That’s it for today’s blog. I’ll leave you with Nick Ames’ match report – goodnight.
Post-match reaction
Bukayo Saka
The last 2-3 years we’ve struggled against Liverpool, so to win today in front of our fans in special. It gives us more confidence because they’re a fantastic team and we have a lot of respect for them.
I’ve been practising penalties all the time. I don’t know what was going on with the delay, there were a few bits of fighting. But I had what I was going to do in my head and I stuck with it.
Gabriel Martinelli
It means a lot for us. We’ve been working hard and I think we deserved the win. We showed great spirit – we are a family. I’m very happy with a goal and an assist. It doesn’t matter [that Arsenal are a young team]; it’s about your heart and how much you want to achieve in football and in life. That’s the most important thing.
Here’s Nick Ames’ match report from the Emirates
Could be a coming of age win, that. Superb from #Arsenal - fight, guts, speed, great goals and now 2 wins on the bounce against key rivals. Onwards and upwards. #COYG #ARSLIV
— Jon Spurling (@JonSpurling1) October 9, 2022
It wouldn’t be Arsenal’s first coming-of-age victory against Liverpool.
#ARSLIV Great game & big result for Arsenal which they deserved, not sure about the penalty decisions 🤯
— Jamie Carragher (@Carra23) October 9, 2022
we will squeeze this game into MNF!
Bukayo Saka scored twice, including the winner from the penalty spot, but the player of the match was the exhilarating Gabriel Martinelli. He scored the first after 58 seconds, made the second for Saka and gave two right-backs a chasing: Trent Alexander-Arnold in the first half, Joe Gomez in the second.
It really was a brilliant game. Liverpool played very well at times, and their second equaliser was a beauty, but Arsenal – flaky old Arsenal – were just too strong for them in the second half.
𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙖𝙣'𝙩 𝙬𝙞𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙠𝙞𝙙𝙨... 👀 pic.twitter.com/Lc04vZTU1D
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) October 9, 2022
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Arsenal 2022-23: P9 W8 D0 L1 F23 A10. Few of us predicted that after their shattering collapse at the end of last season.
Full time: Arsenal 3-2 Liverpool
Arsenal go back to the top of the Premier League after a thrilling win at the Emirates! It’s a statement victory, surely their best in the Premier League under Mikel Arteta. He punches the air wildly before embracing his backroom staff. They outlasted Liverpool, who contributed enormously to a fine match before running out of steam in the second half.
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90+8 min And still.
90+7 min They’re still playing.
90+4 min Five minutes of added time, I forgot to say that. It’s all very scrappy, which suits Arsenal. Mikel Arteta wastes a few more seconds by bringing on Fabio Vieira for Bukayo Saka.
90+2 min The referee Michael Oliver has called both managers over. There was a bit of chat just before that involving Henderson, Thiago and Gabriel, so I assume it’s about that.
90+1 min Eddie Nketiah replaces Gabriel Jesus.
90 min Alisson and van Dijk leave a bouncing ball for each other. Eventually van Dijk heads it behind for a corner and Jesus, who tried to nip in, is flattened by Alisson.
Updated
90 min Finally a bit of sustained pressure from Liverpool. Henderson lobs a good ball towards Nunez, but Saliba gets there first and calmly heads back to Ramsdale.
88 min Elliott goes down in the area after a challenge from Tierney. No penalty. It’s checked by VAR but replays show it was a dive.
87 min Arsenal are passing the clock down quite comfortably.
85 min Liverpool look tired. It’s hard to believe that, in terms of points, they are closer to the relegation zone than the Champions League places.
84 min Liverpool have been better since going behind, but Arsenal look relatively comfortable.
82 min: Arsenal substitution Kieran Tierney replaces Martin Odegaard, who was terrific as always. That probably means a switch to a back five.
81 min Liverpool substitution: Harvey Elliott replaces Diogo Jota. That’s a slightly strange move. Liverpool are still playing 4-2-3-1, with Elliott on the left wing and Henderson on the right.
80 min “Just a thought but the ‘experienced professionals’ sent Tua Tagovailoa back on field…” says Nina. “I think many professional sports leave a lot to be desired when it comes to concussion responses.”
Fair point. I’m just uneasy about criticising medical professionals over a subject I know very little about. I’d love to find out more about the protocols and especially the impact of delayed concussion. I do agree that, at the moment, it’s hard to reconcile some of the responses.
