Arsenal v Liverpool: Premier League – live | Premier League

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Half time: Arsenal 2-1 Liverpool

No Saliba, no Calafiori, no Odegaard – but Arsenal have Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice and they inspired a defiant first-half performance. Saka scored a brilliant early goal; then, after Virgil van Dijk headed Liverpool level, Rice slowly took control of the midfield battle. Not content with that, he set up Mikel Merino’s first goal for Arsenal with an undefendable free-kick.

Liverpool had a good spell at 1-1 but have looked quite flat in attack. If it stays like this, Cody Gakpo and/or Dominik Szoboszlai will be on sooner rather than later.

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45+4 min Alexander-Arnold’s excellent cross is met by Mac Allister, whose flicked header from 10 yards is held to his right by Raya. A difficult chance.

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45+1 min There are four minutes of added time. Merino eventually headed in from six yards, which makes you wonder whether Kelleher could have come in. But Rice’s cross was perfectly struck and always curling away from Kelleher, who was like a batsman being done in the flight by Noman Ali.

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GOAL GIVEN! Van Dijk’s trailing leg was playing Merino onside.

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45 min They’re still checking it.

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44 min There’s a VAR check for offside…

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Merino owes a big thank you to Declan Rice, who curled a devastating free-kick into the corridor of uncertainty from a narrow position on the right. It was met by Merino, six yards out at the far post, and he powered a header past Kelleher.

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GOAL! Arsenal 2-1 Liverpool (Merino 43)

Mikel Merino gets his first goal for Arsenal!

Mikel Merino makes it 2-1 to Arsenal! Photograph: Alex Burstow/Arsenal FC/Getty Images
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41 min Arsenal are all over Liverpool at the moment. Trossard’s cross from the left is headed away well by Van Dijk but Rice ensures Liverpool can’t get out by winning the ball back.

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41 min Underrated.

10 – Bukayo Saka has been directly involved in 10 goals in eight appearances in the Premier League this season (3 goals, 7 assists); the fewest games by an Arsenal player to reach 10+ in a single campaign since Cesc Fàbregas in 2009-10 (6 games). Talisman. pic.twitter.com/Dp8QbniLqS

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) October 27, 2024

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39 min Arsenal certainly have the right to feel aggrieved when Nunez gets away with flattening Saka just outside the penalty area on the right. That was a clear foul.

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38 min This is an excellent spell for Arsenal, their best of the half. I think Diaz has just kicked the ball away again without being penalised. Thoughts with Twitter cranks at this difficult time.

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37 min A flat, driven cross from the left is missed by Van Dijk and hits the unsighted Havertz at the far post. Had he controlled it he’d have had a clear chance, though he saw it very late.

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35 min Martinelli lifts a shot over the bar from the edge of the area. It came at the end of a good move that included a brilliant piece of control from Merino, who was in mid-air when he pulled down Rice’s crossfield pass. It was almost a mirror image of Dennis Bergkamp’s first touch against Argentina in 1998.

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33 min Mac Allister is booked for a foul on Saka, who led him a merry dance before being brought down.

Bukayo Saka fouled by Alexis Mac Allister, who goes in the book. Photograph: Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC/Getty Images
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31 min: Penalty appeal Martinelli goes flying after a clumsy challenge from Konate and Alexander-Arnold. The ball bounces towards Havertz, who can’t over the bouncing ball and swishes it over the bar.

There’s a VAR check but no penalty because Konate got something on the ball before sending Martinelli into outer space. It could have gone either way; had a penalty been given I’m not sure it would have been overturned.

#ARSLIV – 32’

The referee’s call of no penalty for the challenge by Konate on Martinelli was checked and confirmed by VAR – deeming that Konate won the ball.

— Premier League Match Centre (@PLMatchCentre) October 27, 2024

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31 min “Merino is left footed,” says Gary Stover of the decision to play Rice on the right.

True, but Rice is right footed and usually plays to the left of centre – as he did last week at Bournemouth even though Merino was on the pitch. I suspect there’s another reason.

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30 min “Right,” says Matt Dony. “I’m just about to walk onto a five-a-side pitch. (My knees are not ready for this!) If nothing of import could happen for an hour or so, that would be greatly appreciated…”

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29 min A really good break from Arsenal. Eventually Martinelli beats Alexander-Arnold and fires a dangerous early cross. It beats Saka at the near post and has too much heat for Havertz to control beyond the far post.

Ibrahima Konate chases down Gabriel Martinelli. Photograph: David Price/Arsenal FC/Getty Images
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28 min Alexander-Arnold plays a good return ball to Salah, who tries to tee up the onrushing Jones. The pass takes a deflection, which leads to an impromptu game of pinball before Arsenal clear.

It feels like Liverpool are slowly getting on top.

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26 min Arsenal play on even though Mac Allister is down. He eventually gets to his feet, is booed for doing so and then gives the referee a serve.

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25 min “Sometimes it’s hard to recognise sarcasm in writing,” says Joe Pearson, “but was your post at 5 mins a subtle reference to Partey maybe needing help against the more mobile Diaz?”

