Ian Doyle writes after Liverpool overcame last season's title rivals Arsenal 1-0 at Anfield
Ian Doyle has covered Liverpool for more than 20 years, following them across Europe in multiple Champions League and Europa League finals and as far afield as Thailand, Singapore, the United States, Hong Kong and Qatar, and has reported on the Reds winning every major honour. He previously also covered Everton for 18 years and followed England, reporting on the European Championships and World Cup final. Once had to tell Jude Law he does not drive a Mini.
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - AUGUST 31: Mikel Arteta, Manager of Arsenal, reacts during the Premier League match between Liverpool and Arsenal at Anfield on August 31, 2025 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)
Mikel Arteta, manager of Arsenal, reacts during his side's 1-0 defeat to Liverpool at Anfield
(Image: Alex Pantling/Getty Imagess)
How much do you want it? Desire and hunger are buzzwords often trotted out without much thought to represent teams willing to put everything on the line in pursuit of glory.
There is, though, rather more nuance to such a question. And Anfield witnessed exactly why during a tense, occasionally turgid encounter that perhaps underlined why Liverpool and not Arsenal went into the game as reigning Premier League champions.
The Reds’ big-money squad overhaul this summer has rightly captured the attention. But with a net spend of more than £250million so far in the transfer window – including midfielder Martin Zubimendi, who turned down Liverpool last year – Arsenal are going big in their attempt to better three successive second-place Premier League finishes.
This was a first real test of their respective strengths. While both had won their opening two games, it was the Reds over whom questions have rightly been asked after struggling to convince, particularly defensively.
And as Arne Slot’s remoulded side demonstrated during a nervy, toothless opening half, they understandably remain very much a work in progress and, to an extent, were there for the taking.
But Arsenal, even allowing for the fact Bukayo Saka was absent injured and Martin Odegaard fit enough only for the bench, didn’t sense it, sticking to Mikel Arteta’s gameplan to contain and look for their traditional danger at set-pieces.
By contrast, Liverpool knew what they had to do after the interval. The intensity increased, the pressure gradually growing on the Arsenal backline.
Hardly a barrage, but enough for Anfield to sense there was a game to be won, the home support notably raising the volume levels midway through the half in response. The Gunners, increasingly passive, offered little.
It will not pass unnoticed that Zubimendi was responsible for the foul on lively substitute Curtis Jones that invited Dominik Szoboszlai to cap another man-of-the-match outing from right-back with a stunning 30-yard free-kick with seven minutes of normal time remaining, the dead-ball experts undone by a special such moment.
A third successive late winner underlined that while Liverpool are by no means hitting the heights, they are still finding ways to win. By the time Arsenal raised their ambition, Slot’s other substitutes, not least Joe Gomez, were stepping up to the challenge.
The Gunners will once again be Liverpool’s nearest challengers, their squad far stronger than in recent years. But this encounter highlighted why Slot’s side are already clear at the summit.