Liverpool blunders hand Arsenal a win with Premier League points record now off the table

It can be reported that on the evening of July 15, 2020 something extraordinary happened: Virgil Van Dijk made a mistake. With it, and another careless blunder by goalkeeper Alisson, Liverpool’s hopes of making history with a record Premier League points total were tossed away.

They can now ‘only’ finish on 99 points and so the formidable mark set by Manchester City two years ago will remain which will certainly please Pep Guardiola and especially in this week of all weeks when he has gone to war with Liverpool.

Jurgen Klopp will say he could not care less about such records and all that matters is a first league title in 30 years. Still beating that century was in Liverpool’s grasp and they have lost three games this season in running away with the title - which is two more defeats than the last campaign when they finished second. It is a funny old game and this really was a funny old game as Liverpool totally, utterly and completed dominated and yet were undone, while Arsenal can take great encouragement from beating such a formidable team before they face another one at the weekend with the FA Cup semi-final against City at Wembley.

The statistics reflected Liverpool’s dominance – they had 24 attempts at goal to Arsenal’s three, 13 corners to their opponents' two and claimed 69 per cent possession (79 per cent in the second-half) – but Mikel Arteta will be delighted with the defensive resolve shown after a lax opening 20 minutes and how they capitalised on their rare opportunities. Still, to give it some further context, it is a result that leaves them just the 40 points behind the champions. “Look at the difference between the two teams, the gap is enormous,” the Arsenal head coach conceded as he once again tellingly reminded his club that a “bigger squad” is needed. “We can’t close it in two months. Now the difference in fight and energy is equal. With that we can create something,” Arteta argued.

Liverpool are also ‘only’ 18 points ahead of City when it looked like they would win the league by a record margin – and still might – and radio phone-ins will now try and stir the debate as to whether Klopp’s side or City’s centurions were the better. The truth is both have been brilliant. "I cannot make a negative out of something so positive - becoming champions so early in the season,” Klopp remarked. “These boys have played an exceptional season and no one can take that away."

Even so, let us deal with the here and now and, having lost the north London derby through defensive errors, Arteta must have feared the worst with the way his altered team began.

Firstly, goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez drove a clearance against Roberto Firmino with the ball rebounding back and striking the outside of the post. Soon after there was more lack of attention when Lucas Torreira stuck out a hand to stop the ball before pointing to the assistant referee Dan Cook who had flagged for an earlier offside. Rightly, referee Paul Tierney gave a free-kick against Torreira.

Inevitably, from the third example of casual play, Liverpool took the lead. It summed it up as Cedric Soares was beaten in the air by Andrew Robertson, with the Liverpool full-back sprinting forward to collect a pass from Firmino who had been allowed to stroll towards the penalty area. Robertson pulled it back with no Arsenal player tracking Sadio Mane who simply side-footed into the net.

At that point there only appeared one outcome. But everything changed when Fabinho and Van Dijk nonchalantly exchanged passes on the edge of their penalty area before Reiss Nelson put the latter under pressure. Van Dijk felt he was being pulled back by the Arsenal forward as he woefully under-hit a back-pass to Alisson, with Alexandre Lacazette stealing in to round the goalkeeper and side-foot home. For all of Van Dijk’s protestations he had not been fouled and he knew it. “I take the blame. I take it as a man and move on,” he later said.

Quite astonishingly, it was Liverpool who erred again with Alisson playing a slack pass towards Robertson that Lacazette easily intercepted, with the striker quickly picking out Nelson who smartly found the corner of the net with a cross-shot for his first Premier League goal. Little wonder Klopp abandoned the technical area and slumped open-mouthed in disbelief.

“Come on boys, let’s start again,” Alisson shouted, and Liverpool did just that in a second half which, quite frankly, was attack against defence. Arsenal barely left their half as they dropped ever deeper and threw their bodies in the way with admirable determination. Martinez tipped over Mohamed Salah’s improvised scooped shot, effort after effort was blocked, Mane screwed a low drive wide and on it went.

Liverpool felt they should have had a penalty when Kieran Tierney leaned into substitute Takumi Minamino who stumbled and mis-kicked but Arsenal went closest when one of their substitutes, Joe Willock, sliced wide. In injury time it was frantic and frenetic as Martinez turned away a deflected Trent Alexander-Arnold shot as corner after corner was won, but Arsenal stood firm.

