By Nehizena Erhabor
The Reds came into the game on the back of a five-game winning streak, which had showcased moments of resilience and character. There had been a boost in morale after the nerve-biting penalty shootout win against Chelsea to send them into the 5th round of the Carabao Cup.
Arsenal were less fortunate in their previous fixture, bouncing out of the cup after an upset against Fleetwood and with a point to prove, they were urgent to regain confidence.
Lineups and Tactical Adjustments
Fielding a near-perfect starting eleven, bar Dominik Szoboszlai, who was on the bench, against a hampered Arsenal side was ideal, especially since the Gunners had not won at Anfield in the league since September 2012.
Credits: BBC
The Match
Early on, they were confident, and Christos Tzolis was able to break free after being played forward by Martin Odegaard, which was an early warning sign for Ronald Araujo to correct his positioning, as they planned on utilising their wide players to create goalscoring opportunities. In the first 10 minutes, Arsenal had 71% possession, which forced the team to soak up the consistent attacks and focus on the counterattacks.
Credits: BBC
The crowd were lively, sparking a resounding roar after Bradley Barcola was played in behind by Alexander Isak before the attack was foiled by David Raya who was quick off his line. Despite the chance not leading to a shot on goal, the crowd were energetic, and the atmosphere was electric.
The first 15 minutes were controlled by Arsenal, and the relentless pressure and intensity forced a mistake by Alisson, who played a poor pass that Odegaard intercepted. Noni Madueke smoothly played in Declan Rice, who struck an inviting cross in the box which passed Alisson and landed at the feet of Kai Havertz, who tapped the ball in. This was not the ideal start, but the character we had shown in previous games was still very much alive, and we used this goal as fuel for the remainder of the half.
Throughout the next 30 minutes, we had complete control of the match, dominating possession and being the team most likely to score next. Bradley Barcola has come into form recently, and with Isak being our top goal scorer with goals already, our frontline was bound to cause trouble for Arsenal.
After some trickery from Barcola on the left-hand side, he played a beautiful ball into the box which was in the path of Isak. Despite being clearly pulled back by Jurrien Timber, impeding his chance to make contact with the ball, the referee did not award us a penalty, and the sequence was cleared and checked by VAR. This decision was very controversial and had the penalty been given, the outcome of the game could have been very different.
Liverpool had 28 touches in Arsenal’s box, which was the most on record by any side in the first half of a Premier League match against Arsenal. For a team that prides itself on its defensive stability, we were still able to create numerous chances. Florian Wirtz’s fabulous free kick hit the crossbar, and Alexis Mac Allister had a free header that went over the bar. We did everything we could in that first half to find a way through, but couldn’t get it over the line.
The second half was slightly more balanced, and objectives changed, which opened us up to new weaknesses. Arsenal were able to sit back and hold their defensive line, holding onto their lead whilst we were forced to progress further up the pitch. This helped us create more chances but made us prone to exposure on the counter as players such as Van Dijk, an adequate ball progressor but also our defensive anchor, were in a higher position.
After a slip from Jeremy Jacquet, Tzolis found Odegaard in close range, who fortunately missed the target. Isak then had a chance going forward as he was played through by Kerkez but blazed the ball over the bar; it wasn’t our day offensively, and the strength of their defence was very restrictive.
Player Ratings
Kerkez - 6
Van Dijk - 7
Jacquet - 7
Araujo - 6.5
Nyoni – 7.5
Mac Allister 6.5
Barcola - 5.5
Wirtz - 5.0
Gakpo - 6.0
Isak - 6.5
Conclusion and standout performers
Despite the loss, the squad's young talent made a lasting impact, especially Trey Nyoni, our best player on the pitch today. His strong performance came from his composure on the ball, a telling sign of his talent despite his age, as well as his ability to control the tempo of the game. Arsenal are not the best going forward, but Jacquet reinforced their weaknesses with another stellar showing, making him in contention for the signing of the season as he slotted into the squad seamlessly.
Liverpool is in a good place momentum-wise, and this will prove to be a mere bump in the road. The transitional period of us adjusting to Iraola’s philosophy has come to an end; we have more identity as a club. Now we need our big money signings to continue to justify their price tags and for our young starters to remain fearless.
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