Arsenal plays with Liverpool and reshuffles the cards – Premier League – J23 – Arsenal-Liverpool (3-1)

Arsenal 3-1 Liverpool

Goals: Saka (14^e), Martinelli (67^e) & Trossard (90^e+2) for the Gunners // Gabriel (45^e+3, CSC) for the Reds

Expulsion: Konaté (88^e) for the Reds

This Arsenal-Liverpool, shock of the 23^e Premier League day, could have been summed up as a story of dumplings. That of William Saliba, first, a few seconds before half-time, to let Luis Díaz set foot, provoke Gabriel’s own goal and thus put the visitors back in the right direction (1-1, 45^e+3). That of Alisson, then, on a long opening from the same Gabriel and a disagreement with Virgil van Dijk, to let the turbulent Gabriel Martinelli push the ball to the bottom and tip the match (2-1, 67^e).

‘Wet pool

But beyond these two blunders – one on each side – there was no photo on the scoreboard between Gunners And Reds (3-1), the first having made the difference at the start and end of the match, with elegance: the finish of Bukayo Saka after a perfect movement between Martin Ødegaard and Kai Havertz (1-0, 14^e) had symbolized the first 47 minutes full of mastery of the premises, and the masterpiece of the supersub Leandro Trossard (3-1, 90^e+2) rewarded the character of the Londoners, who were the main animators of this meeting (Gabriel heated Alisson in the 38^eHavertz could have obtained a penalty in the 63^eØdegaard was not far from scoring in the 52nd^e or to score Jakub Kiwior at 84^e).

5 – Gabriel Martinelli has scored five goals against Liverpool, his joint-most vs a single side for Arsenal (level with Crystal Palace). In addition, no player has been directly involved in more league goals against them since the start of last term (3 goals, 2 assists). Impact. pic.twitter.com/vIdZCbawNt

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) February 4, 2024

By beating the leader (51 points), who had only lost once in the Premier League this season, Arsenal (49) comes back to two points behind it, while waiting to know what Manchester City (46) will do of his two games behind. Jürgen Klopp’s men can’t blame anyone except themselves, displaying a single shot on target, at the hour mark moreover, while Cody Gakpo (13^e), Curtis Jones (48^e) or Alexis Mac Allister – on numerous occasions – failed in the exercise. Even having raised their heads at the start of the second, the visitors will have swayed throughout the meeting, like their risk-taking at the restart, or the expulsion of Ibrahima Konaté – for two toasts – who definitively buried them (88^e). No, it wasn’t the evening for our French defenders.

Arsenal (4-3-3): Raya – B. White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko (Kiwior, 56^e) – Ødegaard (c), Jorginho, Rice – Saka (Nelson, 79^e), Havertz, Martinelli (Trossard, 75^e). Coach : Mikel Arteta.

Liverpool (4-3-3): Alisson – Alexander-Arnold (Robertson, 58^e), Konaté, Van Dijk (c), J. Gomez (Thiago, 85^e) – Gravenberch (Elliott, 58^e), Mac Allister, C. Jones – Gakpo (Nuñez, 58^e), Jota, L. Díaz. Coach : Jürgen Klopp.

Arsenal Liverpool prediction: Analysis, odds and prediction of the Premier League match