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Liverpool ended Arsenal\u2019s 100 per cent start to the season while extending their own with a 3-1 victory at Anfield to make it 61 home league matches unbeaten.<\/p>\nLiverpool ended Arsenal\u2019s 100 per cent start to the season while extending their own with a 3-1 victory at Anfield to make it 61 home league matches unbeaten.<\/p>\n
Having lost their last two matches to Mikel Arteta\u2019s side \u2013 one on penalties in the Community Shield \u2013 there was barely a time over the 90 minutes when the defending champions looked like allowing it to happen a third time.<\/p>\n
Sadio Man\u00e9, Andy Robertson and Diogo Jota, on his home debut, all scored after Alexandre Lacazette had been gifted the opener after a Robertson error.<\/p>\n
If the France international\u2019s finish from Arsenal\u2019s first shot on target in the 25th minute was not that convincing his performance in two second-half one-on-ones \u2013 one latterly flagged offside \u2013 with Alisson Becker was less so and he rightly covered his face with his shirt when taking his seat on the bench after being substituted 15 minutes from time.<\/p>\n
Had he been sharper Liverpool may have had more of a problem but they dominated for long periods \u2013 having 21 shots to their opponents four \u2013 and with better finishing of their own would have been comfortable long before Jota made the game safe in the 88th minute.<\/p>\n
The last eight Anfield meetings in all competitions had produced 44 goals so there was an expectation there would be plenty of entertainment for the viewing public at home.<\/p>\n
Arsenal, with David Luiz restored to a back three and two holding midfielders in Mohamed Elneny and Granit Xhaka, seemed in no mood to take the game to their hosts as Premier League newcomers Leeds had so thrillingly done on the opening weekend of the season.<\/p>\n
Instead they sat back, rarely engaging as Liverpool played out from the defense, in the hope of hitting on the break.<\/p>\n
It was a misguided ploy, especially to afford so much time and space to Trent Alexander-Arnold, who when on his game is seemingly guaranteed to provide a goal such is the quality of his crossing.<\/p>\n
One early cross had Luiz nodding Virgil Van Dijk\u2019s goal-bound header behind to help out beaten goalkeeper Bernd Leno, who did well to parry Man\u00e9\u2019s first-time shot from another Alexander-Arnold delivery.<\/p>\n
Bizarrely Arsenal did not \u2013 or could not \u2013 stop the England international, who also had a low drive deflected onto the crossbar by Hector Bellerin, and neither did they try to exploit the space he left in behind.<\/p>\n
On the one occasion they did it brought their somewhat fortuitous goal as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang\u2019s cross was over-hit to Robertson but the full-back\u2019s miscontrol played the ball back towards his goal and into the path of Lacazette.<\/p>\n
The France international was equally unconvincing with his miskicked shot \u2013 the Gunners\u2019 first of the game \u2013 but he succeeded in bouncing it into the floor and agonizingly over the outstretched arm of Alisson.<\/p>\n
However, if Arteta was hoping to hold on to that lead his plan was dashed after 147 seconds as Leno parried Mohamed Salah\u2019s shot and Man\u00e9 pounced for the equalizer.<\/p>\n
Seven minutes later Liverpool were ahead as yet another Alexander-Arnold cross found its target in the penalty area, this time his opposite full-back Robertson making amends for his earlier error by controlling on his chest and poking home.<\/p>\n
Arsenal offered a little more threat after the break, while doing slightly better in nullifying Alexander-Arnold, but they were as poor in front of goal as they had been out of possession.<\/p>\n
Either side of Leno saving Van Dijk\u2019s low drive Lacazette was twice clean through, although first time he was eventually offside, but his lack of conviction meant on both occasions he failed to beat Alisson.<\/p>\n
Springing Liverpool\u2019s high line looked Arsenal\u2019s best chance of success \u2013 especially when substitutes Eddie Nketiah and Nicolas Pepe arrived \u2013 and that provided one or two nervy moments for the hosts when they did.<\/p>\n
But Liverpool\u2019s new signing Jota, also a late substitute, finally put the match to bed two minutes from time when he seized a weak Luiz header, controlling and firing low into the Kop net having earlier wasted a better chance with only Leno to beat.<\/p>\n