79 min A dangerous cross from Nunez evades the diving Ramsdale and is cleared by Jesus at the far post. This is pulsating stuff.
77 min Liverpool have come from behind twice. Now they need to do it again.
It was a fine penalty, curled low towards the bottom-left corner. Alisson went the right way but couldn’t reach it.
GOAL! Arsenal 3-2 Liverpool (Saka 76 pen)
Bukayo Saka scores!
Updated
75 min Saka will take the penalty…
74 min: It’s kicking off! Henderson is having a row with someone. Xhaka and Nunez are also involved. Thiago is protesting but this won’t be overturned.
Updated
73 min: Penalty to Arsenal! Moments after a great double save from Alisson, Thiago kicks through the back of Jesus’s leg and Michael Oliver gives a penalty. It’s a bit soft but it was stupid, lazy defending from Thiago.
Updated
72 min Odegaard slips Konate beautifully on the edge of the D and plays in Martinelli to his left. He cuts back onto his right foot but can’t work the angle for a shot, so he turns again and finds Xhaka on the left side of the area. He smashes a low cross that is crucially blocked by the stretching Konate.
71 min Gomez is booked for timewasting at a throw-in.
70 min Fabinho, just on the field, stops an Arsenal break with a foul on White.
69 min A double change for Liverpool: Fabinho and Ibrahima Konate replace Mo Salah, who’s been very quiet, and Joel Matip. That presumably means a switch to 4-3-3.
Updated
67 min With Arsenal dominating midfield in the second half, Liverpool are readying Fabinho.
66 min “Jesus was out cold, there’s no way he should be allowed on the pitch,” says Andy Bradshaw. “Or have I completely got the concussion protocols wrong?. Football’s so stupid.”
I was slightly surprised, but I guess we have to trust the folk doing the concussion tests. They’re experienced professionals, not complete chancers.
65 min “No worries about Klopp,” says David Keech. “This is just an injury-hit down year caused mainly by the sheer exhaustion of last season coming so close but so far. A year out of Europe and they’ll challenge City again next season.”
They’ll still be in Europe, surely.
64 min This is a good spell for Arsenal. Tomiyasu’s cross brushes the head of Matip and is handled by Saka at the far post. Had he been able to control that legally, he would have had another great chance.
62 min Partey flips a little pass round the corner to Xhaka, just inside the area on the left. He flicks it neatly over Matip but then smashes a volley over the bar.
61 min Jesus is going to continue. Meanwhile, Gomez gets away with shoving Martinelli off the field and down the slope. He might have been booked for that.
59 min Jesus is sitting up to receive treatment. He looks pretty groggy though. Replays show that Tsimikas caught him in the face with the point of his elbow. It doesn’t look great, though it was checked by VAR. It was reckless rather than malicious from Tsimikas.
Updated
58 min Gabriel Jesus goes down face first, and players on both sides wave frantically for the physios to come on. This is worrying. He was caught by the arm of Tsimikas I think.
Updated
57 min Saka is fouled on the right wing by Jota. Odegaard’s free-kick is punched away with authority by Alisson.
55 min This is a fantastic game, the end.
It’s completely against the run of play. but it was beautifully worked. Jota received the ball 40 yards from goal, in the inside-left channel, with three Arsenal players around him. Out of nothing he stabbed an imaginative pass behind Saliba and into the path of Firmino, who angled a precise first-time shot back across Ramsdale.
Updated
GOAL! Arsenal 2-2 Liverpool (Firmino 53)
What a marvellous goal!
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51 min “Is this the end of the Klopp era?” wonders Dan Brierley. “The whole team just seem so … drained?”
I’d be loath to rush to such an extreme conclusion, but there are some pretty worrying signs. I suppose the main question is whether Klopp has the strength and energy to build a second great team.
50 min: Chance for Odegaard! Arsenal have started the second half superbly. Martinelli, who is destroying Liverpool, finds Odegaard in space in the D, but his low shot is straight at Alisson.
48 min van Dijk makes a vital double block to deny first Saka and then Odegaard (I think). The chance came after another thrilling run behind the defence by Martinelli. His low cross wasn’t cleared properly by Matip, but van Dijk bailed him out.
46 min Peep peep! Arsenal begin the second half. We don’t know whether Alexander-Arnold is injured – he did hurt his ankle in the first half – or whether he has been taking out of the firing line by Jurgen Klopp. The poor lad is really struggling.
