Dominik Szoboszlai’s Wonder Strike Sinks Arsenal And Sends Liverpool Top

If Liverpool are to successfully take sides their Premier League title, they will look backmost connected nan infinitesimal erstwhile Dominik Szoboszlai sank Arsenal pinch a precocious and sensational free-kick arsenic a instauration stone. There had been small betwixt these rivals, nan only clubs that maintained 100% records astatine kick-off time; pragmatism holding sway for agelong spells. Or possibly it was nan fearfulness of defeat.

Would Arsenal person taken different Anfield tie beforehand? The reply was astir apt yes and it appeared that Mikel Arteta had placed nan accent connected being difficult to beat, first and foremost, pinch his line-up. He would usage his caller signing, Eberechi Eze, only arsenic a 70th infinitesimal substitute.

In nan end, Arteta sewage thing and it was because of what Szoboszlai produced pinch 7 minutes of regularisation clip remaining. The free-kick was 30 yards retired but he made ray of nan region pinch a stunning execution, nan method generating vicious dip and slice – and leaving David Raya clutching astatine bladed air. Could nan Arsenal goalkeeper person sewage crossed much effectively? What was plain was that Szoboszlai besides brought precision to nan party, nan shot placed perfectly wrong Raya’s right-hand post.

Lads, it’s August. And yet it was easy to spot this arsenic a marker from Liverpool; a declaration of their intent. And this is earlier they make their last moves successful a blockbuster transportation window, which could spot them adhd Alexander Isak and Marc Guéhi and push their spending towards £500m.

Arsenal were nan amended squad successful nan first half, moreover if they created little. Neither squad did crossed nan piece. It was that benignant of contest. But Liverpool rallied successful nan 2nd play and if 1 squad was going to score, it felt arsenic though it would beryllium them.

Szoboszlai, who stood successful astatine right-back for nan injured Jeremie Frimpong, ensured it was 1 to remember. Thanks to Manchester City’s conclusion astatine Brighton earlier successful nan day, Liverpool now person a small spot of daylight complete some of their main rivals.

Arsenal had to spell backmost to September 2012 for their erstwhile convention triumph here; Arteta was a subordinate for them that time arsenic goals from Lukas Podolski and Santi Cazorla secured a 2-0 victory.

Arteta’s scheme connected this juncture was to beryllium coagulated and physical; to extremity Liverpool. To that end, it was a rustle to suffer William Saliba to wounded successful nan early running. Arteta had started Mikel Merino successful nan No 10 domiciled alternatively of Martin Ødegaard, who was not afloat fit. It was a astonishment to spot Eze among nan substitutes.

Dominik Szoboszlai fires a free-kick into nan apical area of nan net. Photograph: Alex Pantling/Getty Images

It was tense. Arsenal could consciousness their hearts listen erstwhile they tried to activity their play-out-from nan backmost patterns. And yet they sewage them to click successful nan first exchanges; a motion of nan characteristic that Arteta wanted to see. Martín Zubimendi was prominent. Arsenal’s fierce press, meanwhile, was a feature. Liverpool had a fewer nervy moments arsenic they attempted to build from their protect third.

It was imaginable to wonderment whether a loose walk retired and a turnover forced successful a vulnerable area would beryllium decisive. The likelihood successful nan first-half appeared to constituent towards Arsenal making thing hap successful this regard. And yet it was Liverpool who had nan large infinitesimal connected 34 minutes erstwhile Raya erred and Virgil van Dijk out-muscled Zubimendi. The Liverpool skipper had a shooting opportunity only to look for Mohamed Salah and a walk that was not there.

The imaginative value was absent successful a first-half that Arsenal shaded. Arteta’s squad looked for Noni Madueke connected nan right; it was clear that he had nan gait to problem Milos Kerkez. Twice successful nan first-half Madueke almost sewage nan amended of his man. Kerkez, though, made last-ditch interventions. Madueke besides worked Alisson aft a area collapsed for him.

It was nan first clip this play that Arne Slot was capable to play Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister astatine nan guidelines of nan midfield. Liverpool had to amended free themselves from Arsenal’s headlock successful nan 2nd half and they took higher starting positions upon nan restart.

It became progressively clear that 1 infinitesimal aliases possibly an correction could beryllium nan difference. The Kop demanded much from their players, though not Ibrahima Konaté, who bullied Viktor Gyökeres. He gave him nothing. It was a rustle erstwhile Konaté limped disconnected towards nan end.

Mac Allister fizzed a walk to Florian Wirtz and Raya recovered his debased changeable excessively basking to handle, spilling it to Cody Gakpo, who nan goalkeeper past cleaned out; an evident penalty. Except that Gakpo was offside. The shot deflected successful disconnected Cristhian Mosquera but it would not count.

Arteta introduced Ødegaard and Eze for Merino and Gabriel Martinelli successful nan 70th infinitesimal and, by that point, nan tide had turned. Liverpool brought nan intensity. Arsenal’s privilege was their protect shape. Declan Rice blocked a Salah changeable aft bully activity from Wirtz, who besides had to depart pinch an injury, earlier Szoboszlai took centre stage.