Liverpool suffered a setback as they succumbed to a 3-1 defeat against Arsenal in the Premier League on Sunday, marking an unusual stumble in their recent impressive form.
This marked only the second loss for the Reds in the top-flight, allowing the Gunners to narrow the gap to just two points from the league leaders after 23 games played so far.
Bukayo Saka gave the hosts the lead after 17 minutes, however, Jurgen Klopp’s side managed to draw level in first-half stoppage time, thanks to an own goal from Gabriel.
In the 67th minute, Martinelli restored the lead for Mikel Arteta’s side following a mix-up between Virgil van Dijk and Alisson Becker.
Trossard then sealed the victory towards the end after the visitors were reduced to 10 men due to the second bookable offence resulting in the sending-off of defender Ibrahima Konate.
Damon Carr (@da9mo) is here to provide an insightful breakdown of the match.
Liverpool experienced only their second league defeat of the season. What are your thoughts on the Reds’ overall performance?
Damon: We were shocking. Let’s not sugarcoat here. We were dreadful from the beginning. I’ll always be realistic and that’s where some fans go wrong. When everything is going well, they fail to see certain issues and think it’s all roses.
People daren’t criticise these days and belittle the people that do. Mac is wasted as a lone DM and someone like Rice in a game like this showed exactly that today. Mac has been incredible in recent games and is doing all he can do to cover in a position that is not him.
Everyone was terrible though. Gakpo was the best out of the front three and that’s saying something. It’s not all doom and gloom but we need to lift our heads as quickly as we can.
Alisson Becker faced a challenging match, committing two critical errors that resulted in Arsenal securing two late goals. Do you believe he was solely responsible for Gabriel Martinelli’s goal?
Damon: Van Dijk initially was to blame because he shouldn’t have let it bounce and should’ve got back with purpose. However, when we do make these mistakes Alisson saves us. This time, I haven’t a clue what he’s doing or where he’s going. Both are to blame. Huge moment.
Unfortunately, Dominik Szoboszlai was sidelined due to injury, while Thiago Alcantara made a remarkable return to the team after nearly a year of absence due to a hip injury. It must be satisfying to see the Spanish midfielder back in action.
Damon: It’s amazing to see Thiago back but I can’t see him as an option until he’s back for a few matches. He’s not likely to stay fit but if he does it’s huge for the title race. Our squad isn’t as good as people make out. A couple of injuries and we are looking for youngsters to step up. Luckily for us, Quansah and Bradley have stepped up for the back but in midfield, we are in trouble
The recent victory has significantly intensified the Premier League title race. Do you have confidence in Liverpool’s ability to clinch the title this season?
Damon: We need to bounce back as soon as possible. It gives City the advantage though. If we let this game affect us going forward then we could easily drop out of it. We are still top and we must still concentrate on ourselves. The title race is on. Mentality monsters need to be back.
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