Andoni Iraola had swatted aside any question that veered in the direction of Liverpool’s title credentials during his press conference on Friday with two simple words. The Liverpool head coach was dismissive in terms of the stage of the season but, as Arsenal doggedly demonstrated, too early also applies to the development of his team. Arsenal cavorted to the sound of fury at Anfield.
At the final whistle Mikel Arteta leapt into the arms of the first-team coach Gabriel Heinze as he celebrated the release of his first win at Liverpool as Arsenal manager, his club’s first league victory at Anfield in 14 years and the champions moving three points clear at the top of the table. His players, tireless in the protection of Kai Havertz’s early winner, lined up to accept the acclaim from a jubilant away section. Anger filled the space around them.
From Virgil van Dijk collecting a post-match booking for sarcastically applauding the referee, Andy Madley, to the jeers of the home crowd, enraged by the match officials and most of all by Arsenal’s streetwise tactics/shithousery (delete as appropriate), this was an infuriating evening for a team that had arrived with momentum and amid talk of a potential title challenge. There was only applause for Liverpool’s players as they left the pitch in recognition of their effort and misfortune. The hosts should have had a penalty for Jurriën Timber tugging Alexander Isak’s shirt and preventing him from connecting with a Bradley Barcola cross.
Florian Wirtz struck the crossbar during Liverpool’s brightest spell and Alexis Mac Allister squandered a free header from 10 yards out. But as the second half ticked by and Arsenal absorbed the pressure, with Gabriel Magalhães and Declan Rice to the fore, belief in Liverpool’s powers of recovery faded. There was no clearer sign of an expensively assembled team running out of ideas than Van Dijk operating as a makeshift centre‑forward in the final exchanges.
He had Isak, Barcola and the substitutes Lewis Koumas, Victor Muñoz and Rio Ngumoha in support. Ngumoha had an impact but, ultimately, Liverpool’s varied forward line did not. For the first time in 16 years Liverpool failed to register a shot on target in a Premier League game.
Iraola’s complaint about Liverpool’s two defeats this season both turning on contentious refereeing decisions was valid. But he ended that particular discussion with a telling point. Another slow start cost Liverpool but they also lacked the penetration and the defensive might that underpinned Arsenal’s win.
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