Liverpool have made half-time substitution: Joe Gomez for Trent Alexander-Arnold.
“Last season, Martinelli’s running at defences was already impressive, and so far this season he’s taken it to a new level,” says Alex W. “He just makes things happen. His pace, combined with his excellent dribbling both at speed and in tight quarters, provides so much thrust and incision.”
He might be the most exciting dribbler in the Premier League. His decision-making has improved, too, and he’s still only 21.
SAKA PUTS ARSENAL BACK IN FRONT 🔴
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) October 9, 2022
What a counter-attack! ⚡⚡ pic.twitter.com/In35yzcZh2
Updated
We’ve just seen a replay of Arsenal’s first goal, and I must say Saka looks slightly offside in the build up. I think it was checked by VAR.
Half-time reading
“Surely Gabriel dummied it for Saka?” asks Peter Morgan.
Yes, I think I did him a disservice. I was too busy trying to work out why Alexander-Arnold ran across to Martinelli so I wasn’t really concentrating on Gabriel’s part.
Half time: Arsenal 2-1 Liverpool
Fascinating stuff at the Emirates. Gabriel Martinelli scored after 58 seconds, and for a while it looked like Arsenal would have an easy afternoon. But Liverpool slowly got into the game and scored a deserved equaliser through Darwin Nunez. They continued to dominate but were stung on the break in injury time, when the brilliant Martinelli made a goal for Bukayo Saka.
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45+5 min Alexander-Arnold’s defending for the goal left a bit to be desired. He was originally in the centre but then ran across to challenge Martinelli, who was already being shadowed by Henderson. That left all kinds of space in the middle for both Gabriel and the goalscorer Saka.
Updated
Arsenal broke four on three, with Martinelli on the ball. He moved into the area, vut back inside Henderson and Alexander-Arnold and slid a low cross towards the far post. Gabriel missed it but Saka slid the ball into the net from three yards.
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GOAL! Arsenal 2-1 Liverpool (Saka 45+4 min)
Saka scores after brilliant work from Martinelli!
Updated
45+4 min Odegaard is booked for a poor tackle on Jota.
45+4 min Saka’s corner is headed away.
45+3 min Partey sprays a crossfield pass out to Saka, who runs at Tsimikas and wins a corner.
Updated
45 min A lovely move from Arsenal is spoiled by a heavy touch from Jesus, which allows Tsimikas to clear.
44 min There will be five added minutes. Meantime, here’s Liverpool’s equaliser.
1-1 AT THE EMIRATES! 👊
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) October 9, 2022
Darwin Núñez gets the equaliser for Liverpool 🔴 pic.twitter.com/XswVyKvmGy
43 min Salah’s lofted cross is too high for Tsimikas. Liverpool look much more likely at the moment.
42 min “The rationale for Liverpool’s kit may be the old adage that if you want to right a bad run it is sometimes necessary to win ugly,” says Alan Webb. “This may be labouring the point somewhat.”
Updated
42 min Firmino comes on for Diaz, who is limping down the tunnel. Jota will move to the left wing.
Updated
41 min Diaz is down now, and it looks like his race is run: Roberto Firmino is getting ready to replace him.
40 min Arsenal started well but they have really faded in the last 15-20 minutes. As Gary Neville points out on Sky, Liverpol are dominating midfield even though Arsenal have an extra man in there a lot of the time.
38 min Nunez has looked sharp today. He took his goal well and has also stretched the Arsenal defence at every opportunity.
36 min “There can’t be a more glorious kit specially made for a televised match than the very first one, Wolverhampton Wanderers’ shiny, golden outfit for their televised ‘floodlight friendly’ against Honved in 1954,” says Kári Tulinius.
Alexander-Arnold swished a long pass down the right towards Nunez (who was in an offside position at that stage) and Diaz. The stretching Gabriel got a touch on the ball but could only divert it to Diaz, who headed it into space and then crossed low towards Nunez in the middle. Nunez slid in and lifted the ball over Ramsdale from eight yards.
Updated
GOAL! Arsenal 1-1 Liverpool (Nunez 34)
Darwin Nunez equalises for Liverpool!
Updated
33 min Ramsdale gives the home fans a coronary by dribbling past Nunez.
