The best League in the world, and probably the closest that has ever been played on British soil, measured the first once morest the second placed team at the Etihad. Arsenal won thanks to the decisive weight of its squad, pound for pound more capable than Liverpool’s, squeezed out every last drop of competitiveness by the magic of Jürgen Klopp. The North London public then witnessed a curious phenomenon: the evidence that Manchester City, third in the table with 46 points and two fewer games played, is still the favorite to win the Premier League. Liverpool remain in front with 51 points and Arsenal are close with 49, and threaten to overtake them unless Arteta takes better advantage of the cornucopia offered by Stan Kroenke, his generous employer. But today, due to solidity, sophistication and level of football, both teams are under the wings of Guardiola’s device.
3
David Raya, Ben White, Zinchenko (Jakub Kiwior (45 mins), Gabriel, William Saliba, Odegaard, Declan Rice, Jorginho , Kai Havertz, Bukayo Saka (Reiss Nelson (78 mins)) and Martinelli (Trossard (74 mins)
1
Alisson, Ibrahima Konate, Virgil Van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold (A. Robertson, min. 57), Joe Gomez (Thiago, min. 85), Curtis Jones, Alexis Mac Allister, Ryan Gravenberch (Harvey Elliot, min. 57) , Diogo Jota, Gakpo (Darwin Núñez, min. 57) and Luis Díaz
Goals 1-0 min. 13: Bukayo Saka. 1-1 min. 48: Gabriel (pp). 2-1 min. 66: Martinelli. 3-1 min. 91: Trossard.
Referee Anthony Taylor
Yellow cards Joe Gomez (24 minutes), Ben White (31 minutes), Ibrahim Konate (55 minutes), Gabriel (56 minutes), Jakub Kiwior (69 minutes), Darwin Nunez (90 minutes), Declan Rice ( min. 94) and Kai Havertz (min. 95)
Liverpool took the field with Gravenberch, an inhibited youngster, and Arsenal received him with Odegaard in a trance of clairvoyance and hyperactivity. Out tactics. If the game had been played on a Pacific atoll, without fans or coaches, only with those 22 starters, the result would have been similar. No matter how many evolutions Guardiola has produced from the blackboards, there is no impact like that of footballers in the game of the ball. On the imaginary beach, the push of Odegaard, versatile in the midfield, opened the horizon for his teammates, offered solutions to Rice and Jorginho, and put Saka, Havertz and Martinelli into orbit once morest a Liverpool that found itself overwhelmed. The best footballers can do more than the best coaches. Since 2021, Arsenal has invested 600 million euros in accumulating talent, and Liverpool has not exceeded 400. The difference is notable.
Klopp is second to none at exploiting limited resources. But everything has a limit. Without Endo, without Salah, without Szoboszlai, his team was forced to entrust its helm to Gravenberch and Jones, rookie interiors, Mac Allister’s guards. Concerned regarding the possibility of making mistakes, the Dutchman chose to break up passing lanes, making it difficult to locate him, Jones boldly offered himself and Mac Allister tried to make sense of the attacks. But without the essential partner in the right quadrant, the Argentine was easily counteracted by the pressure of Arteta’s team. Pressure once morest pressure, the duel gravitated towards the midfield, and there those who know the most won: Rice, Jorginho and Odegaard. A barrage of improvisation possibilities that left his opponents stunned.
“I’ve followed him since I was a youth player,” Rice said regarding his Brazilian teammate, following the game; “I have always tried to learn things from Jorginho, from his calmness when he receives the ball, from how he connects everything on the field. It is a reference for me.”
If the two midfielders established Arsenal on the field, the flashes of genius corresponded to the third midfielder. It was the 14th minute when Odegaard received from Zinchenko and, seeing that Van Dijk went up to mark him in a desperate action, he sensed the mismatch and sent the ball with a touch behind the center back. Neither Konaté nor Joe Gómez arrived on time. Havertz just had to beat the goalkeeper. He did not do it. Alisson beat him, deflected the shot, and only then Saka scored 1-0.
If Havertz were a more aggressive striker, Arsenal would have transferred their advantage to the scoreboard. But since the German is a dreamer of indefinite landscapes with just four goals in this Premier, and since Van Dijk and Alisson do not allow daydreams, Arsenal was left halfway. When the referee was regarding to signal the break, Luis Díaz battled for a long ball from Alisson, unloaded it on Gravenberch, and the missing player made an appearance to leave his mark. A pass lobbed to Díaz, in the bulk, was transformed by the Colombian into a golden ball. He controlled it with his back to Saliba, turned in a dancer’s twist, insisted on attacking with the center back chasing him, and caused such a tumult that Gabriel ended up putting the ball with his hand into his own goal: 1-1.
Van Dijk and Alisson’s misfortune
Klopp changed the entire right flank following the break: out Alexander-Arnold, out Gravenberch, out Gakpo. “The right triangle took a while to enter the game,” judged Klopp; “And that made things a little complicated for us.” Elliott, Robertson and the ineffable Darwin Núñez entered. More heart than precision. Enough to regain the initiative once morest an intermittent Arsenal to the extent that Odegaard might not reach everywhere. Arsenal were looking for a way out when Gabriel redeemed himself with a long diagonal pass to Martinelli. The Brazilian was a lightning strike, Van Dijk was uncoordinated with Alisson, and the adventure ended 2-1.
The mistake of their most reliable footballer was a bad omen for Liverpool. Arsenal fell back with their usual double pivot to maintain the lead and Klopp replaced a defender, Joe Gómez, with Thiago, who returned following an injury. The territorial dominance of the northern club dissolved in the exhausting but sterile runs of Darwin Núñez, and a completely unnecessary foul by Konaté on Havertz left Liverpool with ten, even more exposed to the superior quality of the Arsenal squad. As proof, the entry of Trossard, a marvelous winger, author of the 3-1 following beating Van Dijk and finishing between Alisson’s legs, the protagonists of his team’s misfortune.
Liverpool remains the leader of the most exciting league in Europe. But since yesterday he lives more threatened.