57′ SAVE! Arsenal afford Firmino space and time on the edge of the box and he hammers his effort at goal, but Leno beats it away to save his team.
56′ Wijnaldum almost threads the needle to release Mane in the box, but Lichtsteiner is well placed to make the vital intervention.
54′ CHANCE! Iwobi and Xhaka combine to play Ramsey behind the Liverpool defence in the left inside channel. However, the Welshman scuffs his left-footed strike at goal. It appears to be heading wide before Aubameyang comes in at the back post and misses the target on the stretch. The forward was in an offside position so his effort would not have counted anyway.
51′ Kolasinac collects on a raid forward after Van Dijk loses possession for the Reds. He tries to turn past Shaqiri, but he loses out to the Swiss in the box. There are muted appeals from the Arsenal supporters for a penalty, although there was no contact in the challenge.
49′ Arsenal have conceded four goals in the first half of a league game for the first time since March 2014 vs Chelsea (finished 0-6).
48′ Shaqiri and Salah are the ones to break free on this occasion and the Swiss releases a precise offload towards the forward. For once, Salah’s control lets him down as he allows the ball to escape his boot and travel through to Leno. Both teams have started the second half how they ended the first period.
47′ Mane and Shaqiri combine with a neat one-two to open up the Arsenal defence, but Sokratis times his challenge to perfection to stop the strike from the Senegalese.
46′ We’re back underway at Anfield.
L. Koscielny
S. Mustafi
46′ Koscielny replaces Mustafi at the break for the visitors.
Although Liverpool have a comfortable lead at the break, Klopp will not be overly thrilled with their performance. They have been open at the back, but have simply been able to outscore Arsenal at the other end. The Gunners have been woeful in their defensive duties, collapsing under pressure. Sokratis Papastathopoulos summed up their efforts by conceding a cheap penalty before half time that has taken the game out of the visitors’ reach. Unai Emery will not be happy with his team and he will have to be wary otherwise the scoreline could get out of hand.
Liverpool are on their way to a nine-point lead at the top of the Premier League, holding a 4-1 lead over Arsenal at the break at Anfield. The game started poorly for Jurgen Klopp’s men as they went behind to a goal from Ainsley Maitland-Niles. However, they responded with a slice of luck as Roberto Firmino converted from close range after a loose ball fell into his path in the box. Firmino then put his side ahead with a brilliant finish, weaving his way through the Arsenal defence before firing a strike into the bottom corner. Sadio Mane made it three by guiding home a cross from Mohamed Salah before the Egyptian handed his team complete control when he scored from the penalty spot.
45′ + 3′ HALF-TIME: LIVERPOOL 4-1 ARSENAL
Mohamed Salah
Penalty Goal
45′ + 2′ GOALLLLLLLL!!! SALAH CONVERTS! 4-1!! Liverpool have a fourth goal as Salah scores from 12 yards. It is not the best penalty from the Egyptian as he strikes the ball with power. However, Leno cannot make the stop as the ball deflects off his body and flies into the net.
45′ + 1′ PENALTY TO LIVERPOOL! Salah is brought down in the box by Sokratis with a loose challenge. The referee does not hesitate in pointing to the spot.
45′ Maitland-Niles continues to be a thorn in the side of the hosts. He beats the challenge of Robertson and lifts a cross into the middle, but Lovren is there to head away from Aubameyang.
44′ CHANCE! Maitland-Niles works the ball into Ramsey, who appears to be okay after his knock. The Welshman takes the strike on the volley first time, but he can only help the ball over the bar.
43′ OVER! Maitland-Niles makes a neat turn to beat the attention of Wijnaldum. He opens up space for a strike from 25 yards, only to curl his effort over the bar.
42′ Shaqiri curls a dangerous cross into the box from a free-kick, but Leno is alert to the danger and gathers ahead of Salah.
41′ An injury scare for Arsenal as Ramsey receives treatment after colliding with Wijnaldum. He hobbles off the field.
39′ Robertson has space on the left flank and he tries to force a pass into Firmino’s feet in the box, but Maitland-Niles covers back to make the interception.
37′ Mane has scored four Premier League goals against Arsenal for Liverpool, more than he has against any other opponent for the Reds.
36′ The game is wide open at the moment, which means that there is hope that the Gunners could get a goal back. However, Liverpool are looking deadly in the final third.
34′ Shaqiri lifts the ball into the box from the resulting free-kick, but the visitors are able to clear their lines.
