A fantastic first-half recovery by Jurgen Klopp’s men propelled Liverpool FC to a come-from-behind win over Arsenal, a game which also marked the debut goal for Diogo Jota in his new club’s colours.
CONFIRMED LINEUPS
Liverpool FC started the game without the key midfield duo of Jordan Henderson and Thiago Alcantara, the latter of whom was sidelined at the very last minute prior to kick-off due to a minor injury issue. Joe Gomez returned at centre-back alongside Virgil van Dijk and Fabinho slotted into the No.6 role for the Reds.
MATCH PROCEEDINGS
The opening quarter of the match at Anfield was characterized by a flurry of Liverpool FC attacks down the flanks, however, Arsenal goalkeeper Bernd Leno was left untroubled. The German was then called in action when a superb delivery into the box by Trent Alexander Arnold found a lurking Sadio Mane, whose first-time effort at striking the ball was kept out by Leno in fine fashion.
Arnold then came close to scoring himself when his effort from outside the 18-yard box caught a deflection off an Arsenal player and rattled the crossbar of Leno’s goal.
However, it was Mikel Arteta’s side who grabbed the lead in the 25th minute of the game through a calamitous error by Liverpool FC’s stalwart full-back Andy Roberton. The Scotsman’s misjudgment of an Ainsley Maitland-Niles cross allowed Lacazette to get his foot on the ball to score past Alisson.
But merely 147 seconds later, a brilliant move of attacking play by the Reds led to Mohammad Salah’s effort on goal being parried away by Leno only as far as Sadio Mane, whose tap in meant that hosts cut back the one-goal deficit to level the scoreline.
Robertson, responsible for gifting the Gunners their goal of the evening, put his side ahead when a clever play from Arnold found Robertson making a timely run behind the Arsenal backline. The left-back’s control on the delivery from Arnold was neat, before tucking the ball past Leno for Liverpool FC’s second goal of the game.
Following the Reds’ going ahead on the scoreline thanks due to Robertson’s strike, Arsenal lost their attacking sense of play on the pitch upon the commencement of the second half at Anfield and Liverpool FC enjoyed a lions share of possession early on in closing 45 minutes.
Lacazette did get as many as two clear cut opportunities to trouble Alisson in a matter of a few minutes, but the Frenchman was denied by the Liverpool FC goalkeeper on both occasions, despite the Gunners forward being in a comfortable position to level the game for his side.
Diogo Jota, the Reds’ third signing of this summer’s transfer window, replaced Sadio Mane on the pitch with ten minutes still left to play at Anfield, and the ex-Wolves star-forward was in fine form the moment he got his first touch on the ball.
The new Liverpool FC recruit came close to scoring twice, once hitting the side netting and then being denied the opportunity to score due to Salah’s intervention, before finally getting off the mark for his new club on his Premier League debut with a well-timed volleyed effort into the bottom corner of the net.
Jota’s goal did wrap up the game in favour of Klopp’s Liverpool FC side, a result that meant that last season’s Premier League winners started their title-defence with three wins in as many games and now sit joint-first in the Premier League standings alongside Leicester City and Everton.
MATCH STATS
SCORE: 3-1
Possession: Liverpool FC- 66% Arsenal FC- 34%
Yellow Cards: Liverpool FC- 2 Arsenal FC- 2
Shots: Liverpool FC- 21 Arsenal FC- 4
Offsides: Liverpool FC-0 Arsenal FC- 5