Ha, no it wasn’t, and I don’t think that’s why Rice is playing there. You do sometimes have central midfielders picked specifically to help a full-back – Darren Fletcher did it superbly against Arsenal at the start of his career – but that’s almost always in a 4-3-3.

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24 min Saka, Arsenal’s biggest threat by a distance, whips a curler over the bar from 25 yards. It’s a strange thing to say, given how popular he is, but there’s an argument Saka is still underrated.

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22 min It was Diaz who kicked the ball away. The referee did see it; apparently the reason he wasn’t booked is because he didn’t delay the restart because Arsenal weren’t set for the free-kick. Is that a valid reason? City weren’t set when Trossard went off, surely?

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20 min: Chance for Merino! Rice curls a brilliant free-kick from a deepish position on the right. It beats the men at the near post and reaches Merino, who cushions a volley well wide from six yards. At first it looked a great chance, though maybe the ball was slightly behind him.

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19 min Arsenal’s fans aren’t happy because a Liverpool player has just kicked the ball away. I didn’t see who it was; nor, more importantly, did the referee Anthony Taylor.

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For the second league game in a row, Arsenal have been done on a set-piece. Alexander-Arnold clipped it towards the near post, where Diaz headed it on Steve Bould-style. Van Dijk stooped in front of Partey, six yards out, and steered a header past Raya.

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GOAL! Arsenal 1-1 Liverpool (Van Dijk 18)

If Virgil van Dijk was at fault for Arsenal’s goal, he’s back in the good books now!

Virgil van Dijk levels it! Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian
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16 min “Hello from Pittsburgh!” says Eric Peterson. “The nature of this ‘rivalry’ seems defined by how much each club loathes Manchester United – it’s tough to summon enmity for a club with which you have that in common. I’m looking forward to seeing a game that can reveal the ‘real’ Liverpool in present time. Notable as it is to collect the results Arne Slot has, it remains true that their opponents thus far have been almost unanimously from the bottom half of the table. This game is a status check for the new Liverpool and a foreshadowing of what’s in store on their league docket now that the strength-of-opposition pendulum swings against them.”

I think Niall’s point is the key one; their success has rarely coincided. That’s the basis for maybe 90 per cent of rivalries that aren’t based on geography.

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14 min: Chance for Salah! Mikel Merino allows the ball to run under his feet, 25 yards from goal. It rolls towards Salah, with Raya well off his line, but his first-time shot curls a few yards wide of the right-hand post. For a player of his etc, that was a chance.

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11 min Gary Neville, commentating on Sky, thinks Virgil van Dijk didn’t do enough to help Robertson on the goal. Even so, the way Saka slipped the ball between Robertson’s legs to tee up the shot, then surprise Kelleher by whipping it past him at the near post, was lovely.

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Bukayo Saka has put Arsenal ahead with an outstanding goal. Ben White, playing centre-back today, clipped an excellent long pass in behind Robertson that was collected by Saka. He scurried into the area, nutmegged Robertson and whipped the ball past Kelleher at the near post.

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GOAL! Arsenal 1-0 Liverpool (Saka 9)

Guess who’s back?

Bukayo Saka scores for Arsenal! Photograph: Alex Burstow/Arsenal FC/Getty Images
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8 min The game hasn’t settled down yet, though Salah almost enlivens it with a Palmerish through pass towards Diaz. Ben White makes an important interception.

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7 min Van Dijk has a bit of a kick at Havertz off the ball and is penalised; he could have been booked for that. Arsenal make nothing of the free-kick.

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5 min Arsenal are platying with a box midfield. The only slight change is that Declan Rice is the right-sided central midfielder; wonder why that is.

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4 min There’s an excellent atmosphere at the Emirates, as there has been throughout their ascent under Mikel Arteta. There’s almost an underdog mentality today, with every challenge being cheered. Nowt wrong with that.

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2 min Alexander-Arnold’s free-kick is headed on dangerously by Van Dijk and headed away by somebody in a red shirt on the six-yard line.

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2 min Saka’s first action is a foul on Robertson down the Liverpool left. Alexander-Arnold is over the ball…

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1 min Peep peep! After a performance of the Last Post, Curtis Jones gets the match underway. Liverpool, in their black change strip, are kicking from right to left as we watch.

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A reminder of the teams

Arsenal could play Trossard deeper in a 4-3-3, though Mikel Arteta often likes a box midfield in the biggest games.

Arsenal (possible 4-2-4) Raya; Partey, White, Gabriel, Timber; Merino, Rice; Saka, Havertz, Trossard, Martinelli.
Substitutes: Neto, Gabriel Jesus, Kiwior, Zinchenko, Jorginho, Sterling, Lewis-Skelly, Nichols, Nwaneri.

Liverpool (4-3-3) Kelleher; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Mac Allister, Gravenberch, Jones; Salah, Nunez, Diaz.
Substitutes: Jaros, Davies, Gomez, Endo, Szoboszlai, Gakpo, Tsimikas, Quansah, Morton.

