Liverpool vs Arsenal: Jurgen Klopp's side extend Premier League lead with emphatic victory
A devastating four-goal, 30-minute spell tore Arsenal to shreds as Premier League leaders Liverpool won 5-1 to extend their lead to nine points and heap more even pressure on Manchester City.
Second-placed Tottenham had already blinked first before this match kicked off, losing 3-1 at home to Wolves, and City, now 10 points adrift, cannot afford to do the same at Southampton on Sunday with Jurgen Klopp's side arriving on Thursday.
Roberto Firmino took his tally to eight goals in as many games against the Gunners with a hat-trick, with Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane also scoring after the visitors had taken the lead through Ainsley Maitland-Niles.
A ninth successive Reds victory made it 31 league matches without defeat at Anfield, their joint-third longest run, and extended their unbeaten start to 20 matches.
Fifth-placed Arsenal are 16 points off the pace but the gulf here was even wider as they collapsed under the first sign of pressure despite having taken an 11th-minute lead.
These sides have a tenancy to produce some classic matches when they met, and there was no break in this trend in September.
While the 1-1 draw at the Emirates, goals from James Milner and Alexandre Lacazette, was not the usual high-scoring festival we are used to, there was plenty to be excited by.
The bold attacking play produced one of the best games this season.
Virgil van Dijk and Aaron Ramsey lead the sides out at Anfield. Any else enjoying Arsenal's policy of giving the armband to players that are leaving the club?
Anyway, 'You'll Never Walk Alone' is over and done with...kick-off just minutes away.
Robertson produces a stunning cross from the left that bounces just in front on Leno. Mane is unmarked in the middle and failed to gamble as the ball trickled away.
Arsenal certainly have not settled given Leno boots the ball off for a Liverpool throw in an attacking area.
Mane turns away from Torreira and finds Firmino with a cut back at the penalty spot, the Brazilian fires a shot at goal and Salah almost deflects it beyond Leno but the ball goes the wrong side of the post.
Ainsley Maitland-Niles gives Arsenal the lead at Anfield!
Well, who saw this coming? Iwobi takes on Alexander-Arnold on the wing and fires a low cross towards the back post. There waiting, unmarked, is Maitland-Niles, who runs onto the ball and taps in at the far post.
Well, this has turned out all right. Salah collects a ball behind the defence but the ball is tackled from him. An Arsenal mix up in the box sees the ball fall to Firmino and the forward tucks in with a no-look finish.
Torreira gets caught in possession in the middle of the pitch by Firmino and Arsenal are exposed. The forward weaves past one, two challenges before he gets to the edge of the box. Continuing to shift his weight from his left to his right he evades one more tackle and only has Leno to beat. From a central area he picks his spot and calmly slides the ball low into the corner with his left foot as Anfield erupts.
Liverpool are continuing enjoy themselves on left flank as Mane eases past Lichtsteiner and curls an effort straight at Leno. Arsenal need to sort this out soonish, otherwise you can see Liverpool creating chances with every attacking move.
Maitland-Niles is played in-behind Andy Robertson but the Scottish defender may well allow the ball to go beyond him but there was no way that he was letting the player past.
