Arsenal vs Liverpool ends in a comfortable win for the Gunners as they close gap with Reds to two points

Arsenal vs Liverpool: An Overview

Third-placed Arsenal hosted Premier League leaders Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, February 4. The game was crucial in giving direction to the title race involving the two sides and Manchester City.

The Gunners entered this contest on the back of a rather declining run of form. After a strong start to the season, they have won just four times in their last 10 games. The other games were four defeats and two draws as they lost ground on the Reds. However, Arsenal have done well in their last two games as they defeated Crystal Palace 5-0 before winning 2-1 at Nottingham Forest. They were looking to put in another strong performance that would help them cover the points gap.

The Reds, on the other hand, were unbeaten in their 10 games across competitions prior to this clash. That run included eight wins and two draws as Jurgen Klopp’s men have turned up the style in recent weeks. Liverpool have been rampant in front of goal, netting 16 times in their last five games. Their last outing was a 4-1 demolition of Chelsea at Anfield as the extended their lead at the top. They were looking to secure another positive result to continue their title charge.

Arsenal vs Liverpool: Match Report

Arsenal secured a commanding 3-1 win over league leaders Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium.

The hosts made an incredible start to the game and controlled the tempo right from the get-go. They kept possession of the ball for lengthy spells in Liverpool’s half, threatening to break through the lines at any given opportunity. Bukayo Saka opened the scoring for the Gunners after 14 minutes after he cleaned up Gabriel Martinelli’s saved shot by Alisson. With momentum on their side, the hosts look to extend their lead and nearly did on multiple occasions.

With eight shots and four of those on target for Arsenal compared to three shots with none on target for Liverpool, one would think the visitors would enter the break goalless. However, a terrible mix-up between David Raya and Gabriel Magalhaes resulted in an own goal by the latter. The two teams were tied 1-1 at the half-time interval.

Liverpool made an electric start to the second half and looked to capitalize on their momentum and score a second goal. They put a lot of pressure on Arsenal and dominated possession, keeping the ball for 62% of the time in the second period. However, a howler from Alisson and Virgil van Dijk allowed Gabriel Martinelli to score into an open net to make it 2-1 after 67 minutes.

Both teams lost their discipline thereafter with the Gunners receiving four yellow cards after going ahead, while Liverpool saw Ibrahima Konate sent off for two bookings. Substitute Leandro Trossard put the seal on victory in the 92^nd minute after another uncharacteristic error by Alisson as he completely missed the ball.

The win sees Arsenal (49) close the gap with Liverpool (51) to two points with both teams having played 23 games so far this season. On that note, let’s take a look at the top performers from the game.

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Arsenal vs Liverpool: Top Performers

Gabriel Martinelli (8/10)

Gabriel Martinelli made a great start to the game and created an early half-chance for Bukayo Saka, with the ball flashing in front of the Englishman. The Brazilian then found himself through on goal and attempted a shot, with the rebound being tucked in by Saka.

Martinelli put in a relentless performance and was rewarded for it as the ball fell kindly to his feet to score following an error by compatriot Alisson. He passed the ball with 84% accuracy, including one key pass. He also won three duels and scored with his only shot on target.

Leandro Trossard (7.5/10)

The Belgian came on in the 74^th minute as a replacement for Gabriel Martinelli, who wasn’t too happy at being subbed off. However, Trossard made an instant impact on the game and held his own as he kept possession of the ball with confidence.

He won two duels and completed one dribble as he left Harvey Elliott in the dust before going on to score to seal the win for Arsenal. The timing of the substitution was also spot on by Mikel Arteta.

Alexis Mac Allister (7.5/10)

The Argentine put in a composed performance in midfield as he passed the ball with 88% accuracy. That included two key passes and three long balls. Mac Allister seemed particularly interested in attempting shots from outside the box, with two of his three efforts coming agonisingly close. However, all of them were off-target.

Mac Allister won 11 duels, making three tackles two clearances and one block. He also completed two dribbles in a performance where he could have used more support from his teammates.

Arsenal vs Liverpool: Match Point

Apart from the first goal of the game, the other three were all results of individual errors. Arsenal created many more chances than Liverpool and should arguably have been multiple goals to the good before half-time. The timing of the goal they conceded also gave the Reds valuable momentum.

Alisson had a game to forget as he misjudged Gabriel’s long ball that resulted in the Gunners’ second goal. Despite being 2-1 down, Liverpool could still have fought back and mounted a comeback. However, Ibrahima Konate’s sending off cost them heavily as it released all the pressure they had created. Alisson made another late error which allowed Trossard to score with relative ease.

Overall, this result will be a huge boost for Mikel Arteta’s men. Jurgen Klopp and his men will focus on the positives, with this being just their second loss in over 30 Premier League games.

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