Mikel Arteta’s facet have emerged as title challengers and this hard-fought success on the Emirates Stadium was one other vital assertion of intent.
Arsenal ahead Gabriel Jesus. Picture: @Arsenal/Twitter
LONDON – Arsenal returned to the top of the Premier League and plunged Liverpool’s into turmoil as Bukayo Saka’s double impressed an exhilarating 3-2 win on Sunday.
Mikel Arteta’s facet have emerged as title challengers and this hard-fought success on the Emirates Stadium was one other vital assertion of intent.
The Gunners took the lead inside the primary minute by Gabriel Martinelli earlier than Darwin Nunez equalised for Liverpool.
Saka put Arsenal again in entrance late within the first half. Although Roberto Firmino equalised after the interval, Saka’s nerveless penalty sealed Arsenal’s eighth win from their 9 league matches.
The Gunners are one level away from champions Manchester City, who had taken pole place with a win over Southampton on Saturday.
Last weekend’s 3-1 win over Tottenham added to the rising feeling that Arteta has constructed a group price taking severely. The manner they refused to be denied by Liverpool underlined that impression.
While Arsenal are on the up, Liverpool are in turmoil after their worst begin for 10 years.
Without a win of their final three league video games, Jurgen Klopp’s males are languishing 14 factors behind Arsenal in tenth place. They look a shadow of the facet that got here inside two video games of an unprecedented quadruple final season.
Those painful near-misses within the Premier League title race and Champions League closing seem to have left Liverpool with a hangover.
Klopp had already conceded it was unlikely they’d win the title after such a disappointing begin and few would disagree now.
Although Klopp rejects claims his intense administration model has worn down his gamers, on the seventh anniversary of the German’s appointment, the sight of Liverpool with solely two wins from eight league video games is jarring.
Responding to Arteta’s plea to indicate “no fear”, Arsenal tore into Liverpool as they launched a blistering counter that gave them the lead after simply 58 seconds.
Saka led the raid as he picked out Martin Odegaard’s run and the Dane slipped a pin-point cross by to Martinelli, who received behind Trent Alexander-Arnold for a medical end from eight yards.
SUCKER PUNCH
It was one other brutal second for Alexander-Arnold amid the raging debate concerning the Liverpool right-back’s defensive flaws and the chance he will not make England’s World Cup squad.
Liverpool mustered a composed response, establishing a interval of sustained stress that culminated with a thirty fourth minute equaliser.
Gabriel failed to chop out Alexander-Arnold’s lengthy cross and Nunez flicked the ball into Luis Diaz’s path.
Diaz whipped over an outstanding low cross and Nunez slid in to flick his shot previous Aaron Ramsdale from six yards.
But, regardless of spending a protracted spell on the again foot after Nunez’s aim, Arsenal regained the lead deep into stoppage-time with a devastating sucker punch.
Thiago Alcantara carelessly surrendered possession and Martinelli, bursting from the midway line into the Liverpool space, teased Jordan Henderson and Alexander-Arnold earlier than sliding over a low cross that Saka gleefully transformed from close-range.
Alexander-Arnold was put out of his distress when Klopp changed him with Joe Gomez at half-time and for a short interval Liverpool had been again within the ascendancy.
Firmino, on for the injured Diaz, resumed his position as Arsenal’s long-time tormentor along with his tenth aim in 17 video games towards them within the 53rd minute.
The Brazilian was picked out by Jota’s inch-perfect cross by the guts of the Arsenal defence and his elegant end into the far nook matched the standard of the help.
In their gloomy current previous that may have been the type of blow that knocked Arsenal off beam.
But this group are made from sterner stuff they usually gained it within the 76th minute when Thiago conceded a penalty along with his problem on Gabriel Jesus.
Saka infamously missed a vital penalty in England’s Euro 2020 closing defeat towards Italy, however he held his nerve with an emphatic end.