Arsenal kept up there faint title hopes as Liverpool were blown away 4-1 at the Emirates Stadium, a result that all but ends Liverpool’s Champions League dreams.
This was a case of a score not flattering a side. Arsenal were on top from the opening whistle and Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet had to made two really good saves early. First from Santi Cazorla and then from Aaron Ramsey, with Mamadou Sakho.
Despite being completely outplayed in the opening 20 minutes its was Liverpool who actually had the best chance to score, when in the 21st minute. Lazar Markovic was played into the right side of the Arsenal penalty area by Phillippe Coutinho, and he elected to square for Sterling. However, the England forward had not anticipated the pass and could not apply the finishing touch as the ball ran away from him.
But that was it for Liverpool in the first half as Arsenal took the lead via the unlikely source of Bellerin, who curled home a superb effort on 37 minutes. Ozil fed Ramsey on the right, and the Welshman in turn laid the ball off to the full-back. Spaniard Bellerin, 20, waltzed around Alberto Moreno before despatching a sublime low shot into the bottom left corner.
Before Liverpool could regroup, they were 2-0 down. Ozil was tripped by Sakho just outside the penalty arc. The German playmaker took the free-kick himself, curling the dead ball around the wall and past Mignolet, who should said it.
It got worse for Brendan Rodgers side just before the break when Sanchez rifled in a third. Ramsey played the ball up into the path of Sanchez, who brilliantly stepped inside Toure before blasting the ball up over Mignolet into the roof of the net.
Liverpool have faced Manchester United and Arsenal in back to back games, and both times Brendan Rodgers has been outcoached, as his side has been a distant second in both contests.
Liverpool made a change for the second half, with Daniel Sturridge replacing Markovic, the forward having pulled out of England duty during the international break through injury. Arsenal also soon were forced into a substitution as Laurent Koscielny hobbled off and Brazilian Gabriel Paulista came on.
In the 55th minutes, Giroud’s bullet header was brilliantly tipped over by Mignolet, before Arsenal goalkeeper David Ospina had to be alert to deflect a snapshot from Can behind at the other end. Ramsey appeared to have hurt his ankle, and was replaced by Mathieu Flamini on 62 minutes.
With the hard work done, Arsenal took their foot off the gas, which saw Liverpool’s pressure result in a penalty when Bellerin tripped Sterling on 76 minutes. Henderson squeezed the spot-kick past Ospina into the bottom left corner, but momentum was lost when Can picked up his second yellow card with five minutes remaining following a foul on substitute Danny Welbeck.
Cazorla’s curling 18-yard effort shaved the outside of the post, before Giroud cut inside to blast home a left-foot shot into the top corner to continue his fine scoring form.
This was the sort of performance that has Arsenal fans thinking of what might have been. What if they had started the season better? What if they had not been so poor defensively against Monaco?
