In a fixture that promises all kinds of goals, there was plenty of end-to-end action but fewer clinical finishes. Ultimately, Liverpool shared the point with Arsenal 1-1 at The Emirates.
It would be easy to for the Reds to feel frustrated but the result may well be fair. Arsenal posed all kinds of problems and asked Liverpool no shortage of questions. Unai Emery has revived his London side after a slow start. In contrast, Liverpool lacked aggression early and needed to dig in to hold off the hosts.
Liverpool’s midfield struggled mightily, especially in the first half. It meant that the Reds retreated deeper and found linkup play more problematic at times. Combined that with absolutely atrocious refereeing meant that Liverpool needed to find their way into the match with even more graft than usually required.
Sadie Mané’s disallowed goal aside, Liverpool created enough chances to win but also at times looked open and vulnerable. Still, the defence held strong with Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez putting outstanding performances.
Alisson too was sharp. No matter what might be said, he was not at fault for the goal. Alexander Lacazette’s goal was a brilliant individual effort. As the Frenchman broke the back line, forcing Alisson to come off his line, his first touch all but left the keeper for dead to say nothing about the excellent finish. A world class striker delivered in a big game, simple as that.
Here are four findings from the match…
