Liverpool Crush Arsenal’s Momentum – Reds Stay Ruthless at the Top!

Dominik Szoboszlai’s incredible free kick lifted the champions to a 1-0 win over their title rivals at Anfield

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Liverpool 1-0 Arsenal: reaction

Liverpool defeated title rivals Arsenal 1-0 after a stunning Dominik Szoboszlai free-kick sealed the points at Anfield.

Szoboszlai’s superb 32-yard free-kick (83′) left David Raya helpless after William Saliba went off with an ankle injury (5′).

The result leaves champions Liverpool two points clear at the top of the Premier League and three clear of Arsenal.

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Liverpool 1 Arsenal 0: Incredible Szoboszlai free kick from distance wins it at Anfield

What next for Arsenal?

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What next for Liverpool?

Sunday, September 14: Burnley (away), Premier League, 2pm UK, 9am ET

After the international break, Liverpool travel to Turf Moor to face newly promoted Burnley.

They would hope to win that match, even if Manchester United only just scraped past Scott Parker’s side yesterday.

What does this result mean for the title race?

If you put your sensible hat on, the Premier League title has not been won or lost by either side today.

But make no mistake, Arsenal have suffered a bit of a blow after once again failing to beat their title rivals.

The good news is, despite today’s result, Liverpool look beatable so far this season and so things could be decided on where either side slips up elsewhere this season.

One thing all neutrals will hope for is that the race runs a bit longer and with a bit more competition than last season.

Long-awaited set-piece strike from Szoboszlai

 

Waited two years for a bit of Szoboszlai free kick brilliance.

Felt like every one he’s taken for Liverpool has hit the wall.

Finally got one from his distance. Well worth the wait.

Neither side was as negative as they’re being painted

 

Personally think some of the negativity allegations being made against Arsenal today are a little over the top.

I saw two teams who played cautiously in a game settled by a freak goal.

Arne Slot updates on Konate and Wirtz after both went off

Speaking about two of his players who went off during the match, Ibrahima Konate and Florian Wirtz, Liverpool manager Arne Slot updated the media in his post-match press conference. Let’s check in with him on Konate:

💬 “He thinks it is cramp and I have got no reason to doubt him. Although sometimes players talk about cramp and then we make a scan and it’s more than that.

“Jeremie Frimpong thought he only had cramp against Bournemouth and he’s out for two or three weeks so let’s wait and see. On a positive note, Joe Gomez – what a 15 minutes from him!”

On Wirtz, he added: “It wasn’t an injury, it was a welcome to the Premier League. I don’t think he knew he could have cramp in so many different places! It was welcome to this intensity, welcome to playing against Arsenal.

“When you bring in young players from different leagues, it’s normal that you need to adjust to the Premier League.”

Are the new Puma balls a problem? Raya thinks so…

 

We have been here before with Arsenal after a defeat and I know what you’re thinking, this carries the distinct whiff of someone looking for an excuse.

But let us share these David Raya observations on the new Premier League ball with you anyway.

For the uninitiated, the ball used to be manufactured by Nike and is now made by Puma. Here’s what he told Sky Sports:

💬 “It’s different to the Nike ball so we have to adapt to it. The grip is different, the kick is different. We just have to adapt after playing with the Nike ball for many years. It’s the same for everybody.

“We wanted to go forward to attack them, to keep them quiet in the first half. We showed a lot of character to keep Liverpool quiet. You have to take the positives from it. It’s fine margins and a magical moment from them.

“We haven’t been beaten by the top six clubs in many games. There are a lot of steps forward to take and learn in every single aspect. There’s always things you have to learn.”

A view from the Arsenal camp

Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya had a bit of a shaky afternoon with a few passes out from the back that put his team-mates in trouble, before he was beaten by Szoboszlai’s free-kick for the winning goal.

He spoke to Sky Sports after the match:

💬 “I haven’t seen it back yet. Disappointed not to save it like every goal you concede.

“I think it’s a hell of a strike. I remember the ball moving a lot and moving away from me. Hopefully, the next one I can save.

“It’s a very good strike, especially with the new balls and everything. We still have to adapt. It’s going away from me so it’s harder to gauge and save it.”

