Match Analysis
This Match Finished between Liverpool and Arsenal in the Premier League ended with a 2-0 victory for Arsenal.
Arsenal
Liverpool
Starting XI
Substitutes
Arsenal
Starting XI
Substitutes
No player statistics available for this match
That's it - 2-0 to Arsenal and pretty straightforward with it. Much for Arsene Wenger to be happy about, but much for Brendan Rodgers to think about. Last year it was all about Van Persie here - this time, it was all about the Arsenal new boys
Reina with a goal kick - pretty much the last kick of a sombre afternoon for Liverpool. They have been easily beaten
A long ball into the area from Liverpool, a bit of Arsenal panic, then a foul by Suarez. He, of course, doesn't think it's a foul
Good run from Gerrard down the Liverpool right. It's a corner, which the skipper takes
Koscielny on for Vermaelen. <img src="http://soccernet-assets.espn.go.com/design05/gp10/i/yellow_card.jpg" height="15"> Shelvey shoves Ramsey and is booked. We're into four minutes of injury time
Enrique takes on Ramsey down the left and plays the ball back to Shelvey on the edge of the area. He shoots - again it's well struck, but again a bit too close to Mannone, who tips it away
Triangles from Arsenal around the halfway line. Arsene Wenger can be very pleased with his team's shape and composure, even if they haven't had a great deal of threat to contend with over the 90 minutes
Allen to Johnson - Downing plays the ball on, Gerrard flicks it into the path of Suarez inside the area and the Uruguayan, under challenge from Vermaelen, lifts the ball over the bar and into the Kop
Sterling, whose brightness has faded, tries to start something - the ball breaks to Shelvey, who has a blast. Mannone saves, and Arsenal scramble it away from the lurking Gerrard and from Suarez, who can't even bring himself to appeal for non-existent fouls or handballs any more
Five minutes remain. Gerrard tries to start something with a ball from centre to left but - yet again - Liverpool are depressingly incapable of keeping possession
Not a semblance of sound from a glum Kop. As vibrant as Liverpool were against City last week, they've been utterly flat today. "Where's your famous atmosphere?" sing the Arsenal fans
Giroud gets to the corner first, but his header flicks the ball over the bar. That, though, was another decent opportunity for him to open his Arsenal account
Santos clears it, and Arsenal come forward with Giroud, raiding into the Liverpool area on the right before being crowded out. Corner
<img src="http://soccernet-assets.espn.go.com/design05/gp10/i/subs.gif"> Before that can be taken, another Gunners change: opening goalscorer Podolski off, Santos on
Downing tries a shot from outside the area - deflected over. Corner
Shelvey plays the ball in, and Arsenal get rid unceremoniously
Suarez comes forward, and the ball moves to Downing on the right, then back to Joe Allen and Downing again
Jose Enrique is caught offside. He looks utterly frustrated. It's hard to blame him
...a little bit of chaos, a small-scale scramble, and a whistle blown for a foul on Reina
Arsenal win a corner down their left. It's played in and flicked on...
The Gunners are just seeing this one out. A goal for Liverpool could still change the mood completely, but it just doesn't appear to be something that's likely to happen. At all.
Arsenal, with Ramsey and Podolski, pass and flick their way around the left for Arsenal. Ole! is the reaction from the away end
Gerrard wins the ball, clattering Vermaelen onto the pitchside track in the process
Shelvey wins the ball outside the Arsenal penalty area, but his attempt on goal is sliced miserably wide
A long ball from Liverpool. When Suarez is your target, that's probably not a great idea. That ball was more suited to a tall target man like that one West Ham have just signed from somewhere
<img src="http://soccernet-assets.espn.go.com/design05/gp10/i/subs.gif"> Ramsey is on, Oxlade-Chamberlain off
That change is about to happen...
Johnson tries to lift the mood on the Kop with a run and cross from the right - but Mannone claims it
Glum silence at Anfield. Someone who's not glum, though, is Arsene Wenger, and he could be about to bring Aaron Ramsey on
You already feel that will be enough for the Gunners, who have barely faced a meaningful shot at their goal
<img src="http://soccernet-assets.espn.go.com/design05/gp10/i/goal.gif"> <b>GOAL</b> Cazorla hits a strong low shot. It's straight at Reina at his near post - but somehow goes in off him. He's not had a good week, and that wasn't a good piece of goalkeeping
Podolski on the prowl again, and he plays in Cazorla on the left of the area - lovely move
<img src="http://soccernet-assets.espn.go.com/design05/gp10/i/subs.gif"> And here it comes: Nuri Sahin, who has had a pretty difficult debut, is off and Jonjo Shelvey takes his place
Another change in the offing for Liverpool
He's on the edge of the D, and hits a low shot not far wide of Reina's goal
Podolski leads another charge forward by Arsenal and finds Cazorla
Mannone is caught up in all sorts of uncertainty but gets away with it as Arsenal hack clear
Great play by Downing - he is a winger, after all. He drifts between two Arsenal defenders but the cross is blocked. Corner
Downing goes down the right, but Arteta tracks him superbly and is then fouled by the frustrated winger (or soon to be left-back, if you believe Brendan Rodgers)
He goes it alone, hitting a long-range shot that's well struck but straight at the keeper
Agger strides forward for Liverpool. Can he make something happen where midfielders and attackers have so far failed?
