Match Report
A stunning late free-kick by Dominik Szoboszlai earned Liverpool a 1-0 win over Arsenal at Anfield.
The Reds’ No.8 – again outstanding throughout at right-back – located the top corner of the Kop-end net from all of 30 yards with seven minutes remaining of Sunday’s Premier League contest between last season’s top two.
Szoboszlai’s moment of brilliance was just reward for the champions who, after a hard-fought first half, were increasingly dominant after the interval.
Arne Slot’s side therefore go into the September international break as the only team in the division to have amassed nine points from their opening three games of the campaign.
Team news
Alexis Mac Allister returned in place of Curtis Jones in Liverpool’s only change from the win at Newcastle United.
First half
William Saliba was forced off due to injury in an early blow for Arsenal and the game’s first sight of goal was Liverpool’s.
Ryan Gravenberch accelerated matters by moving through the gears in midfield before picking out Cody Gakpo, who drove inside and shot wide from outside the penalty area.
The opening stages were cagey and set-pieces were Arsenal’s main attacking outlet, with Alisson Becker called into action to turn a Noni Madueke hit away following Declan Rice’s corner.
Both teams were baiting their opponents’ press by playing out from the back and the champions’ best chance of the half came from a risky David Raya pass.
Virgil van Dijk read Raya’s intention and outmuscled Martin Zubimendi to win back possession before trying to feed Mohamed Salah in the box. The loose ball was Mac Allister’s, but the No.10’s effort was blocked.
At the other end, Milos Kerkez and Van Dijk defended well to thwart Madueke and Jurrien Timber and the half ended goalless.
Second half
Liverpool asserted their authority after the restart and Ekitike saw a goal ruled out for offside – the forward bundled home the loose ball after Raya had palmed away a fizzing attempt by Florian Wirtz – on the hour.
Anfield sensed the growing momentum as the Reds attacked the Kop end and increased the decibel level accordingly.
The champions probed and pushed Arsenal back, with Gravenberch just over-hitting a pass that would have set Ekitike in one-on-one with Raya.
And, with 83 minutes on the clock, Szoboszlai produced what may end up being the club’s, and indeed the Premier League’s, Goal of the Season as he struck a vicious, dipping free-kick perfectly into the top corner.
Inevitably, Arsenal then pressed forward in search of an equaliser and Joe Gomez – on in place of the injured Ibrahima Konate – denied Viktor Gyokeres by beating the striker to a cross and clearing the ball behind.
Slot’s team then stood firm during an agonising seven minutes of stoppage time to claim all three points.
SOURCE: www.liverpoolfc.com
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