Arsenal punished a pair of individual errors as they beat Premier League champions Liverpool 2-1 at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday evening.
Story of the game
Klopp’s side asserted their dominance right from the kick-off and went in front on the 20-minute mark after an overlapping Andy Robertson played a perfect squared ball to Sadio Mané, who in turn had the simple job of side-footing the ball into the back of Emiliano Martínez’s net.
The away side’s lead lasted for a mere 12 minutes before Virgil Van Dijk produced a horrific backwards pass which fell into the path of Alexandre Lacazette who snapped at the opportunity to bag his 10th goal of the league campaign.
The Gunners doubled their tally on the night and yet again it was another unforced error from the Reds, this time from Alisson Becker. The Brazilian shot-stopper, just like Van Dijk, played a lazy pass which was instantly intercepted by Lacazette, played into Reiss Nelson and finished coolly by the academy graduate into the bottom left-hand corner.
The best chance of the second period fell to Liverpool as Mané ran clear of the Arsenal back-line but his shot whizzed wide of the post.
Despite the away sides' twenty three shots, it was the three by Mikel Arteta's Arsenal that proved enough to secure all three points and leave the Champions with the less than perfect away record of one win in their last five league games.
Key takeaway from the match
Champions fever
Since Operation Restart, the Reds have been a shadow of their former selves and their performance in London was a prime example that no matter the quality, once a side wraps up the league title, their performance levels drop dramatically.
Van Dijk and Alisson, the two record signings, both had sub-par performances to say the least and it was their mistakes that cost the Reds the three points.
Both have received high praise since their moves to Merseyside but looked lethargic on the night, with the club no longer able to record the record 100-points tally.
Man of the Match
Alexandre Lacazette (Arsenal)
The ex-Lyon man has struggled at times this season but since the return of league football, he has been in fine form for Mikel Arteta’s side. While Lacazette’s goal required far less quality than his strike against Spurs at the weekend, another strike combined with an assist to accompany it will do his confidence the world a good and surely move him up the forward rankings for the North London club.
The Frenchman's strike puts him in double figures for the season which undoubtably is the aim of every top striker at the start of the season.
What's next for Liverpool?
The Reds host Frank Lampard’s Chelsea on Wednesday evening in a game which holds equal importance for both parties.
A win for Liverpool will equal the Premier League record for most home victories in a single campaign while the Blues are still chasing that illustrious Champions League spot.
Regardless of the result, Klopp’s men will be in party mode post-match as they will finally get their hands on the Premier League trophy in an emotional ceremony on the Kop which will feature club legend, Sir Kenny Dalglish.