Referee Anthony Taylor.

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And Arne Slot’s

Curtis [Jones] has had a week’s rest so hopefully he can perform the way he did last week.

You don’t think about the points gap [Liverpool will go seven clear of Arsenal if they win] before a game, you think about preparing the team in the best possible way for them to perform. Sometimes it’s the quality of the player that makes the difference; sometimes it’s a lucky decision. Set-pieces are also important. You have to put a lot of effort in, then at the end if you get a result you can look at the points difference.

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Mikel Arteta’s pre-match thoughts

[On the return of Bukayo Saka and Jurrien Timber] They tried so hard to be available and it’s a big boost for us. Injuries mean an opportunity for others and we have an unbelievable squad.

A message for the crowd as well: when they come here to the Emirates they really need to feel it, and we have to play with that body language and certainty to win the game.

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“It’s funny the lack of true rivalry between Liverpool and Arsenal,” says Niall Mullen. “Probably their peaks never really coincided (“it’s up for grabs” aside). The closest thing to enmity I can recall was after Stephane Hénchoz’s goalkeeping exploits in 2001 and the fortuitous penalty in the 2008 Champions League quarter final. I guess that could change but it feels like the two clubs have an enemy in common these days.”

There were also three red cards in a game in August 2000, though that was more about Graham Poll than any strong rivalry. The peak is surely 1986-91, when George Graham knocked Liverpool off their perch. Liverpool had their moments too, obviously, including one of my favourite free-kicks.

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Premier League results

Cole Palmer, Jean-Philippe Mateta and Jarrod Bowen (a 92nd-minute penalty) scored the winning goals in those games. Palmer also played one of the passes of the season so far.

Chelsea’s win means Arsenal drop to fifth before kick-off, though a draw would move them up to third.

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From the archive

“Phew, well I’d call it the match of the century, I don’t know about Match of the Day,” puffed Wolstenholme pitchside after the final whistle. Colour analyst Walley Barnes – he of the late own goal in 1947 – veered awkwardly into shot to agree that “match of the century is probably very right”. Sadly, nobody who went to Anfield that day would have been able to hear these Cholmondley Warneresque jolly japes. BBC2 had only been on the air for four months, and was only available in the London area. An estimated audience of 20,000 watched history being transmitted – less than half of the day’s 47,620 attendance – and viewers in Liverpool would have to make do with either The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters, a western on BBC1, or ABC’s western Sugarfoot. Today’s multi-channel world of wall-to-wall tat suddenly doesn’t seem so oppressive.

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Arsenal were criticised for overcelebrating after a terrific 3-1 victory over Liverpool at the Emirates in February. And they’ll happily do it again if they win today.

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Team news: Saka starts

Great news for Arsenal: Bukayo Saka has recovered from his hamstring injury and will captain the side. Jurrien Timber is also fit to return, but Riccardo Calafiori hasn’t made it. In all there are three changes to the side that started last weekend’s defeat at Bournemouth. Saka, Timber and Gabriel Martinelli replace Calafiori, Raheem Sterling and the suspended William Saliba. It looks like Ben White will play at centre-back in Saliba’s absence.

Liverpool make three changes, one enforced, from the win over Chelsea last weekend. Darwin Nunez covers for the injured Diogo Jota; Luis Diaz and Alexis Mac Allister are preferred to Cody Gakpo and Dominik Szoboszlai.

Arsenal (possible 4-2-4) Raya; Partey, White, Gabriel, Timber; Merino, Rice; Saka, Havertz, Trossard, Martinelli.
Substitutes: Neto, Gabriel Jesus, Kiwior, Zinchenko, Jorginho, Sterling, Lewis-Skelly, Nichols, Nwaneri.

Liverpool (4-3-3) Kelleher; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Mac Allister, Gravenberch, Jones; Salah, Nunez, Diaz.
Substitutes: Jaros, Davies, Gomez, Endo, Szoboszlai, Gakpo, Tsimikas, Quansah, Morton.

Referee Anthony Taylor.

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Preamble

Hello and welcome to live coverage of Arsenal v Liverpool at the Emirates. As with many of the best games, before kick-off you can make a decent case for either side being the favourite. Arsenal are at home, where they’ve won 15 of the last 18 games, but they’re on a downer and will be without at least three key players. Liverpool are full of the joys and have won all six away matches under Arne Slot, but they haven’t really been tested in the league. Three of their away wins came against teams in the bottom four; the other was at Old Trafford.

While Liverpool would love to make a statement of title-winning intent, it feels like an even bigger game for Arsenal – not must-win so much as mustn’t-lose. It doesn’t feel right that a team with sucn an outstainding Premier League record in 2024 – P26 W21 D3 L2 Pts 66 – should be under such scrutiny. But this is the life they chose, mainly to experience days like today. And they know a defiant win would end that scrutiny before sundown.

Kick off 4.30pm.

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