Liverpool: Joël Matip (41″), Mahamed Salah (49″Penalty, 58″)
Arsenal: Lucas Torreira Di Pascua (85″)
Liverpool maintained their perfect start to the Premier League season, as they beat Arsenal yesterday. They ensured three points to stand at the top of the table with a 3-1 win over Arsenal at Anfield.
First Half
Fabinho and Jordan Henderson returned to the Liverpool line-up to face Arsenal, replacing James Milner and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. Arsenal brought in Nicolas Pepe for his first start with Alexandre Lacazette dropping out. Granit Xhaka also came in for Reiss Nelson.
The Gunners, the only other side in the top flight to win their first two games, had opportunities to shock Liverpool in first half. It was when Nicolas Pepe, record £72m signing shot straight at keeper Adrian after running clear.
Liverpool took control when Matip put them ahead with a powerful header from Trent Alexander-Arnold’s corner four minutes before the interval.
Goal
OH, WOW ????
That is special, @MoSalah ???? pic.twitter.com/fV4SmgwHkE
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) August 24, 2019
BIG JOEL MATIP ????
Boss header, passionate celebration ???????? pic.twitter.com/QQ3Rfv7DyH
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) August 25, 2019
Second Half
And any hopes manager Unai Emery had of watching his side mount a recovery were snuffed out in the 49th minute after a moment of madness from new signing David Luiz, who needlessly dragged Salah back in the area.
Liverpool’s Egyptian attacker drilled home the penalty and then embarrassed Luiz again out on the touchline at the start of a dazzling run that ended with a low, curling finish into the bottom corner just before the hour.
Arsenal substitute Lucas Torreira pulled one back late on, but nothing was getting in the way of Liverpool’s 12th successive league victory, equalling their best sequence in the top flight under Kenny Dalglish between April and October 1990.
Team
???? #LIVARS team news… https://t.co/1jTl0X9dFN
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) August 24, 2019
???? NICOLAS PEPE STARTS ????
???? Here's our team news for #LIVARS…
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) August 24, 2019
Head to Head
After Match
Jurgen Klopp: “It was an outstanding performance full of power, full of energy, full of passion. I think that’s what you need to have against a good team like Arsenal. “We were a bit surprised by the system that they played. We couldn’t prepare for that – that they would play a diamond. But we adapted to that and had constant crosses.
“Overall, we were really in charge of the game. We should have controlled it better, should have kept the ball better, because they didn’t attack us really. “We are not Disneyland. We don’t have to excite everyone in every section of the game. It was intense so the decision-making could have been better.
“But apart from the really big chance they had where Hendo (Jordan Henderson) missed the pass and there was a sensational save from Adrian I was really happy with the game. We completely deserved it.”
Unai Emery: “We made the first half thinking that we could have space on the transition and we made that. We had chances to score. Afterwards, we wanted to counter more with the ball, breaking their pressing, but we struggle because they are a very big team at doing that.”
“We did defend deep but it was not without the possibility to score. In the first half, maybe the best chance was for us with [Nicolas] Pepe. The key was the second goal. But afterwards our reaction was good because we kept doing our work. The impact of the substitutes was good.”
“Some players like [Joe] Willock also took a good step today. I can be positive about that. We finished 3-1 but also pushing and that is the spirit that I want.”