Nick Ames on Trent Alexander-Arnold
That’s your lot, then, my old MBM pals. A reminder that David Hytner’s verdict is in, so if you’ve not read that already, get clicking. Thanks for reading this report; stay safe wherever you are. Nighty night!
Mikel Arteta’s turn for a chat with Sky, and you wouldn’t fancy being one of his players when he gets back to the dressing room, because he’s clearly seething. “We completely deserved to lose the game, they were better in every department ... they deserved to win the game by the margin they did, or more ... and I can’t accept from our side the way we played today ... they won every duel, every second ball, every challenge ... they were brave when they had the ball, they made the right decisions, we didn’t ... it is my fault ... I have to set the team to play in a different way ... congratulations to Liverpool, who were exceptional today, they can play at that level ... the margin is incredibly high ... the standard has to be much higher for this football club ... we could not put three passes together ... too many simple things were not done right and when you do that against this opponent you get punished ... at the moment I am in shock ... I didn’t expect that, the way the team trained, but it happened today, it is the reality ... it is a challenge and a challenge brings an opportunity, and in football you have an opportunity a few days later, and if you have courage and you have big balls and you represent a club like this, you have to stand up in the next game and take it.”
Jurgen Klopp speaks to Sky. “We were very good ... top game ... our counter-pressing was at the highest level ... in general the defending of the whole team looked exactly how it should look ... I am very happy about the overall performance and even more about the three points ... it is the first time in the season when pretty much, apart from the long-term injuries, all of the boys were fit and in really good shape ... Oxlade, Naby, Shaq, we will use them and hopefully it will help us ... we have to work harder ... Diogo felt the intensity of the games in Portugal and that’s why he didn’t start ... and Trent Alexander-Arnold showed his class again ... I don’t want to make a funny discussion about Trent, it’s Gareth’s decision, and he’s blessed with the choice he has, but Trent is in a good shape, so if somebody says he’s not, I say he is wrong ... I am not responsible for Gareth’s decision ... we have a tough programme, we don’t have to start dreaming, we have to keep working ... tonight the package was extremely good ... it was really good.”
Post-match interviews with Arteta and Klopp to come ... but in the meantime, David Hytner’s verdict has landed. Make sure to come back here, y’all!
Liverpool’s two-goal hero Diogo Jota speaks to Sky. “It was a very important result ... to think about higher spots in the table we need to do our job, to win every single game until the end ... if we do that, we have a chance to be there ... it is very hard to win in the Premier League, but we did our job and we move on ... the ball from Alexander-Arnold was unreal ... it made it a lot easier for me to finish ... you need to be ready to make an impact and that’s what I did today and want to do always ... we pressed really well and didn’t allow Arsenal to have possession ... we controlled the game ... it’s another clean sheet, everyone is working hard and well, and now we have a really hard game against Real.”
That’s a huge result for Liverpool, whose hopes of finishing in the top four aren’t quite extinguished yet. Wide smiles on a night when the champions rediscovered their mojo. Ironically, they got back in the groove on the same evening Manchester City won at Leicester, a result which means Liverpool are mathematically out of the title race. But that’s a mere technicality. Liverpool move up into fifth, just two points behind fourth-placed Chelsea, who were shocked at home by West Brom this lunchtime. They’re suddenly only seven behind third-placed Leicester, too. It’s going to be an interesting end to the season if Liverpool manage to build on this confidence-boosting performance. Arsenal meanwhile remain in ninth, and this is a match they’ll want to forget in a hurry. They offered nothing whatsoever up front, found themselves run ragged in midfield, and were oftentimes a shambles at the back. One of those nights.
FULL TIME: Arsenal 0-3 Liverpool
There’s just enough time for Alisson to launch long, setting up Salah to miss, who then sets up Mane to miss. No matter. Smiles all round as the whistle goes. Arsenal were dismal, but Liverpool, at long last, were back to their brilliant best.
90 min +3: Wijnaldum races down the middle and looks to exchange passes with Mane on the edge of the Arsenal box. The move breaks down. Liverpool have been on it from the first minute until the last.
90 min +2: Alexander-Arnold swings the free kick into the box. Mane launches himself at it horizontally, six yards out, but doesn’t get enough on his header, which wafts wide left. It should be four. Mane smiles ruefully.
90 min +1: The first of four added minutes passes without incident ... until Gabriel hauls down Jota, who was threatening to break clear down the right. Booking.
90 min: On Sky, Gary Neville gives the man-of-the-match award to Fabinho, who has indeed been excellent. How Liverpool missed his presence in midfield for so much of this season.
88 min: Pepe dribbles down the right and earns a corner off Williams. Time for an Arsenal consolation? Nope. Phillips heads clear. Partey tries to return it with interest, but the shot doesn’t make it through the thicket.