Podolski tries to slip Giroud through, but the ball is blocked. Jenkinson, picking up the pieces, shoots from outside the box on the right. Reina saves, but another goal, if there is to be one, looks far likelier to come from Arsenal
Suarez tries to break. Then he dives over a Vermaelen challenge and doesn't get the free-kick. Liverpool can't keep possession - and Allen illustrates that, giving the ball away to Podolski
Arsenal on the ball in midfield: Podolski does well to rob Johnson, but then Diaby loses possession
This isn't working for Liverpool - but here comes Downing. He backheels to Suarez who, instead of moaning and gesticulating, actually decides to have a shot at goal. It's well hit, but straight at Mannone, who tips over
Suarez appeals for a fictitious handball against Vermaelen. Again, Webb's not interested. Again, he's right. Again, you could question what Suarez is doing
Brendan Rodgers' first change of the afternoon - then the ball comes in from Liverpool
<img src="http://soccernet-assets.espn.go.com/design05/gp10/i/subs.gif"> And that's the last contribution from Borini. Off he goes, and on comes Downing
...Jenkinson clears. It's not convincing, but it works. Just about
Stewart Downing is about to come on for Liverpool. Sahin tees up Borini in a crossing position on their right...
Lovely Arsenal move: Cazorla and Podolski work the ball to Gibbs on the left of the area. He's in a shooting position and has a go - Reina saves well
Gerrard crosses from the right. Suarez, as is his wont, hits the ground extremely easily under challenge from Mertesacker. No thanks, says referee Webb, correctly
Joe Allen, who has struggled to get much going for the Reds so far, sweeps a nice ball from right to left. Jenkinson, who has grown in stature as the game has gone on, puts a stop to that attack
There's a good shape to the Gunners at the moment: they're looking resolute in the protection of their first league goal of the season
Liverpool try to build from the back, but Cazorla beats Borini to a ball out of defence and Arsenal come forward again
<img src="http://soccernet-assets.espn.go.com/design05/gp10/i/yellow_card.jpg" height="15">Skrtel is booked for a clattering challenge on Diaby near halfway. No hesitation from Howard Webb who - as he was with the Sterling penalty claim - is absolutely right
It's cleared, and Cazorla tries a thump from distance. That's never going to make it through the crowd of defenders
Arsenal get the second half under way and soon have possession with Cazorla. Diaby hooks in an improvised cross from the right
And that's half-time. Not a great spectacle, but a fine breakaway goal by Arsenal, who could have been two up had Giroud kept his cool a little better. What can Rodgers do to get his side back into things after the break?
Sterling and Gerrard try to weave a way through in injury-time, but the Anfield skipper is dispossessed and we're seconds away from half-time
It comes to nothing, but Arsenal are looking - and will probably be feeling - increasingly comfortable
Sahin hasn't done much so far. But he does something now, fouling Arteta. Arsenal trundle Mertesacker forward for the free-kick, taken from midway inside the Liverpool half
Skrtel plays the ball up the right, but Suarez can't keep possession. The home side appear increasingly ragged
A lucky escape for Liverpool - that was Arsenal finding the sort of slick passing to which Brendan Rodgers aspires but which, today, his side have not managed to find
He slips a superb ball through to Giroud who, one on one, slices his shot wide of Reina but into the Kop. Should have been 2-0 - great work by Diaby, who is having a storming game here
... but he doesn't. No penalty, and Howard Webb is correct. Arsenal go to the other end, and suddenly Diaby is off on a strong run
Joe Allen starts something with a neat touch - Suarez takes it on and feeds Sterling inside the area. Mertesacker goes in strongly, and you know what the Anfield fans want the referee to do...
Sterling again: he picks up the ball inside the area after some defensive uncertainty, twists and turns and fires an angled shot against the outside of the post. That, by far, is the closest Liverpool have come
In it comes... and out it goes for another corner thanks to Vermaelen's clearance
Sterling raids down the left - can he reinvigorate the mood? Not yet, because the often-maligned Jenkinson makes an excellent challenge to put the ball out for a corner
And what can the Kop find to spur their team on? It's not exactly been a great atmosphere so far and, apart from a few happy songs suddenly springing from the away end, the match is being played in near silence
Amazing what a goal can do: Arsenal are suddenly in the mood, but Liverpool - who, to be honest, haven't shown much in the way of anything so far - are shaken. What can they find in response?
