3 Things we learned from the 5-1 thrashing of Arsenal by Liverpool

The game between Liverpool and Arsenal was pulsating. From the first whistle, both teams were showing the intent of walking home with all the three points. Arsenal took the early lead in the first half when Ainsley Maitland-Niles tapped in an Alex Iwobi’s cross in the 11th minute, but the lead was short-lived.

Liverpool was again in the driving seat thanks to Roberto Firmino’s two goals in a spurn of three minutes. By far, Liverpool was the better team. Their attacking trio of Salah, Mane, and Firmino, was giving the Arsenal defence a run for their money, with their movement and crisp passing.

Unai Emery’s team was outplayed at Anfield. Even the league-leading goal scorer, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, was limited to just 13 touches of the ball in the 70 minutes that he was on the field. That shows you the level of quality in this Liverpool team. They simply dominated proceedings here despite initial pressure from Arsenal.

Let us take a look at some of the key moments in this game and some of the lessons we learned from that epic match.

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#1 Liverpool are playing like champions

Sadio Mane celebrates his goal

Even though Jurgen Klopp remains defiant that his team may win the league, we are seeing signs of a possible Premier League triumph. With confidence flowing high in Liverpool players, there is the belief that this team might win something big this season.

The hunger in Liverpool players is clearly showing on the pitch, and rightly so as we witnessed a demolition of a rather strong Arsenal team with quality players with a good manager at the helm. This result is a manifestation of the kind of hunger in players aiming to win their first Premier League trophy after a long wait.

#2 Liverpool remains unbeaten

This season, Liverpool has not tasted defeat in the Premier League. Actually, they have collected a total of 54 points from a possible 60 this season. Liverpool is simply outstanding this season. This record has been attributed so far to their defensive stability.

In addition, we have to admit to the fact that Liverpool’s attack is making all the difference in terms of total goals scored. In the last six Premier League outings, Liverpool have managed to score a total of 21 goals. They seem to be getting better as the season progresses, and we saw that against Arsenal.

#3 Roberto Firmino is getting better

Roberto Firmino walks home with the match ball

When Mohamed Salah handed the ball to Roberto Firmino to complete his hat trick in the second half, there was a bit of fire in him in the way he converted that penalty goal. That was perhaps the Brazilian’s best performance this season in a Liverpool shirt.

Firmino started the season on a low but has substantially improved over the last two months. The Brazilian has upped his game this season. In fact, due to Firmino’s intensity in games, the team is now playing a fast, powerful and high-paced football; something that even blew Arsenal away.

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Final thoughts

Liverpool’s demolition of Arsenal on Saturday night should be a warning sign to other rivals in the league. Klopp has instilled a sense of confidence in the way the team plays. The team is playing without fear. However, there were nervy moments in the game. Of course, in a couple of occasions, it was not all smooth sailing for Liverpool. The home team did commit a few errors.

In the first half, we witnessed a bit of complacency from the likes of Mane and Fabinho losing possession in dangerous positions. However, such sloppiness did not stop Liverpool from demolishing their opponents. Actually, errors did not disrupt Klopp’s men from playing breathtaking football.

Now Liverpool heads to the Etihad Stadium on Thursday night to play Manchester City in what will be a mouth-watering clash between the two Premier League heavyweights. Jurgen Klopp has made it clear that his team is not in any way getting carried away from such results. Instead, Liverpool is taking caution in the race for the Premier League trophy.