87 min: Liverpool continue to hog the ball. A real sense that both teams, for very different reasons, would love to hear the final whistle right now.
85 min: Liverpool are stroking the ball around with confidence. We haven’t seen this Liverpool for a while.
84 min: Liverpool make their third change, replacing Kabak with Rhys Williams. Kabak looks a bit non-plussed at being hooked, but Klopp has a word and a smile quickly plays across the young centre-back’s face. All good.
GOAL! Arsenal 0-3 Liverpool (Jota 82)
Diogo Jota can’t stop scoring right now. Gabriel’s dreadful pass upfield is intercepted by Alexander-Arnold, who romps down the right and crosses low. Mane dummies, allowing Jota to power in behind him and slam home.
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81 min: Milner crosses low from the left. Salah cushions the ball into the road of Wijnaldum, who sends a low shot straight down Leno’s throat.
80 min: On the touchline, Mikel Arteta cuts a disconsolate figure. On Sky, Gary Neville describes his eyes as “glazed”. It’s been one of those nights. On that subject, here’s Charles Antaki: “It’s no good expecting Odegaard to lead the fight to pull Arsenal out of this one, given that he’s not getting the ball, seeing it, or even hearing vague rumours about it.”
78 min: Both teams make a change up front. Aubameyang is replaced by Martinelli, while Firmino makes way for Wijnaldum.
76 min: Phillips channels his inner Beckenbauer and swans down the right. He’s got options in the middle, but thunders a meaty cross out of play on the left. That could have taken someone’s leg off!
75 min: Elneny somehow escapes a booking after wrestling Jota from behind. The referee has made some odd decisions tonight, albeit nothing wildly controversial. Just ... y’know ... strange.
73 min: Jota is booked for hanging out a leg to stop Partey. Then Salah races after another long ball, and slaps a shot straight at Leno. It should be three.
72 min: Arsenal came from behind to win this fixture last season, but they don’t look like laying a glove on Liverpool tonight. Can they somehow raise their game in the last 20 or so minutes? “That was an absolute diamond cross from TAA,” writes Dean Kinsella. “If Southgate doesn’t want him as a right back he should be put on the right wing and told to just keep centring like that a la Beckham.”
70 min: It’s Salah’s 150th appearance in the Premier League, and he’s celebrating it with his 93rd goal. Only Alan Shearer, Harry Kane, Sergio Aguero and Ruud van Nistelrooy have scored more goals in their first 150 games.
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GOAL! Arsenal 0-2 Liverpool (Salah 68)
This is a lovely finish. Alexander-Arnold passes infield from the right. Fabinho loops down the channel. Salah wriggles free of Gabriel and enters the box, drawing Leno off his line and then cheekily nutmegging him!
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68 min: Both Chambers and Cedric are good to continue.
67 min: Now Cedric is down, having come off worst in a 50-50 stretch with Fabinho. A busy few minutes for the physio.
66 min: Chambers needed a bit of attention after the goal, having been barged out of the way by Jota. Leno got a hand to that header, by the way, but there was no stopping it.
65 min: Jota is in hot form right now. Alexander-Arnold hasn’t been, but that was a hell of an assist, and he celebrates vocally. Being dropped by England will have stung; that’s some response at the end of a difficult couple of weeks.
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GOAL! Arsenal 0-1 Liverpool (Jota 64)
Alexander-Arnold strides down the right and curls a sensational cross towards Jota at the far post. Jota powers a header into the top left. He’s been on less than four minutes!
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63 min: All a bit stop-start at the minute.
61 min: Cedric drives in from the left and pearls a shot towards the bottom right. It’s a decent hit, but one easily claimed by Alisson.
60 min: Robertson is replaced by Jota. Milner goes across to fill in at left-back.
59 min: Thiago stands on Lacazette’s toe, and really should pick up a yellow. But the referee remains super-chilled.
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58 min: Elneny comes on for Ceballos.
57 min: Arsenal ship possession from their own throw, and suddenly Liverpool stream forward. But Firmino, Salah and Mane overcomplicate the attack, allowing Gabriel to intercept. They should really have manufactured a shooting chance there.
55 min: Some space for Salah to zip into down the right. But once again he’s uncharacteristically hesitant and eventually runs slap bang into Gabriel, who waltzes off with the ball, chuckling.
54 min: Ceballos clatters into the back of Thiago and is fortunate to escape censure. Stuart Attwell has been in a mellow mood this evening.
52 min: Alexander-Arnold finds Salah in the box with a low cross from the right. Salah miscontrols and an opportunity to shoot is gone.
51 min: The game’s settled back into its first-half shape. Liverpool probe hither and yon, Arsenal sit back in organised fashion. So much for Arteta’s half-time rocket.
