SteemSports Presenter:
SteemSports Editor:
If there is any game this season that promises lots of goals, it will be a game against Arsenal and Liverpool. Of the top 7 teams in the English Premier League, Arsenal and Liverpool can undisputedly boast of the worst defense line, with both teams tied at 23 goals conceded in just 19 games. Similar mistakes from both goalkeepers, ensured that they conceded very silly and easily avoidable goals.
First was the mistake from Mignolet while trying to parry Granit Xhaka’s shot for Arsenal’s equalizing goal. An attempted one handed save couldn’t keep out the legendary Xhaka shot. Cech on the other hand was also guilty of the same mistake in the 71 minute of the game as Emre Can freed up Roberto Firmino who fired a shot at Cech, and a goalkeeper who is just one cleansheet away from being the goalkeeper with the highest number of cleansheets in the English Premier League history should be saving that ball any day. Rather, it was an embarrassing sight as his attempted one hand parry of the ball ended up deflecting the ball into the back of the net thereby bringing
Liverpool level once again and both teams failed to find a winner after then. Both Managers set out their teams to play in a 4-2-3-1 formation and it was Liverpool who took the game to Arsenal in the first half with the Gunners completely looking like a shadow of themselves, unable to string meaningful attacks together. Liverpool kept on making use of Arsenal’s left side, sending crosses to the back post with the aim of beating both Bellerin and Monreal in the aerial battle. These pressures finally paid off in the 26 minute when Mo Salah’s attempted ground pass was deflected by Koscienly and Coutinho was able to graciously guide a header over Cech and into the net for the opener. After that, it was all Liverpool as Arsenal failed to record a single shot on target in the first half while Liverpool registered 4.
Mustafi was introduced in place of Monreal just at the start of the second half, and it took just 7 minutes after the restart for the Reds to double their lead thanks to a very fine curler from the in-form Mohammed Salah which Cech couldn’t keep out. That goal was a wake-up call to the Arsenal players as their response after Salah’s goal was unimaginable, scoring 3 goals in the space of just 5 minutes! The first coming from Alexis Sanchez who guided a header into the legs of Mignolet after a fine cross from Bellerin. The second goal came from an outside the box thunderbolt strike from Xhaka thanks to a mistake from Mignolet. Arsenal’s third goal came minutes later as Lacazette was able to show strength to hold the ball before laying it on for Mesut Ozil to neatly finish off from an angle. But 13 minutes later, Liverpool found a way back into the game as Firmino was able to score after a mistake from Cech.
This result means that Liverpool remains ahead of Arsenal in 4th place, with Arsenal in 5th position and just 1 point separating them. Arsenal might drop to 6th if Burnley ends up defeating Tottenham or even if Tottenham defeats Burnley. The best result for the Gunners will be a draw.
Arsenal Starting XI:
Petr Cech; Hector Bellerin, Laurent Koscienly, Nacho Monreal, Ainsley Maitland-Niles; Jack Wishere, Granit Xhaka; Alex Iwobi, Mesut Ozil, Alexis Sanchez; Alexandre Lacazette.
Liverpool Starting XI:
Simon Mignolet; Joe Gomez, Dejan Lovren, Ragnar Klavan, Andrew Robertson; Emre Can, Jordan Henderson; Sadio Mane, Philippe Coutinho, Mohammed Salah; Roberto Firmino
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