Liverpool ignited last season’s title charge by hammering Arsenal in February 2014 at Anfield. The Gunners gained a measure of revenge by inflicting a heavy defeat on the Reds nearly 14 months later.
Liverpool lost to Arsenal by a score of 4-1 Saturday at the Emirates Stadium in the Premier League. The setback dents the Reds’ hopes for finishing in one of the top-four places in the standings, as second-placed Arsenal stretched its lead over fifth-placed Liverpool to nine points with just seven games remaining.
Liverpool needs fourth-placed Manchester United to falter during the stretch run in order to qualify for next season’s UEFA Champions League and hit one of its primary targets for the current campaign.
Arsenal started the game astonishingly well, and Liverpool played inversely badly during the opening 15 minutes. Only Simon Mignolet’s fine saves prevented Arsenal from overrunning Liverpool out of the gate in the same manner as the Reds did to the Gunners last year.
Liverpool gradually overcame its slow start and threatened Arsenal a number of times during the ensuing 20-minute period. Philippe Coutinho and Raheem Sterling linked together well, unbalancing Arsenal’s defense on the counter-attack.
Sterling started as the lone striker — a role he favors more than the wing-back position he has played in recent games. The speedy, but unsettled, forward spurned chances in the 19th and 25th minutes that could have changed the tenor and outcome of the game had he converted them.
Arsenal absorbed Liverpool’s resurgence and found the reward for its early dominance with a trio of increasingly outstanding goals in the eight minutes leading up to halftime. Hector Bellerin’s solo goal in the 37th minute revealed the limits of Mignolet’s excellence and started Liverpool’s downfall. Mesut Ozil’s free kick goal three-minutes later stunned the Reds before Alexis Sanchez’s wonder-strike knocked them into submission on the stroke of halftime.
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Arsenal’s explosion late in the first half turned the second period into a damage-limitation exercise for Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers. Liverpool remained second best despite Daniel Sturridge’s 46th minute introduction. This day belonged to Arsenal, which already confirmed the result halfway through the contest.
Sterling won a penalty kick in the 75th minute. Jordan Henderson converted it a minute later to reduce Liverpool’s disadvantage. However, there would no famous comeback for Liverpool to celebrate. Emre Can’s dismissal in the 86th minute removed one of the few Liverpool players who showed fighting spirit through the game and sealed Liverpool’s demise. It also set the stage for Olivier Giroud to top off Arsenal’s vintage performance with a stellar goal in the 90th minute.
The loss to Arsenal was Liverpool’s second-straight loss. That it came against another of its top-four rivals was disappointing enough, but the manner of the defeat will alarm Reds everywhere more than the dropped points.
Liverpool always was going to suffer a dip after the international break. Arsenal should have as well, but it weathered the short turnaround between players’ returns from their national teams and Saturday’s kickoff much better than the Reds.
It also is impossible to quantify how much damage Sterling’s explosive BBC interview did to Liverpool’s spirit, but it’s safe to say it didn’t help foster stability at a key moment in the season.
Steven Gerrard and Martin Skrtel might have helped Liverpool recover from a slow start better than they did. Their absences due to suspension made it that much harder for Rodgers’ Reds to right their own ship in North London.
Thumbnail photo via LiverpoolFC.com
