Liverpool dealt the first hammer blow of the Premier League title race by beating Arsenal 1-0 at Anfield on Sunday.
The Reds had to wait for their glorious moment when Dominik Szoboszlai crashed home a free-kick from 30 yards off the inside of the post with just under 10 minutes to go.
Just three games into the season, the clash was billed as already crucial in the title race given both teams’ winning starts and Manchester City’s defeat at Brighton earlier on Sunday, condemning them to their second defeat of the season already.
The heavy feeling of dread for Arsenal fans came just five minutes in when Arsenal’s injury nightmare continued as William Saliba was forced off after challenging Hugo Ekitike in the air.
Captain Martin Odegaard was only fit enough to be named on the bench, while Bukayo Saka will miss a number of games after picking up injuries in the 5-0 battering of Leeds last Saturday.
William Saliba injured
William Saliba was forced off injured after just five minutes (Image: AFP via Getty Images)
As Saliba went down a second time, Cristian Mosquera was already stripped and ready to enter the fray for the biggest possible test of his early Gunners career – an occasion the £17million signing from Valencia took too well.
Arsenal were guilty of overplaying, and on one occasion, almost gifted the hosts the lead after David Raya played a pass straight to Virgil van Dijk 25 yards from his goal. But luckily for the Spaniard, Van Dijk’s attempt to tee up a team-mate rather than shoot himself was blocked before the ball was eventually scrambled away.
While Liverpool’s British record transfer signing Florian Wirtz again failed to find his feet. The £116m signing struggled in the role against Arsenal’s physical midfield and played too deep in possession, not threatening the Gunners’ final third and allowing Arsenal’s midfield to step up the pitch.
Mikel Arteta had plenty to be optimistic about in the first-half, none more so than the performance of Noni Madueke, who gave Milos Kerkez a torrid time as the Reds’ £40million summer signing from Bournemouth was given the run around.
Madueke’s performance showed Gabriel Martinelli what he should have been doing on the left-hand side. The 24-year-old is unrecognisable from the player who was electric in his first couple of years in England.
Given Jeremie Frimpong’s injury absence and Conor Bradley being eased back into action, Dominik Szoboszlai started at right-back, but not once did Martinelli ever attempt to take him on, instead turning back and finding a pass. In the first-half, Martinelli had 11 touches but didn’t even attempt a dribble.
(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
A frantic opening 45 minutes was brought to an end goalless after neither side had convinced. Mikel Arteta would have been the most frustrated with the Gunners’ shocking set-piece attempts.
Declan Rice’s dead-ball distribution has been lauded over the past year, with Arsenal becoming one of the most dominant teams in the league from set-pieces. But Rice’s delivery was nothing short of shocking in the first half – overhitting and underhitting corners before slicing a free-kick into the top row of the Kop from an incredible inviting crossing situation.
Speaking before the second-half, Keane warned: “Liverpool can’t be any worse, so be ready” as they lined up to attack the Kop.
Although Keane’s comments weren’t strictly true, with the frustrating clash continuing, Liverpool did have the ball in the back of the net first when Hugo Ekitike bundled the ball over the line after Wirtz’s first foray into the opposition box forced a save from David Raya, but Cody Gakpo was clearly offside in the build-up.
Arteta went to the bench on 70 minutes with Odegaard on for Martinelli and new £67.5m signing Eberechi Eze making his debut in place of Mikel Merino. Although the two positive changes didn’t immediately have the desired impact as Liverpool pressed forward.
Mohamed Salah, who as he has been in the opening games of the season, was largely anonymous again, but looked as though he could make a trademark impression on the game, but he was too slow in getting his shot away.
Finally operating further forward, Wirtz started to emerge in the contest and forced a brave block to thwart his powerful goalbound strike.
The moment that Liverpool fans were waiting for arrived in the 82nd minute as Szoboszlai slammed home a free-kick from 30 yards. A special effort left David Raya reaching into thin air as the Hungarians’ strike crashed in off the post to finally ignite the game.
Arsenal couldn't come up with a reply, with Szoboszlai surviving a controversial handball decision that VAR didn't step in to recommend on-field review for in the dying minutes, as they fell to defeat at Anfield again - a ground Arteta still hasn't won at. Seeing Gary Neville slam on Sky Sports about Arsenal: “They haven’t got the courage to win”.