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09:10 PM

Full time: Arsenal 2 Liverpool 1

Well what a peculiar match. Liverpool gifted Arsenal two goals through howlers, then absolutely battered them without ever looking like they had their shooting boots on. Well, there you have it. The Champions are defeated.

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09:08 PM

90+ mins: Arsenal 2 Liverpool 1

Injury time is all but done, Liverpool have a corner. And now another one. Alexander-Arnold with a shot deflected behind. Corner. Can they pinch it? No. Origi has fouled Tierney.

Arsenal, God knows how, are going to win.

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09:05 PM

90 mins: Arsenal 2 Liverpool 1

Ceballos, for some reason, has just produced and absolutely savage and brutal bodycheck on Minamino, the poor wee thing. Ceballos doesn't exactly look the ogre type, with his pretty hair. But it was an absolute carting.

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09:04 PM

88 mins: Arsenal 2 Liverpool 1

The best chance of the half, oddly, falls to Willock as he arrives in the area with time to get a good long look at a volley from Aubameyang's cross... Willock composes himself and... finds his technique is lacking. Screws it wide. Shame.

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09:01 PM

87 mins: Arsenal 2 Liverpool 1

Mane has got round Ainsley MN and just when you think he is going to slot it home, Ainsley does just enough to put him off (but not enough to give away a pen) and Mane fails to make the moment count.

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08:54 PM

81 mins: Arsenal 2 Liverpool 1

Maitland-Niles is replaced by Cedric and, hello what's this: it's the lesser-spotted Xerdan Shaqiri. Remember him? He is coming on, as is Origi. Shaqiri and Origi on for Salah and Wijnaldum.

It's not that Liverpool are bad tonight by any means, they are just a bit clunky. Mane the only one really who seems near his best. He looks bang up for it.

Xhaka cleans out Keita for a yellow, to which he pleads guilty.

Delighted to hear Martin Tyler mention the CALVES OF SHAQIRI.

— Max Rushden (@maxrushden) July 15, 2020

 

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08:51 PM

75 mins: Arsenal 2 Liverpool 1

More slapstick at the other end as Xhaka slides in to intercept before Salah can pounce. Xhaka ends up forcing a save out of his keeper Martinez, some of the Liverpool lot want a backpass freekick... and Xhaka is in pain because he has tweaked himself stretching. Dear me.

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08:50 PM

75 mins: Arsenal 2 Liverpool 1

Alisson! At it again. Has tried to dribble outside of the box, first touch lets him down, has to hack it clear.

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08:46 PM

72 mins: Arsenal 2 Liverpool 1

Salah close with a header, should have done better.

Liverpool are absolutely all over these. Arsenal have hardly had a kick in the second half. 

Anyway, drinks.

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08:45 PM

68 mins: Arsenal 2 Liverpool 1

Talking of Minamino, he's in the game again. Mane crosses, Virgil tries an effort but doesn't get hold of it. Minamino picks it up, Tierney grabs his shirt. Liverpool want a penalty. Maybe if Minners had hit the deck in the traditional style they would have got one. No VAR either, which is a bit odd.

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08:42 PM

66 mins: Arsenal 2 Liverpool 1

Minamino not in any armchair, a great run and shot from him here.

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08:38 PM

64 mins: Arsenal 2 Liverpool 1

Xhaka heads a gentle freekick behind for a corner. Willock heads the corner away commandingly.

Salah nearly through, although possibly offside. Minamino has looked bright since coming on.

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08:36 PM

62 mins: Arsenal 2 Liverpool 1

The Ox hasn't really done it tonight, he gets the hook as does Firmino, ditto. Minamino and Keita come on.

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08:31 PM

59 mins: Arsenal 2 Liverpool 1

Aubameyang, Ceballos and Willock on for Lacazette, Torreira and Nelson.

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08:31 PM

58 mins: Arsenal 2 Liverpool 1

Arteta knows he has to change something, so makes a triple sub.

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08:31 PM

55 mins: Arsenal 2 Liverpool 1

Liverpool look highly likely to score. The Ox with a dangerous cross. Mane with a shot. Now the closest of the lot, and certainly the funniest: Salah gets it in the box, Luiz hurls himself at the Liverpool striker, Salah just cheekily slides the ball out of the way making Luiz look like an absolute berk. Well, at least someone else has done that to Luiz this time rather than he himself. Salah shoots and Martine tips it over.

It's all Liv.

