3️⃣ TALKING POINTS FROM ARSENAL 3-2 LIVERPOOL

 

3 TALKING POINTS FROM ARSENAL 3-2 LIVERPOOL

TALKING POINTS AS ARSENAL BEAT LIVERPOOL AT HOME

-Mitansh Kagalwala

Photo Via: sportingnews.com

 

Arsenal took on Liverpool at the Emirates off the back of a North London derby win, while Liverpool came into the fixture a shadow of their former selves. Gabriel Martinelli took just 57 seconds to open the scoring, with Bukayo Saka adding a brace, while Darwin Nunez and Roberto Firmino scored for the Reds. Here’s what we made of it:

 

1.       ARSENAL’S YOUNG GUNS: Arsenal have cultivated one of the finest crops of young stars in the world, and they are finally coming of age. Gabriel Martinelli has been electric all season, and he continued his brilliant form against Liverpool, scoring the opener within the first minute, then turned both Trent Alexander-Arnold and Jordan Henderson inside-and-out before squaring for Bukayo Saka. Martin Odegaard is 23 years old and already Arsenal’s captain, and his quality was at the fore again as he slipped in for Martinelli. Bukayo Saka has banished the demons of the Euro final, and the mercurial youngster bagged a brace against Liverpool. William Saliba, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Emile Smith Rowe, Albert Sambi-Lokonga, Eddie Nketiah…oof, what a contingent Arsenal have on their hands.

2.       LIVERPOOL’S DOUBLE PIVOT: Debuting in their UCL match against Rangers, the Liverpool double pivot is apparently here to stay. Jurgen Klopp set-up once again with just Jordan Henderson and Thiago in midfield, amid Liverpool’s midfield-injury crisis. This formation certainly allowed Liverpool much more attacking freedom, but left them vulnerable at the back, with Arsenal’s midfielders, especially Odegaard, left in acres of space in the final third. It remains to be seen if Klopp sticks with the double pivot once he has all his options available, or how well this system pays out with Fabinho back in the lineup.

3.       THE PENALTY INCIDENT: Another Premier League game, another controversy. Arsenal’s winner came via a penalty won by Gabriel Jesus, but it wasn’t the call that was the controversy. The Liverpool players were understandably frustrated, leading to a bust up between the two sides, with harsh words said. The FA, however, is investigating the incident, and whether the words spoken went more than just “harsh”, with several players, particularly Granit Xhaka, shocked. Here’s hoping it isn’t more than it seems.

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