33 min “Old man shouting at clouds time,” says Samuel Campbell, “but if I was in charge of football, Gabriel would be punished for saying the ball hit his chest when it quite clearly hit his arm and don’t get me started on Saka going down like Mike Tyson caught him with a jab because a hand came near his face. Ten-game bans all round under my watch.”
32 min Salah wriggles away from Tomiyasu but drags a tame shot wide of the near post. This is better from Liverpool.
30 min Liverpool are starting to threaten. Nunez bursts down the right, onto Henderson’s pass, and puts in a dangerous low cross towards Diaz. Saliba intercepts but diverts the ball towards his own goal, forcing Ramsdale to plunge to his left and push it away.
Updated
28 min Jesus does superbly to make room for a shot on the left side of the box, but he’s off balance when he makes contact and it dribbles through to Alisson.
27 min “Not even half way through October,” begins Matt Dony, “and already this has gone through - a) disappointment at a slow start, b) confusion over what exactly is going wrong, c) frustration at a seeming inability of excellent players to do the basics well, d) an existential dread of the next game. I almost don’t want to watch at the moment. These players have performed so well in the past, and I have no doubt that they are putting effort in, so it’s hard to be angry with them. And Klopp has an almost infinite cache of good will. And yet. If things don’t improve soon, what next? I genuinely don’t know.”
I can think of one thing.
A special #UCL night. pic.twitter.com/7fIy3Ky3xi
— Jude Bellingham (@BellinghamJude) October 5, 2022
26 min: Good save from Ramsdale! That’s the closest Liverpool have come to an equaliser, a snapshot from Nunez that was beaten away at the near post by Ramsdale.
Updated
25 min He’s back on.
24 min Alexander-Arnold is still receiving treatment. He seems more comfortable now and is able to job to the touchline.
22 min Trent Alexander-Arnold is in a lot of pain. Martinelli crossed the ball and then caught Alexander-Arnold’s ankle in his follow through. “Not a good sight,” says Gary Neville on Sky Sports.
Updated
20 min “My main observation thus far is that the Liverpool kit is a moderately pleasing off-white in wide shot, and an absolute migraine inducing nightmare up close,” says Ben Kybett. “Is this a world-first ‘made-for-TV’ kit, or do your readers know of any earlier examples?”
I was going to suggest the Brighton Chewits kit but I think that looked awful from any distance.
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19 min “Was the Liverpool defence’s dizziness for the goal caused by their Bridget Riley op-art kit?” wonders Charles Antaki.
Updated
18 min Liverpool haven’t got going at all. Arsenal probably can’t believe how comfortable the first 18 minutes have been.
15 min: No penalty! Jota’s lobbed cross hit the outstretched arm of Gabriel, but VAR decided not to intervene. I have no idea about the handball law any more. At the other end, Saka goes down holding his face after a block from Tsimikas. The referee waves play on.
Updated
15 min There’s a VAR check for a Liverpool penalty.
14 min Salah tries to run Tomiyasu, who calmly dispossesses him. The crowd loved that.
13 min Alisson makes a good diving save from Xhaka, though it wouldn’t have counted because of an offside in the build up. Arsenal look really dangerous, particularly in transition.
Updated
12 min Alexander-Arnold’s outswinging corner is headed over by van Dijk near the penalty spot. It wasn’t much of a chance.
11 min Ramsdale is going to continue for the time being, though he doesn’t look right.
10 min Aaron Ramsdale is down with what looks like either a hip or thigh problem. He seemed to do it while taking a goalkick a couple of moments ago.
9 min Here’s that opening goal from Gabriel Martinelli. The weight of Odegaard’s pass was perfect.
ARSENAL AHEAD INSIDE A MINUTE! 🤯⚡
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) October 9, 2022
Gabriel Martinelli has the Emirates rocking! 🇧🇷 pic.twitter.com/1LGeCM9T8Z
7 min One of the most exciting things about Arsenal is that only two of this XI, Partey and Xhaka, are over the age of 25.
6 min Diaz is booked for a cynical foul on Martinelli, who was leading a break from a Liverpool corner.
6 min Nunez has a pop from 20 yards. It hits Gabriel and spins behind for Liverpool’s first corner.
4 min The Emirates is rocking.
The goal stands! And Liverpool are behind yet again.
Updated
Hang on, there’s a VAR check for offside against Saka.