49 min: Firmino and Robertson combine well down the left, the latter whipping a low cross into the six-yard box. Holding is once again on point to deal with the danger.
48 min: A simple long pass down the middle nearly releases Mane on goal. Holding does well to read the danger, come across, and blooter clear.
47 min: Arsenal start the second half looking signally more alert, having been told some home truths during the break, I’ll be bound.
Arsenal get the second half underway. No changes.
Half-time entertainment. In lieu of goals today, here are some Arsenal and Liverpool prepared earlier.
HALF TIME: Arsenal 0-0 Liverpool
It’s been all Liverpool ... but Leno has had very little to do. Neither team will be particularly happy, for wildly different reasons.
45 min +2: Pepe and Aubameyang combine down the left. The ball’s sent into the box. Milner hacks it clear. Liverpool were dozing there.
45 min +1: Nope, Tierney can’t continue. He hobbles off, to be replaced by Cedric.
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45 min: Tierney is up again, though he’s reluctant to put too much weight on his left knee, which took a whack in a 50-50 with Milner.
44 min: Tierney is down and shaking his head. This will be a huge blow for Arsenal if their brilliant young marauding defender can’t continue.
43 min: Liverpool pass it around metronomically.
41 min: Lacazette, Odegaard and Aubameyang pick up the pace and triangulate down the middle, nearly opening Liverpool up. Not quite, but it was a slick move and much, much better from the otherwise impotent hosts.
40 min: The ball’s curled into a crowded box. Leno comes through the crowd to punch clear spectacularly.
39 min: Tierney is slightly fortunate to avoid a booking after he clips the heel of Milner. But it is a free kick, out on the right, and everyone lines up on the edge of the Arsenal box in anticipation of Alexander-Arnold’s delivery.
37 min: Liverpool continue to probe. Arsenal continue to sit deep.
35 min: Liverpool should be leading. Firmino sends Alexander-Arnold scampering free down the right with a gorgeous flick. Alexander-Arnold reaches the byline, then cuts back forensically to find Milner in space on the edge of the box. Milner drags his first-time shot wide, and holds his head in his hands, as well he might. That’s an awful end to a fine move.
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34 min: Tierney slips Aubameyang into space down the left. Alexander-Arnold does well to get back and hold the striker up. Aubameyang eventually chips to the far post, where Pepe heads harmlessly into Alisson’s arms. That’s better from Arsenal, though, their first real attack of the evening.
32 min: More Liverpool possession, but they can’t find a route through Arsenal’s packed defence.
30 min: Firmino dribbles down the inside left before shooting low and hard towards the bottom right. It’s always going wide, and Leno had it covered anyway.
29 min: Liverpool are two on one. Mane capers down the left and looks for Salah in the middle, when again he probably should have gone on to shoot himself. The pass isn’t good. Firmino tries to race in and help, but Gabriel clears.
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28 min: Liverpool have the scent of blood in the nostrils. They’ve upped the tempo and Arsenal are seriously struggling to escape the press and bust out of their own final third. Having said all that, Leno has had very little to do. Arsenal, determined to stay compact, will be pleased enough in that respect.
26 min: Robertson is seeing a lot of the ball. He tears down the left and attempts to release Salah with a diagonal pass. Salah gets to the ball but is forced to turn tail. He lays off to Milner, who chips in a cross from the right. Mane guides a weak header into the arms of Leno.
24 min: Robertson extends a telescopic leg to keep alive a ball that had been flying out of play on the left. That’s quite sensational, especially as he finds Mane in the box, but Mane hesitates and the chance for a shot is gone.
23 min: Phillips and Lacazette clatter into each other. Lacazette takes what looks like an accidental one in the eye. Blood is drawn. It’s a free kick, nothing more. Lacazette isn’t too happy about the decision, and his mood doesn’t improve when the referee orders him off the field to get patched up.
22 min: Liverpool have enjoyed 61 percent of possession so far.
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21 min: One corner leads to another, which leads to nothing. Liverpool are firmly on top.
20 min: Salah spins into space down the right, and combines with Mane and Alexander-Arnold to win a corner. In doing so, Mane has the option to go down, Holding having clumsily made contact, but stays on his feet.
18 min: Liverpool get back to pinging it around. They’ll be the happier of the two teams right now.
16 min: Arsenal finally enjoy a bit of extended time in the Liverpool half. Tierney makes a couple of runs down the left, but there’s no space to exploit. Yet.
14 min: Fabinho has a whack from distance. The ball sails wide left. Liverpool are first to mostly everything right now.
13 min: The Liverpool press looks up to speed this evening. Once again Arsenal are panicked into shipping possession, and the teal shirts flood forward. Robertson hoicks his cross from the left out for a goal kick, but these are promising early signs for the visitors.
