Report: Gunners rally back to stun champions!

Liverpool’s hopes of a 100-point season are well and over after they were narrowly beaten 2-1 by a spirited Arsenal side at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday evening.

Read: Arsenal vs Liverpool – team news, match facts and probable lineups

Mikel Arteta rang quite a fe changes to his squad, but the most notable absentee was Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang who started from the bench for the Gunners, while Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was given a start against his former employers.

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Liverpool and Arsenal players in action. (Image: Liverpool Twitter)

First half

The game started on a high tempo, but it was Liverpool who had the first opening from Andy Robertson down the left, whose deflected cross almost found Mohamed Salah at the back post, but Kieran Tierney was quick to react in clearing the danger.

Arsenal goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez almost gifted Liverpool an easy goal in the 13th minute after attempting to clear a back pass but the ball hit Roberto Firmino’s raised foot, before coming off the outside of the post.

Sadio Mane eventually broke the deadlock for the Reds in the 20th minute after racing into the Arsenal box to slot past Martinez after receiving a low cross from Andy Robertson on the left.

Two minutes later, the Senegalese star almost scored in similar fashion but Oxlade-Chamberlain’s cross from the left was intercepted by the Gunners defence for a corner kick.

The visitors were not letting Arsenal have breathing space, and had another go at goal, this time switching flanks with Trent Alexander-Arnold whipping the ball into the box but Salah’s stabbed volley towards goal ended straight in Martinez’s hands.

Despite being dominated for the majority of the match, the Gunners hit back in the 32nd minute through Alexandre Lacazette, who pounced on a giftly mistake from Virgil Van Dijk to round Alisson Becker and strike into an empty net to equalize for the hosts.

Mane had half a chance moments later from a Roberston corner-kick but his attempted header towards the Arsenal goal, sailed high and off target, landing on top of the net rather.

With a minute before the stroke of half-time, Arsenal took a surprise lead. Alisson’s clearance at the back landed in Lacazette’s path who laid it off for Nelson, with the youngster making no mistake slotting past the Brazilian to make it 2-1.

The Reds tried to hit back immediately, with Oxlade-Chamberlain striking from the edge of the box after being teed up by Mane, but Martinez made an easy safe.

Second half

Liverpool came out guns blazing in the second half, and created consecutive chances. First, a goalmouth scramble in the Arsenal box involving Alexander-Arnold, Robertson, Firmino and Salah was cleared and then the latter had his shot tipped over the bar by Martinez.

Jurgen Klopp’s troops kept pushing and had another half chance at goal as Alexander-Arnold’s cross into the box found Gini Wijnaldum running in, but the Dutch international’s ballooned it over the bar.

Substitute Minamino was next to try his luck after receiving a pass from Mane inside the box but the Japanese international’s effort sailed wide across the face of goal.

In the 70th minute, Liverpool had a chance to make the scores 2-2. Mane’s cross into the Arsenal box was inch-perfect for Salah at the back post, but his header was tame, ending straight into Martinez.

Van Dijk was next in on the action after the water break, looking to correct his mistake from earlier on by getting on the end of Roberston’s cross into the box but his header was way off target.

With five minutes left on the clock, Mane came inches close to grabbing his and Liverpool’s second after being played in from the left by Robertson, but the African player of the year was held off by Maitland-Niles who did well to put him off.

Naby Keita was next to try his luck from outside the box but his shot flew straight into Martinez’s hands.

In the 89th minute, the Gunners missed a glorious chance to finish off the game when Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang flicked the box for Wilcock inside the Liverpool box but youngster fluffed his shot which sailed inches off target.

Deep in stoppage time, Alexander-Arnold tried his luck with a venomous strike from outside the box but Martinez was fully stretched to deny the Englishman, as Arteta’s charges hung on to claim a famous win.

Starting XI:

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.