It was a lovely counter-attacking goal. Saka ran down the right, onto a pass from White, and fed the ball infield to Odegaard, 25 yards out. He threaded a beautiful pass between Matip and Alexander-Arnold to put Martinelli through on goal. Martinelli charged onto the ball, opened his body and sidefooted a first-time finish through Alisson.
Updated
GOAL! Arsenal 1-0 Liverpool (Martinelli 1)
Gabriel Martinelli scores after 58 seconds!
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1 min Peep peep! Liverpool, in their dizzying away strip, kick off from right to left as we watch.
“I feel like Klopp at his press conferences sighing at the constart negativity,” says Ian Copestake. “Yes, it was Rangers but Hendo played his best game for Liverpool by not going forward. We don’t want him up there! Fabz needed to be benched as he has been truly off it. Yet if Klopp had reverted to previous he would be condemned for blinking.”
The players stroll out of the tunnel, into the autumn sunshine. There’s a cracking atmosphere at the Emirates. I cannot wait for this.
If Arsenal win today they will move 14 points clear of Liverpool. They’ve played a game more but, even so, I doubt even Gunnersaurus saw that coming.
Mikel Arteta speaks
I don’t believe in [being favourites]. We have a really tough game to play; two really good teams, and we’ll see who wins it. They are still doing so many good things – there are a lot of games they haven’t won this season that in my opinion they deserved to win.
It’s a joy to play in front of this crowd. The players are really enjoying it, and if the atmosphere is good I think we have a much greater chance of winning the game.
"It's a joy to play with this crowd!" 🔥
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) October 9, 2022
Mikel Arteta speaks ahead of #ARSLIV ⭕ pic.twitter.com/T5sYmsrrW8
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Jurgen Klopp speaks
Intensity-wise it should be fine [to name an unchanged team]. We’re playing a slightly different system so I thought making changes didn’t make much sense. We want to create a new defensive stability because that’s important. It was obvious that we’ve conceded goals with a similar pattern, and we had to stop that.
"It's finding a way for us to create new defensive stability."
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) October 9, 2022
Jurgen Klopp discusses his starting XI 🔴🔊 pic.twitter.com/XXmJckut6c
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“Is Liverpool’s team unbalanced?” asks Andrew Hurley. “Four strikers, one midfielder who can’t run, no defensive midfielder and a left back you’d be hopeful Saka can get at. Arsenal need to take the next step today…”
It’ll be fascinating to see them playing a formation other than 4-3-3. It sounds like it worked well against Rangers in the week, though this is a much tougher challenge.
“It’s gonna be Barnes…”
Team news
With Oleksandr Zinchenko injured, Mikel Arteta prefers Takehiro Tomiyasu to Kieran Tierney at left-back. The rest of the team is as expected.
Liverpool are unchanged from their win over Rangers in the week.
Arsenal (4-2-3-1) Ramsdale; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Tomiyasu; Partey, Xhaka; Saka, Odegaard, Martinelli; Jesus.
Substitutes: Turner, Tierney, Cedric, Holding, Lokonga, Vieira, Marquinhos, Nelson, Nketiah.
Liverpool (4-2-3-1) Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Matip, van Dijk, Tsimikas; Henderson, Thiago; Salah, Jota, Diaz; Nunez.
Substitutes: Kelleher, Gomez, Fabinho, Konate, Milner, Firmino, Elliott, Carvalho, Phillips.
Referee Michael Oliver.
Updated
Jonathan Wilson on Liverpool’s false start
Preamble
Hello and welcome to live, minute-by-minute coverage of Arsenal v Liverpool at the Emirates. For both teams, this is a biggie. Arsenal have the chance to make a statement by beating one of the Big Two in a live league game for the first time since 2015*; Liverpool can stimulate their season by ransacking Fortress Emirates.
Arsenal have won all five home games this season, scoring 14 goals in the process. For any team not called Manchester City, that’s highly impressive. Liverpool’s away form, by contrast, has been poor: four games, no wins, a couple of troubling defeats to Manchester United and Napoli. The upshot is that, for the first time in a long while, Arsenal are favourites to win a football match against Liverpool.
Kick off 4.30pm.
* Arsenal did beat Liverpool 2-1 at the Emirates in July 2020, but it was just after Liverpool won the league
🏟 Emirates Stadium 🔴 pic.twitter.com/bvZUDpgUGI
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) October 9, 2022
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