This article is part of our Match of the Week series.
Arsenal and Liverpool ended an exciting weekend of football across the Premier League with the Gunners capturing all three points in a hard-fought battle at the Emirates Stadium. The two sides have now played three times in the last two months, splitting the season series, with their first match a 1-1 draw before they met again in the FA Cup, where Liverpool took a 2-0 win. Arsenal won the final game Sunday, 3-1. Because of Liverpool's lead at the top, they were unchanged in the table with Arsenal staying in third.
Starting XIs
The clubs came into Sunday's match relatively unchanged, both sporting the same 4-3-3 formations they have become accustomed to using all season.
Arsenal kept nine of their 11 starters from the win earlier in the week versus Nottingham Forest. Jorginho saw his first start in five league contests, replacing Emile Smith Rowe in the center of the pitch. However, their big change came up front in the attack, as Gabriel Jesus returned to the injury list for a short spell following another knock to his knee, opening up space for Kai Havertz to get the start at forward.
Liverpool had a similar turnout with nine players returning to the starting XI from their slaughter of Chelsea on Wednesday. The first of these changes came in the defense where Conor Bradley missed out following the sudden death of his father, as Trent Alexander-Arnold replaced him. Ryan Gravenberch also joined the starting XI, coming in for Dominik Szoboszlai, who recently picked up a hamstring issue.
Match Notes
The game started testy in the first couple minutes with both teams finding decent chances but failing to have a true goal-scoring opportunity. It was always going to be a game of chances and not possession, as both teams set up very similarly, with Jurgen Klopp and Mikel Arteta leaning toward the possession-based tiki-taka style that has recently taken the top tiers of football by storm, or at least since Barcelona and Spain popularized the methods in the early aughts.
However, there were still saw a lot of differences between the two tactics, especially when moving forward, which seemed to be the pulling point that gave Arsenal the win.
Liverpool looked to hold the ball more and attack in a controlled manner, attacking as a unit while looking for Alexis Mac Allister, Curtis Jones or Gravenberch in the middle of the pitch to distribute the ball and progress forward, almost combining the classic 4-4-2 tactic and tiki-taka style.
Ultimately, it didn't go as Klopp planned, with Declan Rice and Jorginho being brilliant from their holding midfield spots, cutting out most of the passes into the final third. They combined for five interceptions and four tackles won while Liverpool only notched 78 passes into the final third, 37 less than their match average. Liverpool's overuse of the middle of the pitch was partly due to the absence of Mohamed Salah on the wing, as the club is still without their top playmaker in the attack.
Arsenal, on the other hand, were much more active when moving forward, displaying a counterattack and long-ball system that saw the wingers constantly on the run, opening up Liverpool's defense due to their high line. They would almost immediately switch to the counterattack as soon as they captured possession, looking forward to a player through on a run. This tactic mainly worked because of Gabriel Martinelli's dazzling display, constantly outpacing Ibrahima Konate and Alexander-Arnold on the right flank, contributing one chance created, two successful dribbles, three crosses and four duels won to go along with his goal.
The Gunners were able to use that exploitation to find their first goal despite it not being caused by Martinelli. Havertz found himself in a one-on-one with Alisson following a through ball by Martin Odegaard, resulting in a rebound that bounced to Bukayo Saka for the opening goal of the match.
Their lead would take a hit in first-half stoppage time, as Luis Diaz made the most of William Saliba's indecision, leading to a Gabriel own goal. Liverpool would end up taking the match into half at 1-1 despite having zero shots on net over the first 45 minutes.
These small differences in the team's approaches were arguably the big turning point in the match. The Gunners constantly were a threat due to the ongoing willingness to push forward and create chances, while the Reds were too timid to go forward, trying to pick out the perfect pass, possibly due to Arsenal's deadly counterattack. This trend continued into the second half with both managers seeming to stick with almost all of the same tactics they displayed in the first 45.
Arsenal continued to find chances using their long balls, scoring twice more. Once again, the first came from a through ball, finding Martinelli from their half, who would score from the edge of the box following a blunder from both Alisson and Virgil van Dijk. The next came in stoppage time, as Leandro Trossard banged home a goal to put the game on ice after taking a solo run down the left flank into the box. The high line of Liverpool didn't learn from the first half, as the Gunners used pace to be an issue for the taller and bigger center-backs of the Reds.
As for Liverpool, they maintained the standard they set in the first half, being more comfortable when on the ball and controlling the match's pace from the middle of the pitch while looking for the perfect attack. They started to use the flanks in the attack a bit more after going down a goal but still couldn't find a decent chance to grab a point back. Much to Liverpool's dismay, Arsenal were stout in the back outside of the first-half mistake, bending slightly but not breaking, only allowing 14 touches in their 18-yard box.
Liverpool saw a few more chances once Darwin Nunez entered the pitch, looking to restore life to a dying team. However, this was quickly shot down because when Konate left the pitch after a second yellow card in the 88th minute, all hope was lost.
Similar to prior matchups, this one was never going to be a match of possession and would always come down to chances, proving to be evident when looking at the final stats. Liverpool surprisingly held more of the ball with 57-percent possession (62 in the second half), but that didn't lead to better opportunities. Most of their passing was done in the middle of the pitch and with little movement going forward, the possession they gained proved useless.
Arsenal's success came with what they could create in the final third, beating Liverpool in almost every stat relative to that area of the field. The comparison looks almost unfair if you didn't watch the match, with Arsenal having 3.5 xG, seven shots on target and six big chances, compared to Liverpool's .37, one and zero, respectively.
In the end, it always looked to be an Arsenal match from the first kick of the ball, as they offered no time to rest, constantly working on the break and getting Liverpool out of position. At no point did they look uncomfortable Sunday and that appeared to be Arteta's game plan.
Man of the Match
Martinelli was easily my man of the match despite the Premier League giving the award to Jorginho. Without the brilliance of the winger, there is a chance the Gunners don't come out on top, as his contribution to the attack was a turning point. His overall speed on and off the ball gave the Liverpool defenders headaches all match, continuously getting his way on the left flank while waltzing his way to the box almost every time. He also gave the club the go-ahead goal, regaining all the momentum and controlling the match from that point on. His reluctance to not stop pushing forward gave Arsenal the edge in a throw-up contest.
Upcoming Fixtures
Looking ahead, both have similar schedules on the horizon, with the two sides facing an array of teams across the Premier League table.
Arsenal face seventh-place West Ham next before traveling to Burnley and ending the month against Newcastle. They also have the return Champions League against FC Porto for their Round of 16 matchup on Feb. 21 after the Burnley match. With Sheffield United and Brentford next, the club would be disappointed if they don't capture all 15 points in the next five as the title race heats up.
Liverpool have a busier schedule over the next month. Fortunately, they start with Burnley, Brentford and Luton Town with only Brentford being away from home. From there it's a couple FA Cup and Carabao Cup matches with the next round of Europa League starting early March.
Looking Ahead
The two sides have the same thing on their mind as they continue their seasons with the Premier League title the ultimate goal. With both facing Manchester City in March, tensions will only grow as the season moves on.
Arsenal will hope to get Jesus back from his knee issue and for whatever injury Oleksandr Zinchenko picked up to not be serious.
Liverpool have a few more issues to deal with as the await the return of Salah, but as seen in January, his absence doesn't prevent them from being one of the best teams in the league.
Gameweek 24 Preview
Next Gameweek, I'll take a closer look into the tie between Chelsea and Crystal Palace on Monday. The two London team head into the derby only being separated by seven points, both having to answer questions after what has been a bad few weeks.
