Liverpool moves up to 2nd on Premier League Table
Liverpool defeats Arsenal 4-0
Arsenal was thrashed by mighty Liverpool in England Premier League Match Week 3 - as a result of the match, Liverpool are second, Arsenal are sixteenth on the EPL Table.
Match Report
Liverpool 4-0 Arsenal
Liverpool goals: Roberto Firmino 17, Sadio Mane 40, Mohamed Salah 57, Daniel Sturridge 77
Arsene Wenger’s Gunners were humiliated by Liverpool’s tough performance and their own lack of attacking power, drive, and pace to lose 4-0 as they moved down to the bottom of the Premier League Table as the Reds moved up top to second. Even leaking four goals, the Gunner’s best player was goalie Petr Cech who produced a world-class save to spread himself and deny Salah before the scoring had even begun. “We’re going to win the league,” sang the traveling Arsenal fans at the start of the match, followed by “we are staying up”. If it were not for Petr Cech, the Reds would have scored even more goals. A Liverpool win in the clash of the giant clubs was possible and predictable but instead, the Reds focused on their performance throughout the game which was quick and aggressive and incisive – rather than on winning – and they won anyway.- Liverpool's Firmino scored the opening goal of the match as the Red’s front-three all struck to make it 3-0. The fourth goal was claimed by Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge, who came on as a substitute.
The second goal by Sadio Mane was a travesty for Arsenal as the Gunners lost the ball inside the Liverpool penalty area. A pass was made from Roberto Firmino out to Sadio Mane who cut back across Rob Holding and the outstanding forward then curled a superb right-footed shot past Gunners’ goalie Petr Cech and into the corner of the net. Liverpool’s third goal should not have happened. Arsenal took a corner leaving Hector Bellerin as their sole defender. Mohamed Salah charged down and sent a low shot beyond Cech at 57 minutes. While Liverpool’s performance was great under the leadership of manager Jurgen Klopp, Arsenals performance was among the worst performances ever in Arsene Wenger’s 21 years at the club. Three years ago, Arsenal suffered a shocking 5-1 defeat away at Liverpool when the Reds scored four times in the opening 20 minutes. In 2011, Arsenal lost in a brutal 8-2 defeat away to Manchester United. After the loss, Wenger remarked to the press that “everything went wrong. From first to last minute, we were an easy opponent”. Wenger’s starting lineup did not include his two big summer recruits, record signing Alexandre Lacazette and Sead Kolasinac. Arsenal’s top goal scorer Alexis Sanchez who was unable to score in his first match of the season for Arsenal, reportedly still hopes to leave the Gunners before the close of the summer transfer window along with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who is wanted by Liverpool and Shkodran Mustafi who was withdrawn before the end of the match. The Gunners finished fifth last season and the two players brought in by Wenger to turn things around were left out of the battle with Liverpool. Bellerin was playing at left-back with Kolasinac on the bench while Nacho Monreal was weak in defense.
At the end of last season, Wenger signed his new contract with Arsenal and the distractions were over about whether or not he would stay with the Gunners, and Wenger began to re-arm his team and rebuild confidence with supporters and his men. Back-to-back Premier League defeats away to Stoke City and Liverpool followed a opening EPL match win at home to Leicester City. Now after the two losses, and the same demons and critics have returned to plague Wenger. On the other hand, Liverpool looked brilliance when they attacked. However, Klopp has to deal with Philippe Coutinho who wants to leave for titan Spanish La Liga club Barcelona before the window closes. The Arsenal defense with three-at-the-back did not work against Liverpool. Granit Xhaka in midfield and, ahead of him, Mesut Ozil, did not put pressure on Liverpool. Emre Can eclipsed Xhaka, pushed the ball out wide to Joe Gomez the full-back who had the time and the space to deliver a cross between Holding and Laurent Koscielny for Firmino to run through and head the ball past Cech who managed to get fingers to it. The second and third goals came next. Arsenal’s best opportunity was spurned as Danny Welbeck shot went over the bar. Cech managed to deny Salah. But Henderson wanted the rebound more than Xhaka as they both ran to the ball. The Liverpool captain got there first and shot over. The fourth was similar to the first as Can fed the ball wide and this time it was Salah who had all the time in the world and all the space to pick out Sturridge who sent his header past Cech.
A sizzling Liverpool forward line ran riot at home against Arsenal with a lineup affected by back-line injuries falling at Anfield. Firmino headed in a surging Joe Gomez cross from the right and Sadio Mane cut in from the left flank to curl an amazing effort inside the far-right post. That classy finish put Mane level with Manchester United striker Lukaku on three goals as the top Premier League scorers this season. In the Reds star's fine start to the term, Sadio Mane has scored seven goals in his last eight Premier League games, and the 16th goal he has assisted in his 18 appearances at Anfield. Sadio Mane is the second Liverpool player (Sturridge 2013-14) in the last 23 seasons to find the net in the first three England Premier League games of a season. Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp was pleased to see his counter-attacking players have a powerful effect for his side's third win. Arsenal's setup looked chaotic in comparison as they suffered a second loss in succession. Salah sprang free of the Gunners defense to sink Liverpool's third and his second of the 2017-18. Sturridge benefitted from a Salah cross to the back post and headed in his first of the season, completing Arsenal's embarrassment. To the delight of their supporters, Liverpool's attack was ruthless on Sunday in the Red’s road to a top four finish or even the Premier League title in a reminder of their strength as fighters on the trophy road.
