk and Alisson misjudged the ball as much as they did will likely be debated for some time.
Van Dijk’s face said it all. When he turned and beat the keeper it was the smile that told the story of Liverpool’s disappointing day and suddenly a huge blow to their title hopes.
