reporters Arsenal 2-0 Liverpool
guardian
This was the kind of win that persuades pretenders they can, indeed, be challengers. Arsenal were already top of the league prior to undermining Liverpool's own credentials here, but Arsène Wenger's side ended the day in splendid isolation at the top, their advantage from a division that is supposed to contain up to six other contenders an eye-catching five points.
The manager allowed himself a little punch of the air in delight at the final whistle, his sense of satisfaction echoed around the arena. There are awkward games ahead, with contests against Manchester United, Southampton, Everton, Manchester City and Chelsea among their next seven league matches, but there is also breathing space from the pack. The squad may still feel shallow, but the first-team continue to flourish in the Premier League.
This had felt like the first proper test of Arsenal's league season, up to this point a kind campaign that had carried them to the summit of the division. Their tally of 22 points from nine games before the fixture had maintained the momentum generated since the turn of the year, even if Wenger's side had actually claimed a maximum of 27 from the corresponding fixtures substituting Crystal Palace for West Ham as play-off winners over the course of last season. Yet those successive home defeats in the Champions League and Capital One Cup had chipped away at conviction. Wenger had yearned for a response and, once an initial spasm of nerves had passed, he was rewarded with one.
The anxiety was heightened by Jordan Henderson's dispossession of Santi Cazorla early on, the England midfielder stealing the ball just inside the Liverpool half and then running unchecked into the opposition penalty area with Bacary Sagna, at his back, reluctant to muster a challenge. The shot at the end was scuffed straight at Wojciech Szczesny and Arsenal could breathe again. Wenger, without Jack Wilshere courtesy of those continuing ankle problems, had bemoaned naive concessions of the first goal in each of those losses to Borussia Dortmund and Chelsea which had left his side chasing contests against sides who relish wounding on the break. There was to be no repeat here.
Instead, the early advantage was Arsenal's, exploiting Liverpool's uncomfortably makeshift back-line with one simple if incisive pass and a cross from a full-back on the charge. Mikel Arteta slid the ball down the right channel beyond Aly Cissokho, whose rustiness left the visitors vulnerable, for Sagna to belt across goal on the gallop. The Frenchman's delivery was viciously whipped, the ball bouncing once before Cazorla connected with a header on to the upright. Liverpool were still in disarray, Martin Skrtel's reactions dulled, when the Spaniard thumped the rebound into the net.
Without the ill Glen Johnson in the team and with three centre-halves attempting to snuff out the hosts' threat from midfield, Liverpool felt cumbersome at times.
Jon Flanagan started at right wing-back, a first appearance since the FA Cup third-round victory at Mansfield in January, and was spritely enough on the flank, but a mishmash of a rearguard could only heave to contain the Londoners' persistent threat. Cazorla tested Simon Mignolet, the Belgian then reacting well to turn aside a skimmed shot from Aaron Ramsey. The visitors were left wheezing at the flurry of opportunities, there own incision reserved solely for the inter-plays between their excellent front two.
Daniel Sturridge and Luis Suárez were a constant menace, their exchanges instinctive and movement so slippery. Brendan Rodgers was left as perplexed by his players when the Uruguayan, having been hauled down by Sagna, sent his partner scurrying down the left with a quickly taken free-kick with Henderson eventually tapping in at the far post, only for Martin Atkinson to opt to book the Arsenal full-back for the original offence and rule against the speedy taking of the dead-ball. Suárez was livid. It was inevitable the subject of that infamous £40,000,001 bid would draw the focus here, but in that front pairing Liverpool boast bite.
Coutinho added to their armoury at the interval, the Brazilian restored for the first time since mid-September, with the three centre-half plan abandoned. The substitute's delivery from deep offered Suárez, such a live-wire presence, further reason for optimism with Arsenal tentative whenever the player they recently courted was in possession. He would certainly have relished accepting the opportunity presented to Olivier Giroud at the other end by Touré's wayward back-pass, the Frenchman instead clipping his finish wide.
Yet Arsenal were not perturbed by the miss, and Liverpool's generosity duly persisted. Ramsey was allowed to collect and adjust his body as Touré, once an Invincible in these parts, and Mamadou Sakho dawdled before belting a wonderful dipping finish beyond Mignolet from well outside the area. That was his 10th goal of a season of resurgence. In his previous five years at the club, he had managed only 11 in all competitions.
