Two giants collide… and gift Arsenal a priceless win
Alisson and Van Dijk lose bearings to blow the title race wide open
HOW many times have they played together, Alisson and Virgil van Dijk? How many trophies have they won? How many times have they rescued Liverpool? How many opposing attacks have they subdued? How many chances have they thwarted, how many forwards have they emasculated in their reign as one of the best defensive partnerships in the Premier League?
The answer on all counts is too many to mention. And yet at the Emirates, with Liverpool’s match against Arsenal poised at 1-1 and their lead over the Gunners still five points and Manchester City watching and hoping for Liverpool to slip, the game turned on a defensive mix-up between the goalkeeper and the skipper.
Arsenal had already let Liverpool back into the game at the end of the first half with a calamity caper of their own. But when Liverpool emulated it midway through the second half, the two giants of the club colliding with each other and presenting Gabriel Martinelli with an open goal, the league leaders could not find a way back into the game.
Arsenal consolidated their lead with a late strike from substitute Leandro Trossard that deflected off Van Dijk and squeezed through Alisson’s legs to complete the goalkeeper’s misery, seal a 3-1 win for Mikel Arteta’s team and condemn Liverpool to their first defeat in the league since they lost at Tottenham on September 30.
Liverpool, who were reduced to 10 men when Ibrahima Konate was sent off for a second yellow card late on, were the victims of a shocking error by the VAR officials that day at Spurs but in this defeat against Arsenal they were the authors of their own downfall.
They were second best for long periods of the game against an Arsenal side, marshalled brilliantly by Jorginho and Declan Rice, who refused to let their intensity or their belief drop.
And so, the title race has been blown wide open. It is as open a contest as it has been for a long time. Arsenal knew they had to win this game to rejoin the battle and they never looked like losing. The result will breathe new confidence into them as their tilt at the crown gathers pace.
Liverpool’s lead at the top of the table is down to two points and City — who are third and just five points behind with two games in hand — can close the gap as well if they beat Brentford in west London this evening.
Liverpool have been so good for so long that they were due a poor performance. This was it.
Jurgen Klopp’s side had played like a dream in their 4-1 victory over Chelsea last week and, even though most sides play like a dream against Chelsea these days, the visitors went into this match with momentum and form on their side. They were without Conor Bradley, their exciting young right back, who was mourning the death of his father.
That meant a return to the starting XI after injury for Trent Alexander-Arnold. Darwin Nunez, who hit the woodwork four times against Mauricio Pochettino’s side, was on the bench.
The game began fast and furiously. No one expected anything else. Arsenal closed Liverpool down with particular ferocity. Liverpool’s pressing was not far behind. The first time either side got a chance to breathe, Arsenal should have scored. David Raya released Martinelli with a throw and Martinelli raced on to it, hotly pursued by Konate. The pursuit went on and on and still Konate could not catch Martinelli.
When he had almost got to the byline, Martinelli crossed into the heart of the box, where Bukayo Saka had got ahead of his marker. Saka flung himself at the ball but somehow he mistimed his header and glanced it wide.
A minute later, Saka atoned. Martin Odegaard freed Kai Havertz with a brilliant first-time pass that sent the Germany forward in on goal. Alisson came out to meet him and Havertz fired weakly and straight at him. But when the ball came back off Alisson’s chest, it rebounded straight to Saka. He took a touch and lashed the ball into the net.
Liverpool did not offer much going forward in the first half but when Alexander-Arnold whipped in a superb ball from the right touchline, Gabriel conjured a brilliant interception to prevent the ball reaching Cody Gakpo as he waited to pounce.
Arsenal were coasting towards the interval when disaster struck deep in stoppage time. Ryan Gravenberch lofted a harmless ball into the inside right channel for Luis Diaz to chase, but instead of clearing it, William Saliba tried to shepherd it back to Raya.
The keeper did not come to claim it and Diaz forced his way around Saliba and hooked the ball towards the penalty spot. It hit Gabriel on the right arm and bounced slowly and apologetically over the line, into the net. After so much hard work, it was an awful way to con
cede an equaliser. When the second half began, it felt as if that goal had changed everything. Liverpool were rampant now.
Diaz attacked at will down the left, Alexis Mac Allister fizzed a shot just wide from 25 yards and Curtis Jones curled a shot just the wrong side of Raya’s left-hand post. It was a different Liverpool, a different game.
But gradually Arsenal recovered their composure and their confidence and then midway through the half, Liverpool proved they could take Arsenal’s defensive howler from earlier and raise it.
There seemed to be little danger when Van Dijk ran back with Martinelli as they chased a long punt from Gabriel.
Van Dijk waited for Alisson to come to clear it but Alisson delayed. When he finally rushed out of his area and tried to hack the ball away, he succeeded only in booting Van Dijk in the thigh and missing the ball altogether.
Van Dijk and Alisson turned in horror to see Martinelli left in glorious isolation with the ball at his feet and the goal unguarded. Martinelli took his time and rolled the ball calmly into the empty net.
Arsenal wasted a golden opportunity to put the game out of reach seven minutes from time when Odegaard chipped into the area and found substitute Jakub Kiwior unmarked eight yards out.
The Pole twisted his body to try to get as much power into his header as possible but he could only direct it straight at Alisson.
Konate was sent off a few minutes from the end for a second bookable offence when he body-checked Havertz as the German led an Arsenal counter-attack. And as the game entered stoppage time, the Gunners scored the third goal they so desperately craved.
Trossard made it and Trossard scored it. He ran back towards the halfway line to retrieve a loose ball and then tricked his way past Harvey Elliott and set off for goal.
Van Dijk came across to close him down but Trossard’s shot deflected off the Liverpool skipper’s foot and squirmed through the legs of Alisson.
On the touchline, Arteta went wild, running up and down by the Arsenal bench, high-fiving Arsenal supporters and giving thanks to the heavens. His team had closed the gap to two points. The title race is closer than ever.