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08:23 PM

50 mins: Arsenal 2 Liverpool 1

Scramble! Liverpool have one, two, three, four shots on goal. "A bit of defiance, a desire to defend the goal from Arsenal," says Alan Smith. Speaks volumes that a former great even has to note that! Should be a given surely.

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08:21 PM

46 mins: Arsenal 2 Liverpool 1

No changes in personnel, not immediate response from Liverpool, who are still looking well short of their best. Alisson hoofs a clearance out.

Trent AA goes into the book for a wild lunge on Saka. He lost control of the ball and caught his opponent studs up on the shin. Nobody could seriously have complained if that was a red.

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08:10 PM

Souness: "they're not at it"

"They're in their armchairs".

I think that's a bingo.

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08:03 PM

Half time: Arsenal 2 Liverpool 1

Just an outlier in all sorts of respects. Howlers from the solid Van Dijk and Alisson have given an otherwise outplayed and underpowered Arsenal the lead.

Martin Tyler tags the second Arsenal goalscorer as... "the admirable Nelson". Nicely done.

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08:01 PM

45+ mins: Arsenal 2 Liverpool 1

Klopp looks pretty disgusted with the whole thing.

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08:01 PM

45 mins: Arsenal 2 Liverpool 1

Stung, Liverpool look to hit back and the Ox cracks a shot at the keeper.

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08:00 PM

GOAL! Arsenal 2 Liverpool 1 (Nelson 44)

Another absolute howler at the back for Liverpool! Liverpool have a throw in near their own box, it's back to Alisson, who just loses concentration and passes it straight to Lacazette! Shocking from the keeper. Lacazette slides it across to Nelson in the area. Nicely done from Nelson, who keeps his composure well and picks his spot. I believe that's his first goal for the club. Certainly a generous gift from the Champions.

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07:58 PM

43 mins: Arsenal 1 Liverpool 1

Holding gives the ball away and then takes his frustration out on Mane, barging him to the floor. Mane flicks out a little kick at him.

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07:56 PM

40 mins: Arsenal 1 Liverpool 1

The Ox has got into a great position here down by the corner flag but just delays a fraction too long before crossing and the moment passes.

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07:51 PM

34 mins: Arsenal 1 Liverpool 1

G Souness, pre-match, was talking about one of his favourite topics of late: which players are or are not "in their armchair". I would suggest that he will be identifying one or two of these Liverpool guys as being not "at it" in about 11 minutes time.

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07:50 PM

33 mins: Arsenal 1 Liverpool 1

And now Fabinho also gives it away. Pepe is a bit outnumbered though and cannot capitalise.

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07:49 PM

GOAL! Arsenal 1 Liverpool 1 (Lacazette 32)

Well that is a complete gift! A bizarre brain fade from the normally rock solid Virgil van Dijk. Under some pressure from Nelson, he plays it slowly and strangely across his own goal to Fabinho, but it's easy pickings for Lacazette to intercept and tap it home. Just a total individual blunder.

Van Dijk cries foul but nobody is really buying it, not least VAR, and the goal is correctly upheld.

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07:47 PM

31 mins: Arsenal 0 Liverpool 1

Pepe gets the ball for the first moment of note, cuts inside but they're doubling up and he finds no way through. Instead it is played to Lacazette who is a mile off.

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07:46 PM

30 mins: Arsenal 0 Liverpool 1

Arsenal with an encouraging burst of energy, harassing the Liverpool backs, dispossessing them. Xhaka plays it forward and Liverpool are briefly rattled.

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07:42 PM

26 mins: Arsenal 0 Liverpool 1

Oh look there's Nicolas Pepe. Hadn't seen that he was playing. Anonymous doesn't even cover it.

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07:40 PM

23 mins: Arsenal 0 Liverpool 1

A chance for Arteta to try and gee his guys up, they are a distant second so far in a low temperature game that has the air of the foregone conclusion about it.

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07:36 PM

21 mins: Arsenal 0 Liverpool 1

Arsenal look to hit back and Alisson is momentarily worried as Nelson is allowed to race onto a long ball, but he takes the wrong option.

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07:36 PM

GOAL! Arsenal 0 Liverpool 1 (Mane 20)

Firmino carries the ball forward and, as he has done so many times this term, Robertson overlaps down the left flank. Luiz ambles across but he's never getting there in truth, Robertson plays it across and there is Sadio Mane to slot it home. All too easy for the Champs really.

