what was this – other than just another whirlwind Liverpool win? Unai Emery at least tried something new
in Arsenal’s latest trip to Anfield by actually looking to contain the European champions, only to suffer the
same sort of humiliation as ever: a 3-1 that often felt like another 5-1.
The club have now conceded 25 goals in their last seven visits here, as if they are suffering some sort of
karmic payback for their greatest ever night here in 1989.
These are certainly numbers – and some performances – that could drive coaching staff to insanity. There
will be other descriptions of some of David Luiz’s decisions. That was something else that just doesn’t
change, just as Liverpool keep winning, to maintain their 100% start.
It’s not quite been a 100 per cent start for David Luiz.
Anyone that believes he can be the centre-half Arsenal so badly need – at least in a two – certainly needs to
re-assess their thinking. Mohamed Salah, who scored twice, seemed to scramble the Brazilian’s brain. Albeit
more belatedly than usual.
There was at least one difference to this defeat, that Arsenal can maybe see as some kind of meagre
progress. They were still at least in the game at half-time, something that very much hadn’t been the case on
most of their last few visits here, when Liverpool have usually blitzed them with so many goals by the 20th
minute. That was because Emery did at least try something seemingly novel to his club at Anfield:
defending. And not just defending, but ultra-defending, as they often had eight men around the box in what
the coaching manuals would describe as the lowest of low blocks.
Rather than that keeping Liverpool out, though, it really just served to keep them at bay that bit longer.
There was still an inevitability about the European champions scoring, such was the typical intensity of
their play; such was the basic nature of Arsenal’s negative approach.
Salah celebrates vs Arsenal (Getty)As early as a fourth-minute goal kick, Liverpool already had four players in Bernd Leno’s box, ready to hunt
the ball down. Talk about hunger. Arsenal were never going to be able to live with it, and there were many
times when those eight men around Leno really just resembled pinball flippers, for Liverpool to pound the
ball off.
A goal was a matter of time, even if it didn’t come as quickly as usual.
And there was a similar inevitability to the source of it, even if that was more from a narrative sense.
David Luiz had been specifically signed to take command of that central defensive area, but could barely
take his man as Joel Matip was left with the freedom of the box to head in the opener. And, really, the
winner – even if it just happened to be much later than usual in this fixture.