KEYSTONE KLOPPS

Van Dijk and Alisson gaffes gift Gunners their first-ever win over Jurgen.. and wrecks record bid

JURGEN KLOPP’S Keystone Kops blew the chance to beat Manchester City’s points record last night.

Horrendous gaffes by two of Liverpool’s most consistent stars in their title win – Alisson and Virgil van Dijk – allowed Arsenal to come from behind to win with goals from Alexandre Lacazette and Reiss Nelson.

With two games left, it means the champions can no longer surpass City’s 100-point record from 2017-18. It is the first time an Arsenal side has beaten one bossed by Klopp.

FOR one night only, they swapped sides.

Liverpool took a leaf straight out of Arsenal’s catalogue of calamitous defensive mistakes on a surreal night at the Emirates.

Virgil van Dijk made perhaps his only real howler since his £75million move to Anfield twoand-a-half years ago while his keeper Alisson also dropped a clanger.

It left you wondering if David Luiz had gone undercover because they were errors we have become accustomed to seeing from Arsenal, not the reigning champions. Instead, Liverpool took their eye off the ball both literally and metaphorically because the result means that they cannot beat Manchester City’s record 100 points tally set in 2018.

No wonder Jurgen Klopp looked so angry on the touchline because another chance to write even more history slipped away and that will eat away at this Liverpool team who have been guilty of taking their foot off the gas since winning the title.

It has been an incredible, unforgettable season but this should hurt a team which had become used to winning, while the Gunners had actually rested players to get ready for Saturday’s FA Cup semi-final with any chance of a European place seemingly gone. But Reiss Nelson took his chance, scoring and also playing a part in Alexandre Lacazette’s goal.

And it was the Mikel Arteta (right) who saw his Arsenal side do all of the pressing, all of the closing down, to force the unlikely mistakes from two such normally imperious players.

It was a mixand-match home side – Pierre-emerick Aubameyang only a second-half substitute – yet they somehow got their first victory over the Merseysiders in five years and they even had to come from behind.

Liverpool only took 20 minutes to go ahead. Arsenal keeper

Emiliano Martinez had already had a let-off when his clearance cannoned off Roberto Firmino and onto a post.

Then another Martinez clearance just invited trouble, Firmino and Andy Robertson combined brilliantly down the left and pulled the ball back for Sadio Mane.

Mane slotted home his 17th goal of the season, he has scored six against Arsenal in his career and, for Robertson, that was the left-back’s 10th assist in the Premier League. But then the unthinkable happened. Mistakes from Liverpool’s two most reliable players. Fabinho’s sideways pass put Van Dijk under pressure, Nelson closed him down and the Liverpool defender’s sloppy back pass put in Lacazette. Lacazette rounded keeper Alisson and slotted into the net for a 32ndminute equaliser. But while everyone was still open mouthed at the world’s best defender actually making mistake, it got even worse.

Robertson’s poor throw put Alisson under pressure. He tried to play out but gave the ball straight to Lacazette who raced forward and then pulled it back for Nelson to fire into the far corner.

It was real rub your eyes in disbelief stuff. Klopp slumped down in his seat on the dug-out looking furious. Rather comically, Alisson shouted: “We start again boys. We don’t want any more mistakes.”

Sure enough, Liverpool came out for the second half looking like a team who had received a half time rollicking. The pressure was non-stop in the second half, Arsenal were pinned back with Martinez making a terrific tip over from Mo Salah’s clever chip ( far left).

Liverpool just could not find a way through.

They have been far and way the best team bar none this season but they could have set more records – while the game gave a glimpse of a hungry Arsenal, driven forward by Arteta’s desire.