Arsenal 3 Liverpool 4: Liverpool almost throw away golden start

Make no mistake the victory was deserved in this season’s opener.   While Arsenal may have been superior in the first half, poor defending contributed to Arsenal’s first two and arguably their third goal. 

Liverpool came into the game without the gifted yet brittle Daniel Sturridge, James Milner, Mamadou Sakho, Joe Gomez and new signing from Mainz, goalkeeper Loris Karius.  Arsenal themselves were without their first choice back four, Ozil and strikers Welbeck and Giroud.

For a time in the second half we were compelling if not exhilarating watching.  The front four Lallana, Coutino, Mane and Firmino were connecting at will, almost telepathic with flicks so good they seemed almost choreographed. 

Sadio Mane’s pace and directness gives the attack a new focus, a different dimension.

If Arsenal were the better team it wasn’t by much with neither team totally dominating in the first half hour, although the home team took over the role of the presser.  That was until Alberto Moreno hoping to rebuild his career after his infamous non-tackle in the Europa Final, stepped into the fray.

Unbelievably, the left-back on the corner of his own area, mistimed his tackle when it appeared he was in pole position to get the ball only to bring down Theo Walcott.  It was what it looked, foolhardy in the extreme, rash by its very nature.  Fortunately, for the Spaniard Mignolet guessed correctly and pulled off an excellent save from Walcott’s penalty kick.

As if he is not capable of learning lessons, Moreno struck again and this time Walcott made him pay.  Lallana lost the ball 40 yards out, but implausibly the full-back had sauntered out of position leaving Walcott to fasten on to the through and bury the ball into the far corner.  One too many mistakes over the previous season and his team going one down was purely down to his ineptitude and his inability to take on responsibility.

Liverpool were not out of it and a superb move ended with Coutinho feeding  Georginio Wijnaldum only for the new central midfielder’s shot easily saved by Cech.

A minute before half-time, Coutinho starting to drift inside was brought down by Holding 30 yards out.  The magical Brazilian sauntered up to the ball delivering a curler of outstanding precision searing into the top corner of Cech’s net.  It was a devastating blow just before half-time.

We started the second-half as if we learned something from the Europa Cup Final getting on the front foot immediately and for the next twenty minutes we were imperious, overwhelming Arsenal at every turn.

Four minutes in and we were ahead.  Wijnadum, picking his head on the left side of the area after being found by around the corner flick by Coutinho, floated a beautiful cross into the path of Lallana who controlled on his chest before dispatching past Cech on the run.  A goal of striking, but delicious simplicity.

Liverpool were now on fire.  Nathanial Clyne who impressed in his only game at the European Championships attacked and blew by Monreal before whipping in his cross for Coutinho to open up his body to sweep in. It was the final touch in a stunning move which involved 19 passes.

We were now playing some irresistible football and while Arsenal may have had an inexperienced backline, in this mood Liverpool would have dismantled many a backline.

If Monreal thought his chastening experience had ended there was more to come.  Mane, impressing on his debut roasted the covering Chambers on the outside before driving past the full-back and cutting in past the two defenders to curling a left-foot shot into the top corner.  A staggering piece of impudence by a player of undoubted talent.

The player ran over to celebrate with his manager who reciprocated giving him a piggy back which Klopp was later to regret implying it led to a loss in concentration.

Oxlade-Chamberlain dancing in from the left blitzed past Clyne and the resulting cover to shoot in off a Lovren deflection past Mignolet.  Arsenal would soon score again with Chambers glancing in substitute Cazorla’s superbly delivered free-kick.

What should have been comfortable win after being 4-1 ahead, led to slightly frayed finger nails, but truth be told if was Liverpool through Henderson and Firmino who came closest to scoring as time ran out.

It could have been better, but three points is exactly what was required in a season where we will not play at home until 10 September and was victorious against a team who we had only beaten once in the last 21 attempts in all competitions.

Man of the Match:  Philippe Coutinho – quite simply a wonderful footballer at his best who was at the forefront in helping to destroy Arsenal in a sixteen-minute period.  His free kick looked to be too far out, but was struck with precision, whip and pace into the top corner and his second finding himself close in on the end of Clyne’s cross is where he needs to be more often that not.

Mane was brilliant on his Liverpool Premier League debut.  His pace and directness gives us potency we haven’t had on the flanks since Raheem Sterling and his slight frame belies his strength.  Wijnadum, was steady grabbing one assists and it was notable how he readily got forward to support the attack, but with Henderson also of the same mind set, Can’s return cannot come soon enough as Liverpool need his sensibilities in defence mode.

While Klavan  had a balanced debut, Moreno was appalling first giving away a penalty and then as is his won’t losing concentration and wondering out of position to allow Walcott the time and space to open the scoring.  With Hector rumoured to have signed a new contract time is running out to replace this wondering wastrel of undoubted yet uncontrolled talent.