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Arsenal defeated Liverpool 3-2 at the Emirates Stadium in the Premier League on Sunday, October 9.
The Gunners came into this game on the back of four wins in their last five games across competitions. Since their defeat at Manchester United, Arsenal have won four on the trot, scoring 11 goals in the process.
Mikel Arteta was without Kieran Tierney for this game and played Takehiro Tomiyasu at left-back. Arsenal knew a win would take them back above Manchester City to the top of the Premier League table.
Arsenal made a dream start to the game as they snatched the lead inside the first minute of the game. Martin Odegaard played a well-timed line-breaking pass to Gabriel Martinelli, who smashed it into the bottom corner to make it 1-0. However, conceding a goal woke Liverpool up as they began to take control of the game.
The Reds created a few opportunities with Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz combining well with each other. Diaz provided the assist for Liverpool's first equalizer, cutting the ball back from the right flank for Nunez to tap-in from close-range. Diaz then suffered an injury and was replaced by Roberto Firmino in the 42nd minute.
Arsenal restored their lead with virtually the last kick of the first half. Diaz's injury afforded them an extra five minutes of stoppage time to find a reply and they obliged. Martinelli provided an assist for Bukayo Saka to tap-in from close-range to make it 2-1. The Gunners went into the break with a one-goal cushion.
Liverpool showed strong intent as they came out for the second half. Klopp brought on Joe Gomez for the injured Trent Alexander-Arnold as he looked to solidify his defense. It paid off as the Reds equalized for the second time after 53 minutes as Diogo Jota assisted Firmino.
Arsenal were then handed a stroke of luck as referee Michael Oliver awarded them a penalty for a foul on Gabriel Jesus. Thiago tackled him from behind and clipped him on the calf, making the referee's decision simple. Bukayo Saka stepped up to put Arsenal 3-2 up after 76 minutes.
Mikel Arteta made a few changes as the Gunners held on to secure all three points. With that said, let's take a look at the five hits and flops from the game.
#5. Hit - Martin Odegaard
Martin Odegaard had a good game in midfield and played a key part in Arsenal's opening goal. He also worked hard in midfield and helped his team win the ball back on a few occassions.
He won four of his duels, played one key pass and created one big chance.
#4. Flop - Gabriel Magalhaes
Gabriel's poor form continued as he made an error which led to Liverpool's first goal. He stepped up too soon and tried to clear a ball which was clearly out of his reach, allowing Luis Diaz to pounce on the miscue. The Colombian then laid the ball off to Darwin Nunez, who slotted the ball into the net to make it 1-1.
#3. Hit - Gabriel Martinelli
Martinelli opened the scoring for Arsenal as the Gunners broke forward with speed and intent right from the kick-off. He caused several problems from Liverpool's right side, resulting in Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold both being subbed off.
#2. Flop - Trent Alexander-Arnold
Alexander-Arnold struggled to find a foothold in the game. He failed to mark Martinelli for Arsenal's opener as the Brazilian made a simple run in behind and scored with a smart finish.
Alexander-Arnold was also unlucky as he suffered an injury towards the end of the first half. He was seen clutching his thigh and was replaced by Joe Gomez at half-time.
#1. Hit - Bukayo Saka
Saka put in a wonderful performance as he scored two crucial goals to help his team secure an important win. He tapped in from close-range right before half-time to give his team a 2-1 lead. He also took the match winning penalty in the second half which made it 3-2 to the Gunners.
Saka won four of his nine duels and made one tackle, one interception and one clearance in a well-rounded performance. He has now scored against all of the Gunners' top-six rivals.