Squads
Liverpool 4-3-3
Karius; Gomez, Lovren, Matip, Moreno; Henderson, Emre Can, Wijnaldum; Salah, Firmino, Mané. Subs: Ward, Klavan, Alexander-Arnold, Grujic, Milner, Solanke, Sturridge.
Arsenal 3-4-2-1
Cech; Holding, Koscielny, Monreal; Bellerin, Ramsey, Xhaka, Oxlade-Chamberlain; Ozil, Sanchez; Welbeck. Subs: Ospina, Mustafi, Kolasinac, Coquelin, Walcott, Lacazette Giroud.
The good news continues for Liverpool fans. First Jurgen Klopp’s side earned a spot in the 2017-18 UEFA Champions League Group Stages (Liverpool 4-2 Hoffenheim (agg 6-3), then the Reds soundly defeated titan club Arsenal to earn a spot in second place at the top of the England Premier League Table just behind Manchester United. "We should be there and really excited about the group stage, whoever we get,” said an elated Klopp about the Champions League Group Stages Draw. “There will be a few nice and difficult opponents but no-one with this atmosphere wants to get us. I'm really looking forward to the draw. Now I've told the boys to party. Enjoy it!"
Liverpool manager Klopp was asked about Coutinho. "There is nothing else to say. It's not that I don't want to talk about it, I just have nothing to say." Liverpool, who beat Hoffenheim in a play-off to secure their place in the Champions League draw in Monaco, will meet Spartak Moscow, Sevilla and Maribor in Group E, with the Spanish side visiting Anfield first. The group stages begin on 12-13 September. Klopp talked about his side’s play off victory - Liverpool 4-2 Hoffenheim (agg 6-3). "I do not have enough words it is amazing. It is 14 months of the hardest work and it feels amazing. I can't find another word,” added Klopp. "A big big big compliment to my team. They played a perfect opening half an hour. I asked them at half-time to remember the feeling they had at 3-0 and to put it away. But credit to Hoffenheim, they played football and continued to enjoy the game. They can score two goals because of their quality. We didn't think we were the favorites but everyone else did so we had the pressure but the boys did good."
A beaming Jurgen Klopp continued, "the boys did outstandingly good" as "all the hard work of the past 14 months" came to fruition. It has been a brilliant night, the atmosphere was brilliant all night and we were brilliant at the start and set the tempo. We let in a couple of goals so we have still got things to work on but overall we're delighted to get back into the Champions League where Liverpool belong. Getting back into the Champions League was our aim and we've done it. Now when we get into the Champions League itself we have got to do ourselves justice and win some games there. I'm delighted for the lads and the fans. We're in there and we've proved we can play against big teams. We're happy to play against whoever we're drawn against." Buy the very best Liverpool football tickets to enjoy the live action at every match. 1st4FootballTickets.com has great cheap Liverpool tickets for sale online now!
Arsenal Transfers Update
Giant club Asenal are preparing for a potential exodus of some key football players in the final days of the summer transfer window, with the club finalizing the £7 million departure of Kieran Gibbs to Watford and prepared to sell Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Shkodran Mustafi and Lucas Perez. Additional major incoming signings are unlikely but a combination of Oxlade-Chamberlain’s ongoing refusal to accept a huge new contract offer of £180,000-a-week and Wenger’s desire to reduce his squad has meant that there will still be significant transfer activity at Arsenal between now and tomorrow. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is primed to complete his £40m switch to Chelsea. Oxlade-Chamberlain has failed to agree to a new contract and, unlike their stance with Alexis Sanchez, Arsenal’s attitude is that they are ready to sell rather than potentially lose him for nothing next year if the valuation is met. Chelsea and Liverpool are interested and preparing to bid but to date, the Gunners have not received the expected £35 million offer. Meanwhile, Alexis Sanchez's future with Arsenal remains uncertain. Arsenal are open to selling Mustafi if they can recoup the £34 million fee they paid to Valencia last summer. Reportedly Inter Milan and Juventus are interested, however, Mustafi may stay and Arsenal are not lining up any immediate replacement.The Gunners believe they have sufficient center back cover in Laurent Koscielny, Per Mertesacker, Rob Holding, Calum Chambers and Nacho Monreal, as well potentially as Sead Kolasinac. The sale of Gibbs to Watford appears close. Perez is also expected to finalize a move away from Arsenal before the closure of the transfer window tomorrow.
Arsenal say their position on Alexis Sánchez is unchanged ie the striker is not for sale after Manchester City made a move for their long-time target with a straight cash offer of £50m. But Arsenal are determined to hold Sánchez to the final year of his contract, even though he has made it clear he will not sign a new one and, as such, would stand to leave for nothing next summer. Sánchez is the club’s biggest star. Arsenal know that selling their best player to City and, in effect, getting an unwanted one back from Guardiola would not wash with their supporters. The 28-year-old is in Chile preparing for his World Cup qualifier against Paraguay on Thursday in International duty. Buy 150% guaranteed Arsenal tickets for cheap prices now online from 1st4FootballTickets.com!
