It has been a long since Liverpool tasted defeat, but it was another London club who handed them their second league defeat.
Given that the defeat to Tottenham was a controversial one, you would probably have to go back to last season when Jurgen Klopp watched his players make errors and not look like themselves.
Gabriel Martinelli’s goal stemmed from a mix-up between Alisson Becker and Virgil van Dijk on the edge of Liverpool’s penalty area, which the Arsenal man happily accepted.
Michael Owen and Ian Wright agreed that it was the man in between the sticks who was to blame for that moment because he should have come out and cleared the ball, as they told Premier League Productions.
In the end, neither player actually did anything, other than, letting the ball bounce and watching Gabriel Martinelli put the ball into an open net to give the home side the lead once again.
Liverpool weren’t at their best at the Emirates, but they were still level after the hour mark and they had every chance to get something from the match.
That moment just opened the door for Arsenal and they then added to their tally in stoppage-time when substitute Leandro Trossard put the cherry on top of the cake.
“It shouldn’t happen, it’s definitely a mistake,” said Owen. “I thought it was Alisson’s fault. If I had to pick a player.
“Listen, you can blame both of them in many ways. I think, potentially, Virgil van Dijk could head this one. He could head it and he lets it bounce.
“After that, he is in total control if Alisson stays on his line. He is in control. He is happy one-v-one. Stronger and quicker. He’s goal side and absolutely in control, just don’t come out and leave him to it, then Alisson comes out and actually half collides and none of them touche it – so, I think it’s more Alisson’s fault than van Dijk’s.”
Wright added: “If Alisson doesn’t come, then there is Gabriel Martinelli and there is no way he gets on that side of Virgil. No way he is getting on that side – but seeing Alisson there and getting the little nudge, it’s confused everything. He needed more communication from the goalkeeper.”
Liverpool put on a late show against Arsenal in the FA Cup recently and those home fans were probably fearing the worst was going to happen again.
There is no doubt that Mikel Arteta’s men were the better team, but the fact is, before that mistake, the scoreline read very differently.
It would have suited Liverpool if it had remained that way, but that title door was opened by Alisson and van Dijk.
All of this now just makes things very, very interesting and reduces Liverpool’s lead at the top of the table to just two points.
