Stadium: Emirates Stadium
Competition: Premier League, #ARSLIV
Season: 2023/24, 04 February 2024, Matchday 23
Key Notes:
– Arsenal narrowed the gap at the summit of the Premier League, reducing Liverpool’s lead to just two points.
– Crucial goals in significant matches propel Gabriel Martinelli and fuel Arsenal’s pursuit of the title.
3:1 Goal 
Leandro Trossard
Lineups:
ARS: (Arteta)
22. David Raya (GK) — 4, Ben White, 2. William Saliba, 6. Gabriel, 35. Oleksandr Zinchenko (15. Jakub Kiwior) — 8. Martin Odegaard, 20. Jorginho, 41. Declan Rice — 7. Bukayo Saka (24. Reiss Nelson), 29. Kai Havertz, 11. Gabriel Martinelli (19. Leandro Trossard).
LIV: (Klopp)
1. Alisson (GK) — 66. Trent Alexander-Arnold (26. Andy Robertson), 5. Ibrahima Konate, 4. Virgil van Dijk, 2. Joe Gomez (6. Thiago Alcantara) — 38. Ryan Gravenberch (19. Harvey Elliott), 10. Alexis Mac Allister, 17. Curtis Jones — 20. Diogo Jota, 18. Cody Gakpo (9. Darwin Nunez), 7. Luis Diaz
Scoring:
Arsenal: Saka (14′), Martinelli (67′), Trossard (90’+2)
Liverpool: Gabriel (45’+3 og), Konaté (🟨🟥 88′)
Match Summary:
The Gunners, trailing by five points in the title race against a Liverpool side that secured four consecutive wins since their previous 1-1 draw at Anfield, needed a victory to rekindle their title hopes. They initiated the match with immense intensity, and Saka’s 14th-minute goal, following Alisson‘s save from Kai Havertz, reflected their early dominance. Despite Liverpool’s inability to register a shot on target in the first half, a defensive mix-up between William Saliba and David Raya resulted in a Gabriel own-goal, leaving the teams level at halftime.
The deadlock was broken in the second half through a collective error involving Virgil van Dijk and Alisson, allowing Martinelli to capitalize and score into an empty net. The match witnessed heightened tension in the closing stages, with Ibrahima Konate receiving a second yellow card for fouling Kai Havertz. As the game reached its climax, substitute Trossard sealed the thrilling encounter, captivating the audience with a spectacular moment.
Certainly, Arsenal can be considered genuine contenders in response to that question. It’s worth recalling that Arteta’s team led the league at Christmas before facing consecutive defeats to West Ham and Fulham. Their recent impressive performances, including victories against Manchester City and Liverpool at their home grounds, underline their potential. If Arsenal can maintain an undefeated record in this “mini-league,” especially after their upcoming visit to the Etihad Stadium in late March, they will firmly position themselves in the title race. The turn of events wasn’t anticipated for Liverpool, who seemed to be in formidable form during Jurgen Klopp’s extended farewell tour. Despite the disappointing performance in this match, their sole loss in North London this season suggests a potential for an extended unbeaten streak. If Manchester City secures a win against Brentford on Monday, they will be level on points with Arsenal, trailing Liverpool by two points with a game in hand. With the return to fitness of key players like Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland, the champions are optimistic about their standing in the competition.
A player must exhibit exceptional performance to capitalize on the fortunate circumstance of an elite goalkeeper and center-back failing to control the ball, allowing him to slot it into an unguarded net. Remarkably, Martinelli had arguably earned such luck even before his subtle intervention on Van Dijk led to a turning point in the match. In the first half, his relentless runs down the left flank created significant challenges for Konate, leaving the Liverpool defense in disarray, a situation they never fully recovered from after Saka’s opening goal. Similar to his decisive goal against City in October, Martinelli once again secured the most pivotal goal in a top-of-the-table clash. He stands as the driving force behind Arsenal’s pursuit of their first title in two decades.
Starting with the positive news for Liverpool, they maintain their position at the top of the table, and this marks their first defeat since September. The team has demonstrated resilience in the past, and there is confidence that they have the capacity for another season-defining run.
On the flip side, this defeat significantly disrupts their momentum. Despite their convincing 4-1 victory over Chelsea in midweek, Wolves’ 4-2 win over Mauricio Pochettino’s side earlier on Sunday provided a stark contrast. Throughout the 90 minutes, where control was seldom in their favor, Liverpool’s typically robust defense experienced a malfunction.
While the use of false nines is not a novel strategy for elite teams in the modern era, Klopp’s players appeared perplexed as Havertz and Martin Odegaard dropped deep from the front. Van Dijk aggressively approached the latter in the 14th minute, with the precise pass from the Norway playmaker leaving no room for recovery, despite Alisson initially denying Havertz.
Martinelli’s goal became a distressing sight in the video footage, and Van Dijk could have provided better coverage on the third goal, especially with Konate, who had been overworked, no longer by his side, and Luis Diaz improvising in the right-back position. While Klopp’s team has the ability to bounce back, there is a considerable amount to address and rectify.
Tell us in the comments what you think. Thanks for taking the time to contribute. Let’s enjoy in every fracking football game around the planet like it is Barca or Real game, every game.
Mario Hren