Could Liverpool have wished for a better start to the season?

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A perfect start for the champions, Liverpool, and two of the toughest games of the season already out of the way.

Slot: Liverpool trying to strengthen before transfer deadline

This is a busy weekend for clubs juggling their competitive league matches plus with the impending transfer deadline on Monday.

So, does Liverpool boss Arne Slot expect to see new faces through the door before the deadline passes? Here’s what he told Sky Sports:

💬 “(Expect it to be) quite busy because I have to take a flight at two o’clock. On a serious note, let’s wait and see. I haven’t spoken to (sporting director) Richard (Hughes) yet.

“I don’t think it’s a surprise we are trying to see if we can strengthen the squad but if that isn’t possible we are more than happy to do that with this team.”

Here’s Arne Slot…

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And the Liverpool was pretty happy with that match, as he told Sky Sports:

💬 “If you win against a team like Arsenal, who last season were such a good team and have strengthened so much, to win against them is very positive. We will know at the end of the season what it’s worth.

“Listening to Jamie (Carragher), he thought we were far too open against Bournemouth so we thought let’s make it a boring game. On a more serious note, they took the risk of going 1vs1, this was hard because they brought all the midfielders so close to the defence.

“Then in the second half we went 1vs1 but with Szoboszlai playing close and three midfielders. In the second half we pressed really well so for me after 45 minutes we got the upper hand. In the end we needed a moment of magic.

“I’m only working with him (Szoboszlai) now for a little more over a season but he shows what Liverpool is all about. If he has to play right wing, right full-back, as a 10, he gives his best. Again he was outstanding today.”

Arteta worried about William Saliba ankle injury

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta says he is worried about the ankle injury sustained by defender William Saliba in their 1-0 defeat by Liverpool.

Saliba was withdrawn early on and Arteta confirmed after the match at Anfield that the 24-year-old had suffered the issue in the warm-up.

France international Saliba appeared to be in pain after he won a header upon being backed into by Hugo Ekitike in the early exchanges of the match. Medical staff appeared to be tending to the defender’s ankle and lower leg.

“I am because if he cannot play a game of this stature after you try it something is wrong,” Arteta replied when asked if he was worried about Saliba’s injury.

“He twisted his ankle during the warm-up. We believed he could carry on. I could see in his first two actions he could not cope and we had to get him off.”

More from the Arsenal manager

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Mikel Arteta continued on Sky Sports:

💬 “You have to put the ball in the back of the net when you have it.

“We were much better than last year and today we have three or four times with the ball in the box and without putting the ball away you can’t win the game.

“I’m proud of the players, the way they reacted and tried to implement what we wanted to do.”

Let’s hear from Mikel Arteta!

Here’s the Arsenal boss with his reflection on that match:

💬 “We are very disappointed with the result. I am very proud of my players, both teams really had to dig in.

“There was no margin between our levels. It was going to be decided by an individual error or a magic moment. And it was a magic moment.

“You cannot dominate here 95 minutes, it is not possible. We navigated it without conceding anything.

“At the end there I said to them that we need to find a way to win these big matches. You need those magic moments and they had that with an unbelievable free kick.”

Match dashboard shows how tightly the battle was fought

 The Athletic

Our signature match dashboard shows that there was little to separate either team.

Liverpool had marginally more possession (53 per cent), while Arsenal edged them on expected goals (0.6 to Liverpool’s 0.5).

A tight game was crying out for a moment of magic and it arrived from Szoboszlai’s free-kick, worth all of 0.03 xG (expected goals).

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From our friends at Opta…

Dominik Szoboszlai is only the third Liverpool player to score a direct free-kick winner in a 1-0 Premier League win.

That comes after Danny Murphy vs Manchester United in December 2000, and Xabi Alonso vs Sunderland in August 2005.

Decent company!

That set piece made the rest of the match worth it

Worth sitting through a dull 80-odd minutes to see that free kick.

Unstoppable strike from Szoboszlai

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Absolutely magnificent from the Hungarian.

No keeper was saving that.

No Liverpool fan was left Hungary today

About time Szoboszlai served up one of his Hungary specials!