Liverpool’s hopes of finishing in the top four were dealt a massive blow after they were blown apart by Arsenal at the Emirates on Saturday. Both teams traded some early blows before the Spanish right-back Hector Bellerin opened the scoring with a wonderful curling left-footed strike. Mesut Ozil doubled the lead with a fantastic free kick just three minutes later. And just on the stroke of half-time Alexis Sanchez made it 3-0.
From then onwards, there was no way back for the Reds who were without their suspended duo of Steven Gerrard and Martin Skrtel. Even a late Jordan Henderson goal was nothing more than a consolation for the visitors, who had Emre Can sent off in the final few minutes. Olivier Giroud’s stoppage-time goal now means that Brendan Rodgers’ side have now suffered back-to-back defeats after a 13-game unbeaten run in the league. Here are the major talking points from the game.
1. Liverpool’s defense ripped apart by rampant Gunners
Since the 3-0 loss to Manchester United in December, Liverpool hadn’t conceded a single league goal away from home. A run that stretched six games, coming into a crucial clash against Arsenal. But if there were any suggestions that the Reds have gotten better defensively, that was certainly quashed after the 4-1 defeat.
While Rodgers has managed to somehow keep the goals to a minimum, it hasn’t been because of better defensive displays. In fact, the only defensive player that has improved in that spell has been the goalkeeper, Simon Mignolet, who deserves some credit for keep the score down to just 4-1. The wingbacks, Alberto Moreno in particular, seem to have forgotten the basics of defending and they are simply inviting pressure onto themselves with some of their mistakes at the back. Against a better quality opposition, who can actually threaten the defense, the Reds continue to struggle and this result, might just end their Champions League pursuit.