G. Xhaka
Yellow Card
33′ Xhaka brings down Robertson in the final third and then gets very lucky to remain on the field as he kicks the ball away. Referee Michael Oliver displays restraint not to send the midfielder on his way.
Mohamed Salah
Assist
32′ Salah latches on to Robertson’s deep cross and knocks the ball into the path of Mane to score.
S. Mané
Goal
32′ GOALLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!! MANE TAPS HOME!! LIVERPOOL 3-1!!! Liverpool notch their third goal of the evening as Mane converts at the back post. Arsenal cleared the first ball from the corner, but the second ball back in from Robertson found Salah unmarked. The forward knocked an offload across the face of goal for his team-mate, who had the simple task of guiding the ball into an empty net.
31′ Kolasinac plays an awful backpass to Leno, who cannot keep the ball in play on the slide. Liverpool have a corner out of nothing.
31′ Torreira returns to the field, but his fitness will be worth monitoring over the course of the contest.
30′ Torreira is down in the centre circle and requires treatment before the action can resume.
28′ Fabinho brings down Ramsey in the middle of the park, but the Gunners are unable to lift a quality delivery into the box.
27′ Torreira whips the resulting free-kick into the box, and although Mustafi connects with a header that is saved by Alisson, the offside flag is raised.
A. Robertson
Yellow Card
26′ Robertson pulls back Maitland-Niles and goes into the book. The Scot is struggling with the Arsenal wing-back.
26′ Maitland-Niles makes a burst into space and sends a cross with pace to the back post, but it evades the run of his two team-mates in the middle.
24′ Leno has to be sharp off his line to prevent Mane latching on to Van Dijk’s ball over the top. The German reacts to clear the danger ahead of the forward on the edge of the box.
23′ SAVE! Lichtsteiner loses out to Mane and the forward races into space in the left inside channel, but he can only fire a tame effort straight at Leno.
22′ The last time three goals were scored in the opening 16 minutes of a PL game at Anfield was in this exact fixture in February 2014.
21′ It has been a frenetic game thus far and neither team has been able to get a handle on possession. It has been one end to the other in the opening 21 minutes.
19′ Iwobi finds space on the left and lifts a cross towards the back post for Maitland-Niles once again, but on this occasion the delivery is too high for his team-mate.
18′ Arsenal search for a response and Ramsey breaks into the area in the left inside channel, but Wijnaldum times his challenge to perfection to quell the opening.
17′ Firmino has been directly invovled in 10 goals in his last seven Premier League games against Arsenal (7 goals, 3 assists). Only Robbie Fowler (9) has netted more Premier League goals against Arsenal for Liverpool than Firmino (7).
Roberto Firmino
Goal
16′ WHAT A GOAL!!!!!! FIRMINO AT THE DOUBLE!!! 2-1 LIVERPOOL!! The Reds turn the game on its head in the space of two minutes. Firmino scores a special goal to put his team in front at Anfield. He collects the ball 30 yards out and proceeds to weave his way through the Arsenal defence, beating three challenges. There’s still work to do to find the net, but he holds his composure and buries his strike into the bottom corner. A special effort from Liverpool’s number nine.
Roberto Firmino
Goal
14′ GOALLLLLLLLLLLL!!!! FIRMINO EQUALISES!! 1-1!! Liverpool are back in the game almost immediately through a huge slice of luck. Salah makes a probing run into the final third, but gets stopped in his tracks by a fine challenge from Xhaka. The ball deflects into the area where Lichtsteiner tries to clear his lines. He smashes his clearance off Mustafi and it falls perfectly for the Brazilian to slot into an empty net from close range.
12′ Liverpool are behind at Anfield in the Premier League for the first time since December 2017 vs Leicester.
A. Iwobi
Assist
11′ Iwobi exchanges a pass with Ramsey before sending a perfect cross to the back post for Maitland-Niles to convert.
A. Maitland-Niles
Goal
11′ GOALLLLLLLLLL!!!! MAITLAND-NILES PUTS ARSENAL AHEAD!!! 1-0!!! The Gunners take the lead, capitalising on a shaky period of play from the home side. Van Dijk hits an aimless long ball forward and the Reds are caught short by the pace of the visitors’ counter. Iwobi and Ramsey combine before the Nigerian raids into the left inside channel and puts a cross to the back post. Maitland-Niles comes in unmarked and slots the ball home.
