Arsenal 0-2 Liverpool: 5 talking points as the Reds keep up pace in title race with emphatic win over Gunners

Arsenal v Liverpool - Premier League
Arsenal v Liverpool - Premier League

In a game of two halves, Liverpool turned the tide in the second half to register a 2-0 win over Arsenal. Despite a brilliant defensive performance from the Gunners, goals from Diogo Jota and Roberto Firmino sealed the victory for the Reds.

After a close first 45 minutes of football, Artera's team went into half-time as the more confident side. They kept Liverpool's attackers at bay as Aaron Ramsdale was barely tested in the first 45 minutes.

At the other end of the pitch, Gabriel Martinelli was causing serious problems to Trent Alexander Arnold and co, as he got the better of the Englishman on numerous occasions.

However, experience and quality took precedence in the second half. After a silly give-away by the hosts, Thiago threaded an inch-perfect through ball for Jota to chase. The angle was very tight for the Portuguese, but Ramsdale left his near post wide open as he expected Jota to cross the ball. The forward instead went for the near post and slammed the ball in, making it 1-0 for the visitors.

After the opening goal, Arsenal didn't quite come close to scoring. They tried, but the fixture was done and dusted when Saka's weak clearance was latched onto by Robertson, who fired in a cross for Firmino to divert it home.

The second goal was the final nail in the coffin but Arsenal should be proud of their performance. It was a resilient performance from the London outfit but mistakes turn out to be quite costly when playing against world-class teams like Liverpool.

On that note, let's take a look at the five talking points from this fixture.


#5 Thomas Partey dominates once again

Arsenal, as a whole, were pretty convincing and solid in a game of such magnitude and against such top quality players. But if you had to pick the two best players from the home team, it would be Thomas Partey & Gabriel Martinelli.

The midfielder is beginning to show that he belongs at the highest level. His quality was never in question, but there were doubts over the price (£45 million) that Arsenal paid for him in the summer of 2020. It would be safe to say that he is most certainly worth the price.

Since the turn of the year, Thomas Partey has been practically untouchable. The press that the Ghana international offers in the middle of the park is second to none.

The 28-year-old is in his prime physically and is an important part of Mikel Arteta's system at Arsenal. His performances against title contenders and midfield-heavy teams like Man City and Liverpool say enough about the level he operates at when in form.


#4 Arsenal let their guard down in pursuit of a goal

Arsenal v Liverpool - Premier League
Arsenal v Liverpool - Premier League

Arsenal have an exciting team of young and talented players. Mikel Arteta's plan from the day he stepped foot in London Colney was to get rid of the aging players on big contracts, whilst encouraging the signings of highly-rated young players who have the quality and hunger to prove themselves on the big stage.

However, amidst the excitement to score a goal, the Gunners lack the experience to manage the game against the big dogs. And that will only come gradually with time.

The home side attempted risky passes on a regular basis, trying to find a way out of Liverpool's robust defensive lines. They slightly ended up underestimating what Liverpool could do if given space.

Cedric, instead of urging Bukayo Saka to man mark Robertson, went to close Robertson down, leaving huge space behind him for Jota to make a run. Ben White didn't win a foot race with 25-year-old and a simple positional mistake by Cedric, who was attempting to be proactive, gave away the first goal.

As Johan Cruyff once said in football, a team who makes fewer mistakes wins. Liverpool, despite the pressure, never gave anything away to Arsenal when the home side did, and eventually lost the game.


#3 Liverpool have won nine Premier League games on the bounce!

Arsenal v Liverpool - Premier League
Arsenal v Liverpool - Premier League

What Jurgen Klopp has accomplished at Liverpool will go down in the history books of the club. And despite everything he has achieved with the Reds, the hunger for more never ceases to exist.

Despite a slow start to the season, Liverpool find themselves back on track, breathing down Manchester City's neck. Things are set for a grand-standing finale for the Premier League trophy.

Pep Guardiola's men have dropped points in three of their last seven Premier League games. They drew against Southampton at Saint Mary's, lost crucial three points against Tottenham at home and were held to a stalemate by Crystal Palace on Monday.

The difference has been cut down to just one point as we enter the business end of the season. Liverpool face Watford at home in the league, which is expected to be another easy three points, while City travel to Turf Moor before a showdown on April 10th against Liverpool at the Etihad.


#2 Liverpool are lethal in transitions

Arsenal v Liverpool - Premier League
Arsenal v Liverpool - Premier League

Everything on one side, and Liverpool's counterattacking threat on the other. The Reds have one of the best attacks in the world. And whilst being so immaculate with possession, they are equally good if not better during counter-attacking situations.

Klopp's men have the tools in abundance to break down the opposition. While they boast a gegenpressing style of play, the Reds can nullify the whole midfield and defense with one pass.

When you have players like Trent Alexander-Arnold, Thiago Alcantara, Virgil van Dijk playing for your team, direct play is going to be a common occurrence. Switches of play and cross-field passes, especially by Alexander Arnold, are a treat to watch for any football fan.

Klopp's side display quality and dominance in every aspect of the game, and that's what makes them a favorite every season for the biggest prizes in the sport.


#1 Gabriel Martinelli is a world-class player in the making

Arsenal have struck gold with Gabriel Martinelli. Their scouts in Brazil have pulled off a peach of a signing with this young forward.

Earlier this year, it was Joao Cancelo who was dominated by the 20-year-old at the Emirates when Manchester City faced Arsenal. And yesterday, it was Alexander Arnold's turn to be the victim.

An immaculate first touch, unreal burst of pace, brilliant ball control and an ever-present hunger to win the ball back sums up Martinelli in a sentence. The Brazilian could very well be the next big thing coming out of a country that has had world class players in abundance.

The likes of Ronaldinho, Pele and Jurgen Klopp have all poured heaps of praise on Martinelli as he has yet again proved why he deserves all those plaudits. The left-winger was Arsenal's biggest threat throughout the game and was unlucky not to have his name on the scoresheet.

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Edited by Sankalp Srivastava