Liverpool extended their lead at the top of the Premier League to an imposing nine points with a devastating attacking dismissal of Arsenal at Anfield – with hat-trick hero Roberto Firmino the inspiration.
Arsenal took the lead after only 11 minutes when Ainsley Maitland-Niles slid in at the far post to score from Alex Iwobi’s cross – but it was a false dawn for Unai Emery’s side.
Liverpool, lifted after title rivals Tottenham’s home defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers earlier, responded with an explosive display that saw them 4-1 up by the interval and on their way to continuing their unbeaten league run to 20 games.
Firmino took advantage of Arsenal’s defensive confusion to quickly equalise then slalom past a posse of defenders to put Liverpool in front after Lucas Torreira lost possession, all in the space of two minutes.
Sadio Mane extended Liverpool’s lead after 32 minutes when Andrew Robertson’s long cross exposed Arsenal after they needlessly conceded a corner, before Mo Salah effectively ended the contest from the penalty spot in first-half stoppage time after he had been fouled by Sokratis.
Liverpool then cruised to close out the win, Firmino completing his hat-trick from the spot after 65 minutes following Sead Kolasinac’s push on Dejan Lovren.
Manchester City, ten points adrift, will attempt to close the gap at Southampton on Sunday before they meet Liverpool in a pivotal encounter at Etihad Stadium on 3 January.
Liverpool deliver an ominous response
When Liverpool went behind to Maitland-Niles’ 11th minute strike, it was the first time they had trailed at Anfield in the Premier League since Leicester City led here on 30 December last year.
If there were any nerves troubling the new Premier League pace-setters, this might have been the moment for them to show – but not a bit of it.
Liverpool, admittedly helped by Arsenal and by a huge roar that swept around Anfield, were ahead in five minutes thanks to two Firmino goals and never looked back.
Instead of shrinking in the face of a setback, it was simply a case of Arsenal prodding the beast as Liverpool swarmed forward in the style that has become their trademark under Jurgen Klopp to record another statement win in this hugely impressive season.
After a period earlier in the campaign when the sparkle of last season was not quite there, Liverpool’s stardust is being sprinkled once more, led by that potent attacking trident of Firmino, Mane and Salah.
And the signs are ominous for the chasing pack, effectively Spurs and Manchester City, who want to deprive Liverpool of their first title since 1990.
They have won 88 points from 37 league games in this calendar year – the highest points ratio in that spell in the club’s history at 2.38 points per game.
This statistic alone outlines the scale of their performances and means they are now rightly title favourites.
Liverpool’s greatest test of the season now awaits when they travel to Manchester City – but such is the level of confidence surging through a team that looks more like the complete package with every passing week, it is a challenge they will accept without any degree of concern.
Arsenal a team of two halves
Arsenal, in spells in the first half, posed a genuine threat to Liverpool and even had the brief hope given to them when Maitland-Niles put them ahead early on.
The Gunners, however, were let down by defending that threatened to give farce a bad name and they were blown away by half-time.
From Torreira’s clearance that allowed Firmino to waltz past a statuesque selection of Arsenal defenders as Liverpool went ahead, to keeper Bernd Leno’s cheap concession of a corner that eventually ended in Mane’s crucial third, Arsenal were complicit in allowing Klopp’s side to inflict damage on them.
Emery has produced much to admire in the early phases of his succession to Arsene Wenger but Arsenal have stumbled since Southampton ended their 22-match unbeaten run with a 3-2 defeat at St Mary’s.
The Gunners lost in the Carabao Cup at home to Tottenham and were held to a draw by Brighton before this loss – and it is clear where Emery’s problems lie.
Arsenal have potency going forward, particularly in the shape of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette – on the bench here – but keeper Leno looks vulnerable and Liverpool’s quality and intensity going forward hurt them as they are so defensively flawed against top-class opposition.
They were the first visitors to concede four first-half goals since they themselves were the victims of another Liverpool blitz in February 2014.
In the final reckoning, this was why this was yet another tale of Arsenal misery at Anfield.e.
.BBC