KLOPP’S TAKING THE MIK

Jurgen puts on an Art clash

WHEN Jurgen Klopp ditched his specs after having surgery on his eyes in the summer, it wasn’t so he could have a touchline tear-up with Mikel Arteta.

But when Liverpool’s players spotted their manager being dragged away from the Arsenal boss after a frank exchange of views following Sadio Mane’s

33rd-minute challenge on Takehiro Tomiyasu, it provided the kind of provocation they needed.

Klopp didn’t take a backward step – and neither did Arteta, to be fair.

But on the pitch, Arsenal were given a painful reminder that you go toe-to-toe with Liverpool at your peril.

Within seven minutes, Mane had added insult to injury by heading the home side ahead.

And when Diogo Jota added a second Liverpool goal seven minutes after the break, Arteta had now retired to his seat in the dug-out.

When Mo Salah got his customary goal against Arsenal

17 minutes from the end it was only what the Egyptian deserved for another brilliant performance.

Substitute Takumi Minamino added a fourth for good measure four minutes later.

Chelsea’s win at Leicester earlier in the day required a Liverpool response.

And this win means the Londoners are now only four points clear at the top, rather than seven.

The Gunners arrived with the momentum of an eight-game unbeaten run and a place in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals.

But the last time they took three points from Liverpool soil was back in 2012 – when Arteta was in the team.

Mane and Tomiyasu were having a torrid tussle – and when the Liverpool forward flattened the defender for a second time it ended with Klopp and Arteta squaring up to each other (right).

Fourth official Andrew Madley came between the two men before coaching staff from both sides came in to drag them away.

Both managers were still ranting after being booked. But on the pitch, it was the home side who were throwing knockout punches.

Tsimikas broke in behind to put one on a plate for Salah but Ramsdale saved brilliantly.

Ramsdale then excelled again to flick over Trent AlexanderArnold’s thumping drive.

However, the Arsenal keeper would have been disappointed when Mane finally ended his brave resistance.

AlexanderArnold’s freekick dipped over the head of Gabriel and Mane’s textbook downwards header bounced over Ramsdale’s outstretched hand.

After the break, Liverpool kept swinging.

Albert Sambi Lokonga was almost made to pay for giving the ball away cheaply for the third time in the space of a few minutes when Alex OxladeChamberlain guided his shot wide.

But when Nuno Tavares then inexplicably presented Diogo Jota with the ball just inside the Arsenal box there was no reprieve.

T h e Portuguese danced around White’s lunge, waiting for Ramsdale to commit himself and then walked home his sixth goal of the season.

Salah scored his

16th goal of the season with a closerange volley from Mane’s cross.And AlexanderArnold was the provider again when substitute Minamino fired home in front of the Kop.

Arsenal have now conceded

69 Premier League goals at Anfield – 23 more than at any other ground.