11 min: Thiago finds Firmino down the right. Firmino juggles the ball awhile, then crosses. It’s half-cleared, and falls for Milner, who sends a first-time shot well wide left from the edge of the box. Tonight’s first shot in anger.
10 min: Arsenal are struggling to retain possession right now. Liverpool are pressing them back. There’s no out ball.
8 min: Having said that, Liverpool are seeing plenty of the ball during these opening exchanges, a state of affairs that won’t do any harm as they seek to rebuild that confidence.
6 min: That really was a fine situation Mane found himself in. By happily laying off to Firmino, he illustrated Liverpool’s current collective lack of confidence. Only Southampton and Newcastle have been in worse form during the last eight games.
4 min: Alisson - channelling Arsenal legend David Seaman with a glorious moustache - passes long. Mane spins Holding and makes off towards the Arsenal box. He lays off to Firmino when he should really have taken a couple more strides, entered the box, and shot.
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3 min: A little bit of early possession for Arsenal. They probe down both wings, but not with much pace or panache. Liverpool hold their shape and the hosts go nowhere.
2 min: Scrappy and slow.
1 min: There’s been a change of referee, Stuart Attwell standing in for Martin Atkinson. He’s soon whistling for a garden-variety foul in midfield. A scrappy start.
Liverpool get the party started ... but only after everyone takes the knee. There’s no room for racism. Kick it out.
The teams are out! Arsenal are in their famous red shirts with white sleeves, while Liverpool wear second-choice teal. We’ll be off in a few minutes, once coins have been tossed and hands shaken.
Jurgen Klopp, in a cheery mood, takes his turn. “Things will only change if we win football games ... but in our situation, with quite a few teams ahead of us, if they win all the games, we can win all the games but they will still be ahead of us ... we have to win here, but it doesn’t get easier just because West Brom won at Chelsea ... nothing changed since yesterday, the same approach, the same idea, hopefully it will work ... I am fine with the team, now we have to perform ... Arsenal have put everything they have offensively on the pitch, so we have to be ready ... it’s just a good football team, we have to defend against them.”
Mikel Arteta, in a determined mood, speaks to Sky Sports. “We will try to be as competitive as we want to be ... we do not want to find any excuses ... we need to put a run together, it doesn’t matter what other teams are doing ... we know we have to win our games to achieve what we want in the Premier League ... the standards and quality Liverpool have, we have to be at our best to win the game ... there is no handbrake now, there is only seven weeks to go, we need to go for it.”
Brilliant and beloved, David Rocastle passed away 20 years ago. The anniversary of his death is being marked by Arsenal today. Seeing Liverpool are in town, let’s remember him with this lovely story from his Guardian obituary, courtesy of Brian Glanville:
Pleasant, modest and humorous, it was hard to upset him on or off the field. Alan Hansen relates that when, playing against him for Liverpool, he brought him down quite badly, Rocastle merely smiled at him and asked: “Getting old?”
Both teams are coming off the back of morale-boosting performances in the Premier League. Arsenal rebounded from three goals down to draw 3-3 at West Ham a fortnight ago, and make four changes to the team that started that match. Dani Ceballos, Nicolas Pepe, Rob Holding and Gabriel step up; David Luiz and Bukayo Saka are injured, Granit Xhaka is ill, and Pablo Mari drops to the bench.
Liverpool, who won their last league fixture 1-0 at Wolves, make two changes to the starting XI named at Molineux. James Milner replaces Georginio Wijnaldum, while Roberto Firmino returns from injury to replace the in-form Portugal striker Diogo Jota. Wijnaldum and Jota both put in some hard yards during the World Cup qualifiers, so will presumably be more than happy to kick back on the bench.
The teams
Arsenal: Leno, Chambers, Holding, Gabriel, Tierney, Partey, Ceballos, Pepe, Odegaard, Aubameyang, Lacazette.
Subs: Bellerin, Willian, Cedric, Pablo Mari, Nelson, Elneny, Nketiah, Ryan, Martinelli.
Liverpool: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Phillips, Kabak, Robertson, Thiago, Fabinho, Milner, Salah, Firmino, Mane.
Subs: Wijnaldum, Keita, Adrian, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Jones, Jota, Tsimikas, Shaqiri, Rhys Williams.
Referee: Martin Atkinson (W Yorkshire).
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Preamble
Welcome to our coverage of one of the classic top-flight fixtures. Two giants of English football face off tonight, though neither are at their best right now. Liverpool’s direction of travel has been well documented, while Arsenal have spent most of the season taking one step forward and another back.
European qualification isn’t out of the question for either club yet, though it’s now or never in terms of launching a late charge up the table. Neither team has room for error, in fact both need the win, so tonight’s match is set up deliciously. Mayhem ahoy, hopefully.
Kick off is at 8pm BST. It’s on!
