The pattern had now been set. The game had been set.
Arsenal were going to have to open out, and that just meant Liverpool were going to close out the game.
It was all vintage stuff in that way, and especially from David Luiz. He of course had the kind of brainfreeze
that has characterised a sometime brilliant career, making it so blatant he was grabbing Salah’s shirt for that
penalty.
If there was almost an element of slow-motion farce to that, that couldn’t be said for the third goal. Salah
just zipped past the same player, to surge through and sweep the ball into the corner.
Luiz endured a tough game at Anfield (AP)David Luiz, already on a booking for the penalty, could literally only stand aside and watch as the Liverpool
star scored.
We’ve seen that before between these teams.
Arsenal did at least ensure it wasn’t a fourth defeat in seven by three goals or more, as substitute Lucas
Torreira scored late on. It still didn’t feel that much less deflating, or like it minimised the sense of a vast
difference between these teams.
That is why there is entire sane logic to the repetitiveness of this fixture: Liverpool remain a much better
team, with a much better idea of themselves, and how they want to play.
Emery still has so much work to do.
One team is so much closer to their manager’s idea of perfection, which is why only one still has a perfect
record.