10′ Arsenal threaten from the resulting corner and Kolasinac puts a dangeous cross into the area, but Mustafi moves too soon and is caught offside.
9′ SAVE! Fabinho commits a huge error passing the ball straight to Iwobi. The winger surges into the left inside channel and he fires at goal with a low strike, only to be denied by a fine save from Alisson down low to his right.
8′ After a rapid start to the game, the home side try to build a slower tempo to the action, knocking the ball around at the back.
6′ WIDE! Mane surges into the left inside channel and cuts the ball back for Firmino to strike. The Brazilian fires the ball low towards the target, attempting to penetrate a wall of bodies. However, Salah gets his foot to it and diverts the ball just wide of the post.
5′ Ramsey gets in behind, latching on to an offload from Maitland-Niles, but he puts his drive over the bar from a tight angle.
4′ Fabinho searches for the run of Alexander-Arnold over the top, but the ball skips off the surface and out for a goal-kick.
3′ The Reds have made a bright start, pushing up the pitch to put the pressure on the visitors in possession. Leno makes a mistake in his pass out from the back, conceding a throw-in.
2′ Robertson has space down the left flank and he sends a dangerous cross to the back post, but no one in a red shirt is there to convert as it trickles out for a goal-kick.
1′ We’re underway at Anfield.
Arsenal are without a win in their last five trips to Anfield to face Liverpool in the Premier League (D2 L3), conceding two or more goals in each match (17 in total).
Arsenal have made three changes to their side from their draw against Brighton. Mesut Ozil headlines the shift in approach as he is not even in the squad this evening, with reports suggesting that he is suffering from a knee injury. Lacazette also makes way as Ramsey and Iwobi come into the fold in the final third, while Mustafi returns in a three-man defence, ousting Koscielny from the line-up.
Liverpool have made one change from their win over Newcastle last time out. Fabinho is preferred to Henderson in front of the back four, with the skipper dropping to the bench. Van Dijk takes the armband, while Salah spearheads the attack with Mane, Firmino and Shaqiri in support.
SUBS: Petr Cech, Mohamed Elneny, Laurent Koscielny, Alexandre Lacazette, Matteo Guendouzi, Joe Willock, Buyako Saka.
ARSENAL (3-4-2-1): Bernd Leno; Stephan Lichtsteiner, Sokratis Papastathopoulos, Shokodran Mustafi; Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Lucas Torreira, Granit Xhaka, Sead Kolasinac; Aaron Ramsey, Alex Iwobi; Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
SUBS: Nathaniel Clyne, Jordan Henderson, Naby Keita, Daniel Sturridge, Adam Lallana, Simon Mignolet, Divock Origi.
LIVERPOOL (4-2-3-1): Alisson; Trent Alexander-Arnold, Dejan Lovren, Virgil van Dijk, Andrew Robertson; Georginio Wijnaldum, Fabinho; Xherdan Shaqiri, Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane; Mohamed Salah.
Arsenal were frustrated by Brighton and Hove Albion last time out, playing out a 1-1 draw with the Seagulls on Boxing Day. December has not been a great month for Unai Emery’s men as they saw their unbeaten run of 22 matches ended by Southampton, while Tottenham knocked the club out of the EFL Cup. The Gunners’ season is in danger of losing momentum, although a positive result against the league leaders may provide the perfect boost to take into the New Year.
Liverpool have a huge opportunity to extend their lead at the top of the Premier League following Tottenham’s defeat this afternoon against Wolves. The Reds hold a six-point lead over Spurs before kick-off and can widen the margin to nine points by beating Arsenal. Jurgen Klopp’s men have been imperious in December, winning all seven of their matches in all competitions, including their 4-0 drubbing of Newcastle last time out. They certainly appear to be on their way to a serious run towards the top-flight crown.
Good evening and welcome to the live commentary of the Premier League clash between Liverpool and Arsenal at Anfield.
LIVERPOOL 5 Vs 1 ARSENAL
Refresh Live Commentary
83′ Robertson fouls Clyne and is allowed to leave the field as a substitute rather than receiving a red card for a second bookable offence. Clyne replaces the full-back.
83′ Substitution Andrew Robertson Nathaniel Edwin Clyne
78′ Substitution Georginio Wijnaldum ⇑ Adam David Lallana ⇓
73′ Liverpool are still hungry for further goals as Robertson gallops forward from the back to keep the ball in play. He feeds Salah on the edge of the box, but the forward is crowded out before he can shoot.