Saka shows nerves of steel as Arsenal pass acid test
After all that happened, it really is a sign of tremendous character that Bukayo Saka still wants to take important penalties. the repulsive events after the european Championship final in 2021, the racism, the abuse, could have put a lesser man off for life. If Saka no longer fancied the pressure, who could blame him?
Yet, when Michael Oliver pointed to the spot in the 74th minute, there he was, ball in hand, ready to put his mental well-being on the line again. It wasn’t just any penalty either. the likely match decider, against Liverpool, to put his club back on top of the league. All eyes on him, and not a huge number outside this stadium willing him to succeed, either.
Yet Saka did succeed, and so did Arsenal. He kept it low and tight to the corner. they reclaimed their premier position from Manchester City. And there was no room for failure, from either of them. Alisson, the Liverpool goalkeeper, went the right way, so had Saka’s technique deserted him it could have been saved.
Liverpool were better than they have been in recent weeks, and had the best of the first half despite conceding two goals. By the end, Arsenal fans were dancing in the stands to Curtis Mayfield’s Move On Up. Maybe the tony Adams effect, maybe the sheer joy of having passed the test. these last eight days were supposed to show the measure of Arsenal. Home games, true, but against tottenham and Liverpool. Let’s see where they are after that double header, said the cynics.
Still top, as it turns out. Six points from six. Still ahead of a team that supposedly will cruise this. Arsenal were supposed to meet City in 10 days’ time, a game that has been postponed due to europa League commitments. And, it will be argued, just as well.
If City did to the league leaders what they have done to everybody else recently, the two would swap places with the title race declared as good as over.
And yet, Arsenal are a decent side. City travel to Liverpool next week while Arsenal are at Leeds. It is not beyond the realms of imagination that they could further extend the gap at the top.
Liverpool will claim rough justice, that thiago Alcantara’s penaltyarea foul on Gabriel Jesus was judged harshly, that they should have had a first-half penalty for handball. Yet thiago’s challenge was clumsy — nowhere near a clear and obvious error by Oliver — and Gabriel’s arm was close to the play made by Diogo Jota when the ball struck it. It is hard to fathom how he could have got it out of the way and his position did not appear unnatural. So, both times, this seemed a reasonable call.
Indeed, moments before the penalty, Alisson had made a fine double save from Saka and Jesus. And Arsenal were the stronger team in the second half and led three times. Liverpool never led. the game was level for 33 minutes, with Arsenal ahead for 57. their slender victory, then, was the fairest result. It was a compelling
match, too. Liverpool were on top at half-time, but trailed. Arsenal had the best of the second half, which ended in a draw. Football can be strange like that.
Credit Mikel Arteta, though, for whatever he said to turn this performance around. Arsenal had the happiest possible start to the first half and the happiest possible finish. The stuff in between, mind, was probably best forgotten.
It will not have been by Arteta (below), of course. When he got his defenders in at half-time he may have offered a stern word or two about the way they dealt with Liverpool in the opening 45 minutes. It put one in mind of Adams again: on Strictly, more than the title-winning years.
The top and tail of it was sublime, however. An opening goal after 58 seconds, a second five minutes into added time. This was Arsenal at their best. Counter-attacking at pace, precision in their passing, clinical in their finishing. This is why they have remained top of the table for so long. The rest of it, however, is why many think this supremacy will pass. No team is perfect every match, not even City, but Arsenal have already lost to the inconsistent Manchester United, and they lost their way for a significant spell here, too.
But first the good news. What an opening it was. Jurgen Klopp said teams had worked out how to play against Liverpool, and certainly Arsenal had their measure with the first attack of the game. Darwin Nunez surrendered possession and Saka broke down the right, a lovely positive sprint that took him deep into Liverpool territory before switching the ball inside to his captain, Martin Odegaard. He played it wide to Gabriel Martinelli and the young Brazilian lost Trent Alexander-Arnold before slotting the ball wide of Alisson. A lovely goal.
Martinelli now has four plus three assists in his last seven Premier League games at the Emirates. What a player he is turning out to be. He could have dealt Liverpool a bigger blow when his follow through after a cross from the right saw his boot come down on AlexanderArnold’s ankle. He received treatment but continued. Gareth Southgate, the England manager, is not his greatest fan but he must have breathed an initial sigh of relief, with Kyle Walker already touch and go for Qatar. AlexanderArnold did not appear after halftime, though, with his ankle rather than his performance blamed. But Liverpool were growing stronger. After 26 minutes, Mo Salah found Nunez, who forced the first real save of the half from Aaron Ramsdale, replicated soon after when another Nunez ball almost drew William Saliba to put through his own net. The equaliser was coming, though, and after 34 minutes it arrived. A
Liverpool throw started the move but Arsenal had several chances to clear before Luis Diaz played the ball inside to scorer Nunez, whose endeavour merited reward. It was Diaz’s last real involvement in the game. Soon after, he went over in a tussle with Thomas Partey and injured his left knee. He tried to carry on, but could not. Robert Firmino replaced him.
So, with the various stoppages, it was the 50th minute of an elongated first half when Arsenal got back in front. It was another break, this time Martinelli down the left, finished by an exquisite pass through the crowd to Saka on the far side of the six-yard box. The finish was straightforward, but little else is when playing a team with Liverpool’s spirit for the fight.
Arsenal began the second half strongly but, just as Saka had in the first half, Firmino scored against the run of play. It was Jota who found him, but Firmino’s finish — his sixth goal in the league this season — was a master striker at work.
He has played 17 times against Arsenal, and this was his 10th goal. It is also his best start to the season. Firmino has already outscored his league total from the last campaign and the earliest he has got to six in any previous season was on December 2 in 2017. City may not have it completely their own way next Sunday after all.
ARSENAL (4-3-3): Ramsdale 6; White 6.5, Saliba 7, Gabriel 6, Tomiyasu 6.5; Odegaard 7 (Tierney 82), Partey 6, Xhaka 6.5; SAKA 8 (Vieira 90, 6), Jesus 7.5 (Nketiah 90), MARTINELLI 8.5. Scorers: Martinelli 1, Saka 45, 76. Booked: Odegaard. Manager: Mikel Arteta 7. LIVERPOOL (4-2-3-1): Alisson 7; Alexander-Arnold 5 (Gomez 46, 6), Matip 6 (Konate 69, 6.5), Van Dijk 6, Tsimikas 6; Thiago 7, Henderson 6; Salah 6 (Fabinho 69, 6), Jota 7 (Elliott 81), Diaz 7 (Firmino 42, 8); Nunez 7. Scorers: Nunez 34, Firmino 53. Booked: Diaz, Gomez. Manager: Jurgen Klopp 6. Referee: Michael Oliver 5. Attendance: Not provided.