There was still time for Suárez to clip the base of a post and later steer wide but, for once, his radar was slightly off. His heckles had been raised by the end. This was a reality check of sorts for Liverpool after recent positives, a reminder that, while a top-four finish may be plausible, mustering a title challenge may have to wait.
The manager allowed himself a little punch of the air in delight at the final whistle, his sense of satisfaction echoed around the arena. There are awkward games ahead, with contests against Manchester United, Southampton, Everton, Manchester City and Chelsea among their next seven league matches, but there is also breathing space from the pack. The squad may still feel shallow, but the first-team continue to flourish in the Premier League.
This had felt like the first proper test of Arsenal's league season, up to this point a kind campaign that had carried them to the summit of the division. Their tally of 22 points from nine games before the fixture had maintained the momentum generated since the turn of the year, even if Wenger's side had actually claimed a maximum of 27 from the corresponding fixtures substituting Crystal Palace for West Ham as play-off winners over the course of last season. Yet those successive home defeats in the Champions League and Capital One Cup had chipped away at conviction. Wenger had yearned for a response and, once an initial spasm of nerves had passed, he was rewarded with one.
The anxiety was heightened by Jordan Henderson's dispossession of Santi Cazorla early on, the England midfielder stealing the ball just inside the Liverpool half and then running unchecked into the opposition penalty area with Bacary Sagna, at his back, reluctant to muster a challenge. The shot at the end was scuffed straight at Wojciech Szczesny and Arsenal could breathe again. Wenger, without Jack Wilshere courtesy of those continuing ankle problems, had bemoaned naive concessions of the first goal in each of those losses to Borussia Dortmund and Chelsea which had left his side chasing contests against sides who relish wounding on the break. There was to be no repeat here.
Instead, the early advantage was Arsenal's, exploiting Liverpool's uncomfortably makeshift back-line with one simple if incisive pass and a cross from a full-back on the charge. Mikel Arteta slid the ball down the right channel beyond Aly Cissokho, whose rustiness left the visitors vulnerable, for Sagna to belt across goal on the gallop. The Frenchman's delivery was viciously whipped, the ball bouncing once before Cazorla connected with a header on to the upright. Liverpool were still in disarray, Martin Skrtel's reactions dulled, when the Spaniard thumped the rebound into the net.
Without the ill Glen Johnson in the team and with three centre-halves attempting to snuff out the hosts' threat from midfield, Liverpool felt cumbersome at times.
Jon Flanagan started at right wing-back, a first appearance since the FA Cup third-round victory at Mansfield in January, and was spritely enough on the flank, but a mishmash of a rearguard could only heave to contain the Londoners' persistent threat. Cazorla tested Simon Mignolet, the Belgian then reacting well to turn aside a skimmed shot from Aaron Ramsey. The visitors were left wheezing at the flurry of opportunities, there own incision reserved solely for the inter-plays between their excellent front two.
Daniel Sturridge and Luis Suárez were a constant menace, their exchanges instinctive and movement so slippery. Brendan Rodgers was left as perplexed by his players when the Uruguayan, having been hauled down by Sagna, sent his partner scurrying down the left with a quickly taken free-kick with Henderson eventually tapping in at the far post, only for Martin Atkinson to opt to book the Arsenal full-back for the original offence and rule against the speedy taking of the dead-ball. Suárez was livid. It was inevitable the subject of that infamous £40,000,001 bid would draw the focus here, but in that front pairing Liverpool boast bite.
Coutinho added to their armoury at the interval, the Brazilian restored for the first time since mid-September, with the three centre-half plan abandoned. The substitute's delivery from deep offered Suárez, such a live-wire presence, further reason for optimism with Arsenal tentative whenever the player they recently courted was in possession. He would certainly have relished accepting the opportunity presented to Olivier Giroud at the other end by Touré's wayward back-pass, the Frenchman instead clipping his finish wide.
Yet Arsenal were not perturbed by the miss, and Liverpool's generosity duly persisted. Ramsey was allowed to collect and adjust his body as Touré, once an Invincible in these parts, and Mamadou Sakho dawdled before belting a wonderful dipping finish beyond Mignolet from well outside the area. That was his 10th goal of a season of resurgence. In his previous five years at the club, he had managed only 11 in all competitions.
There was still time for Suárez to clip the base of a post and later steer wide but, for once, his radar was slightly off. His heckles had been raised by the end. This was a reality check of sorts for Liverpool after recent positives, a reminder that, while a top-four finish may be plausible, mustering a title challenge may have to wait.
