There were errors aplenty at the Emirates as Mikel Arteta's side secured a much-needed three points against the league leaders
Jurgen Klopp's final visit to the Emirates Stadium as Liverpool boss was not a happy one, with Arsenal securing a deserved 3-1 victory on Sunday in a game where both defences endured nightmarish moments.
The Reds headed into proceedings with all the momentum of a runaway freight train, but simply never got going, and it was little surprise when Bukayo Saka opened the scoring early in the first half, snatching up the rebound following a poor miss from Kai Havertz. In fact, the only time Liverpool could score was when Gabriel gifted them a comedy own goal on the stroke of half time.
The Reds soon returned the favour, though, with Virgil van Dijk and Alisson's ridiculous mix-up allowing Gabriel Martinelli to put the hosts back in front. And any hopes of an unlikely Liverpool comeback were definitely ended when Ibrahima Konate was sent off and Leandro Trossard scored a late third.
Defeat for Arsenal would have left them eight points adrift of leaders Liverpool in the Premier League title race, but instead they have closed that gap so that it is down to just two. But when it all comes to an end, will these two teams be seen as mere pretenders to the throne?…
GOAL breaks down the winners & losers from the Emirates Stadium…
Getty ImagesWINNER: Gabriel Martinelli
Martinelli just loves playing against Liverpool. Last season, the Brazilian registered a goal and assist in each of Arsenal's meetings with the Reds, and he looked determined to do the same again on Sunday.
Right from the word go, it became clear that the Gunners' threat in behind would not be provided by makeshift striker Havertz. Instead, Martinelli was constantly darting beyond Trent Alexander-Arnold, and he found joy on more than one occasion.
He nearly grabbed an early first-half assist when, after cooking Ibrahima Konate for pace following a quick David Raya release, he provided an inviting cross for Saka – but the England international fluffed his finish. And there was plenty more of that to come from Martinelli, too.
He eventually got his goal – gift-wrapped by the bumbling Van Dijk and Alisson – in the second half, and when he was substituted shortly after, he received a rapturous, well-deserved standing ovation from the Emirates crowd. His manager was delighted too, hailing the forward's "street-wise" work for the goal in his post-match press conference.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesLOSER: Centre-backs
When these two sides met back in December, it was the two pairs of centre-backs who took all the plaudits. Van Dijk, Konate, William Saliba and Gabriel were all seriously impressive in the 1-1 draw at Anfield, with Gabriel getting himself on the scoresheet for the Gunners. And while the Brazil centre-back’s name again appeared on the scoresheet on Sunday, things could barely have gone much differently for those at the heart of the respective backlines in north London.
First up, it was the Arsenal centre-backs’ turn to make costly errors, as Saliba failed to deal with Luis Diaz running in behind during the final minute of first-half stoppage-time, and that allowed the Colombian to turn in a cross that Gabriel diverted into his own goal with his arm to make the score 1-1 at the break.
And while that was a shambles, it a minor blip compared to what befell Liverpool’s defence after the break. Van Dijk, who had already been dragged out of position in the build-up to Arsenal’s opener, was unable to deal with a long ball over the top, and after failing to clear, then got himself in the way of the onrushing Alisson, meaning the ball fell perfectly for Martinelli to tap into an empty net.
The Dutchman also got the final touch on Trossard’s goal that sealed the win for Arsenal in stoppage-time, though that only came after Konate had been sent-off after picking up a second booking. The France international had been beaten for pace on a couple of occasions by Martinelli in the first half, but perhaps more concerningly, it was Havertz’s physicality that led to both of Konate’s yellow cards.
Based on goals conceded, these two teams have the best defences in the Premier League in 2023-24. You wouldn’t have known it watching their disastrous displays here, though.
Getty ImagesWINNER: Jorginho
Incredibly, this was Jorginho's first Premier League start since November 11. Did he show any rustiness? Absolutely not. Instead, he put in a display reminiscent of the form he showcased in 2021, which earned him third place in that year's Ballon d'Or voting.
The inventiveness of Jorginho's passes on Sunday was quite staggering. He used every different part of his foot to get the ball to its intended target, but regardless of the trajectory, his aim was hardly ever off.
Deception was a key part of his bag of tricks, too. Nowhere was this better illustrated than when, in the second half, he fizzed a side-footed pass through the tiniest gap in a congested penalty area to find Martinelli. No one else on the pitch would have seen that pass and, indeed, the entire stadium was urging him to shoot. Had the Brazilian got his feet set, we might have been treated to one of the assists of the season.
It wasn't just creatively where Jorginho dazzled either. He was pretty sublime out of possession, making a vital interception before the break to prevent Cody Gakpo sprinting through on goal.
Concerns were raised about his lack of physical gifts when he signed for Arsenal, but on the evidence of this performance, the ex-Chelsea man might have just have edged into his side's best XI, provided he can stay fit.
Getty ImagesWINNER: Mikel Arteta
When Trossard put the finishing touches on the victory on Sunday, his manager could not contain his ecstacy. Immediately, Arteta began racing up and down his technical area like an excitable puppy, pumping his fist as he went. The reaction says a lot about just how important a result this is, not just for Arsenal, but for Arteta personally.
Heading into Sunday's game, there was a feeling that Klopp might be making Arteta and his side look bad. After running Manchester City so close in the title race last season and investing heavily in the summer transfer window, Arsenal were expected to be more likely Premier League leaders at this stage of the campaign.
But, before kick-off, that honour very much belonged to Liverpool, even after the Reds' nightmare 2022-23 campaign and the fact they had overhaul their entire midfield in the weeks leading up to the start of the current season. Victory on Sunday would have pulled Klopp and Co eight points clear of Arsenal too, something that would have been highly improbable in the summer.
But instead it's Arteta who has solidified his side's position in the title race, having got the big tactical decisions right on Sunday. Trusting Jorginho after such little playing time proved to be a masterstroke, while asking Martinelli to bombard Liverpool's backline with runs in behind caused all sorts of anguish. No wonder he was in such a good mood in his press conference, with the Spaniard saying: "It was an extraordinary game and an extraordinary performance. I could not be prouder."