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07:33 PM

17 mins: Arsenal 0 Liverpool 0

Perfectly acceptable displays from both teams but it's not played at a white-hot intensity (well, it Arsenal) and there is not a massive amount currently happening.

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07:28 PM

12 mins: Arsenal 0 Liverpool 0

But that's nearly a howler from the Argentine in nets! He tarries on the ball and tries to pass it, it hits Roberto Firmino, and the ball rebounds onto the post. Could so easily have been curtains.

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07:27 PM

11 mins: Arsenal 0 Liverpool 0

Holding with a foul. Robertson delivers a decent ball in. Martinez comes and gathers. He has taken his chance in the team well since Leno's injury.

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07:26 PM

9 mins: Arsenal 0 Liverpool 0

Pep-ish pressing from Arteta's Arsenal has Liverpool under some pressure. 

Now it's the Champions who are on the front foot, corner, half cleared. Van Dijk gets it but cannot get his feet sorted for a shot, the moment passes.

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07:22 PM

6 mins: Arsenal 0 Liverpool 0

Saka has won a corner, something from the training ground as Cedric tries to put it back across but Liverpool can clear, and the former Arsenal man Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain leads the break.

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07:20 PM

4 mins: Arsenal 0 Liverpool 0

Loads of fireworks going off! Presumably Liverpool fans outside the ground/

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07:17 PM

2 mins: Arsenal 0 Liverpool 0

Klopp has never had his colours lowered by Arsenal. Arteta's team selection tonight probably not making him worry too much about that record changing.

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07:17 PM

1 mins: Arsenal 0 Liverpool 0

I fear for the Arsenal back three here. Holding on the right, Tierney who is a full back really on the left and then Luiz, who is Luiz, in the centre.

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07:16 PM

The players take a knee

Kick off. Liverpool hit the ball long.

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07:11 PM

The Arsenal players line up

and they will give the Liverpool guys a guard of honour.

Arsenal are looking at their lowest league finish for 25 years. Luiz and Alisson exchange a quick fist bump.

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06:24 PM

Team news

Arsenal: Martinez, Holding, Luiz, Tierney, Cedric, Torreira, Xhaka, Nelson, Pepe, Lacazette, Saka. Subs: Bellerin, Papastathopoulos, Ceballos, Aubameyang, Maitland-Niles, Mustafi, Willock, Kolasinac, Macey.

Liverpool: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, van Dijk, Robertson, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Fabinho, Wijnaldum, Salah, Firmino, Mane. Subs: Lovren, Keita, Adrian, Minamino, Shaqiri, Origi, Jones, Elliott, Williams.

Referee: Paul Tierney (Lancashire)

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04:14 PM

Good evening

Arsenal are our hosts, Liverpool the visitors, and an evening of Premier League football is in store. We will have the team news at about 7.15pm I guess and then the kick off time is at 8.15pm. In the meantime, you could follow Manchester City vs AFC Bournemouth, Premier League: live score and latest updates and then I will see you back here later.

Here's some reading about the two great clubs.

Both managers had money on their mind this week.

Mikel Arteta has said Arsenal will have to take a financial “risk” if they are to return to the Champions League as he warned that the gap to the top four will only become bigger if the club do not invest in the team.

Next season will be Arsenal’s fourth consecutive campaign outside of the Champions League, an absence that had caused severe financial problems for the club even before the coronavirus crisis struck English football.

Mikel Arteta calls on Arsenal to take a financial 'risk' if they are to return to the Champions League

And here is Jurgen Klopp sharing his views about Pep.

Klopp suggested the fact City will have the twin demands of the Premier League and Europe has enhanced Liverpool’s chances of defending their title next season, but said the principles of economic fairness cannot be compromised in the wake of City’s initial Uefa punishment of a two-year Champions League ban being reduced to a £9 million fine.

"From a personal point of view, I'm happy that City can play in the Champions League next year, because if I think about the league and City has 10-12 games less and can rest players, then I don't see any chance for any other teams in the league,” said Klopp.

"I absolutely don't wish anybody anything bad, like I said I'm happy that City can play in the Champions League, but I don't think it was a good day for football yesterday, to be honest.

"I think FFP is a good idea. It's there for protecting teams and protecting competition, that was the idea from the start — so that nobody overspends and clubs before the season have to make sure that the money they want to spend is based on the right sources.

'Not a good day for football' — Jurgen Klopp's verdict on decision to overturn Manchester City's ban