Liverpool give the ball away again and Podolski, emboldened by his goal, sets off on another run. His shot is deflected this time, and Reina can gather
Gerrard lost the ball in attack, and from that moment on it was clinical from Arsenal: from one end to the other in a few crisp passes, and a beautiful finish to round it all off
<img src="http://soccernet-assets.espn.go.com/design05/gp10/i/goal.gif"> <b>GOAL</b>... and sweeps the ball low across and beyond Reina. A superb finish, out of keeping with the game so far, and Arsenal have their first Premier League goal of the season
Liverpool give the ball away and Arsenal pour forward - the ball is switched to Podolski by Cazorla. The Germany international takes a touch...
Then it's Arsenal's turn to go all aimless: Gibbs crosses long, but the Gunners come back again
Nobody seems to be able to get any prolonged passing going: Johnson illustrates that malaise for Liverpool by miscontrolling the ball out of play for an Arsenal throw-in
Gerrard takes, but his effort is blocked by the wall. We still haven't really had a meaningful shot in this encounter so far
<img src="http://soccernet-assets.espn.go.com/design05/gp10/i/yellow_card.jpg" height="15">Arteta brings him down, and this is a dangerous free-kick not far outside the area...
Mertesacker gives the ball away in a dangerous place - Sterling could be in
As if to illustrate the point, another stray Liverpool ball in midfield gives Arsenal and Diaby the chance to come forward. Enrique clears the unconvincing ball in
It's all pretty bitty: there's no real shape, and nothing like a head of steam from either team. Neither is keeping possession to any great degree
He can't - possession changes hands again and Suarez gets to the byline on the right, where his attempted cross is easily blocked
On the quarter hour, a Liverpool corner. A dangerous Gerrard ball in, but Agger can't make it... then there's a dreadful pass from Jenkinson across his own back four but Borini, on the right, doesn't make the most of it. Vermaelen roams forward just before the 20 minute mark. And roams. But the shot is horrible. Then a foul by Suarez on Oxlade-Chamberlain. He's back on his feet quickly. Liverpool give the ball away and Podolski tries to make something happen...
Forward, aimlessly, from Arsenal, and an offside flag is up. But in the first instance of space opening up, five minutes in, Borini roams forward only to drag a shot wide. <img src="http://soccernet-assets.espn.go.com/design05/gp10/i/yellow_card.jpg" height="15"> A minute later, Mertesacker is booked as Suarez - not unusually - goes to ground with ease. The striker fires the free-kick over... as the ten minute mark approaches, Sterling gives Borini a shooting chance that comes to nothing
Long again from the Gunners - Skrtel wins it back, and Reina hits long... that's to little avail
They don't keep it for long. Arsenal win it back inside their own half and spread play from right to left. Mertesacker plays it long... all the way back through to Reina
AND WE'RE OFF - Liverpool get the game under way in a noisy atmosphere, and the ball, passed around the back for a bit, is soon with Pepe Reina
You'll Never Walk Alone is booming out over the loudspeakers. Wonder whether Richard Rodgers could ever have worked out where that song was going to end up when he wrote Carousel?
Liverpool fans will have found that game a microcosm of what went wrong at Anfield so many times last season - first-half dominance, a load of missed chances, and a second half in which they never seemed able to re-establish their rhythm. But they were excellent against Manchester City here last time around, crisp and fluent (if defensively less than certain), and now Nuri Sahin is making his debut. It promises to be an intriguing afternoon - stay with us to find out how it goes.
This fixture last season was won, almost all on his own, by Robin van Persie (with supporting contribution from Alex Song). With the Gunners goalless so far, that sort of outcome must feel like a distant dream - but could this be the day when Arsene Wenger's reshaped Gunners find some teeth?
<b>Arsenal team:</b> Mannone, Jenkinson, Mertesacker, Vermaelen, Gibbs, Cazorla, Arteta, Diaby, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Giroud, Podolski. Subs: Koscielny, Martinez, Santos, Ramsey, Coquelin, Gervinho, Walcott.
<b>Liverpool team:</b> Reina, Johnson, Skrtel, Agger, Enrique, Allen, Sahin, Gerrard, Sterling, Borini, Suarez. Subs: Jones, Carragher, Shelvey, Downing, Henderson, Kelly, Coates.
ESPN FC will bring you live minute-by-minute commentary of Liverpool's Premier League meeting with Arsenal, which kicks off at 13.30 BST.
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