LIVERPOOL completed a hat-trick of victories over Arsenal for the first time in 19 years as they took full advantage of a simply woeful performance from the gruesome Gunners.
The home team’s electric front three of Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane and Mo Salah all found the net as Liverpool threatened to run riot. Liverpool do not need any encouragement to take the fight to the opposition at Anfield, and their speed and movement were simply too much for Arsenal to cope with.
But despite completing the double over the Londoners last season they must have been amazed at how much time and space Arsenal allowed them.
The Gunners were lucky to beat Leicester in their opening game, and squandered a glut of possession when they lost to Stoke.
But this is the performance that will really set the alarm bells ringing.
Their midfield quartet of Aaron Ramsey, Mesut Ozil, Granit Xhaka and Hector Bellerin were even more guilty of ball-watching than their back three.
The Arsenal fans predictably turned on manager Arsene Wenger, who sprang a surprise by leaving out £52million man Alexandre Lacazette to accommodate the return of fit-again Alexis Sanchez. The unsettled Chilean barely got a look-in as Firmino started the rout with his fourth goal in his last four appearances against Arsenal.
He glided the ball home with a stooping header after Xhaka surrendered possession in a dangerous area, and Mane made it 2-0 before half time with a curling shot that gave Petr Cech no chance.
Wenger tried to change things round at half time by replacing Ramsey with Francis Coquelin, and switching to an orthodox back four.
But it did little to stem the attacking flow, and Liverpool deservedly added to their tally when Salah robbed Bellerin and ran the length of the pitch before slipping the ball past Cech.
From The Sun
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