Match Report: Arsenal & Liverpool Cancel Each Other Out in Game of Two Halves

It was a damp evening at the Emirates but the proceeding events were far from it. Brendan Rodgers’ side were handed a boost prior to kick-off with the news that Arsenal’s first choice centre back pairing would both miss out, with Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny sidelined.

Liverpool were quick out of the traps to test the resolve of Arsenal’s makeshift defence, putting Calum Chambers and Gabriel under pressure early on, and it nearly paid dividends in the early minutes as Philippe Coutinho struck the crossbar.

There was an air of vulnerability to Arsenal, losing possession on several occasions, nearly to detrimental effect on a number of occasions. The heroics of Petr Cech kept his side in the match having denied Coutinho, Roberto Firmino and Christian Benteke from opening the scoring. Cech earned the WhoScored man of the match award with a rating of 8.90 having pulled off 8 saves, with no goalkeeper producing more in a single game this season.

A fingertip save matched the quality of Coutinho’s curling effort after he tied Hector Bellerin in knots inside the box. Earlier Firmino had flashed a low cross across Arsenal’s six-yard box, but Cech somehow managed to keep out what seemed a certain goal from Benteke. The big summer signing proved to be a real handful, winning 16 aerial duels, with no player managing more in a match over the course of the last 2 seasons.
 
Despite this, Arsene Wenger’s team still had reason to feel slightly aggrieved to not go into the break with the lead. Santi Cazorla played an exquisite through ball to find Ramsey’s run into the box and the Welshmen slotted the ball home past Mignolet’s near post only for his celebrations to be cut short as linesman Simon Bennett raised his flag erringly.

Wenger was understandably disappointed that the goal had been wrongly ruled out, and also spoke on how the impact of the opening day defeat to West Ham still lingered in the players’ and fans’ minds, contributing to a poor first half by the FA cup holders. Wenger also stated the importance of seeing out the opening exchanges without conceding so he could make adjustments at the break. “Tempted” to bring off Chambers, he opted to avoid any substitutions during the interval, but there was a clear distinction in Arsenal’s second half efforts.

Arsenal looked to secure only their second win in their last 6 home matches, only managing to score in one of those. But this time it was Mignolet who was called upon to keep the match level. Giroud fashioned efforts on goal via half chances, leaving questions as to whether the French international is good enough to lead the line in a charge for the title circulating.

Alexis Sanchez probably had the chance of the half, but only managed to find the outside of the post after some nice link up play with Giroud. Alexis was a key figure for Arsenal last season but despite 13 shots in the league, he has yet to find the net, possibly still a tad short of fitness following a gruelling Copa America campaign over the summer.

Arsenal showed their strength in depth as they brought on Theo Walcott and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, while Liverpool acked a cutting edge option from the bench, with youngsters Jordon Ibe and Jordan Rossiter being brought into the fray. Nevertheless the Gunners' spell of dominance was unable to cause Liverpool a persistent threat, although they probed around the box and worked some openings well through diligent movement. It was Liverpool’s third consecutive clean sheet with the much-maligned Dejan Lovren starting to find the form that earned him his move to the club.

Joe Gomez and Nathaniel Clyne look to be astute acquisitions, offering Liverpool more stability at the back. Rodgers’ side look to revert to a back 3 with one of the full backs staying back whilst the other supports the attack, which has been effective so far this season. 18-year-old Gomez hasn’t looked out of place, his composure on the ball and surging runs have been an added bonus, having shown his defensive qualities, managing 6 tackles and 5 interceptions last night.

It what has been a mundane start for Arsenal, it looks as though their title credentials have already come into question. Wenger seemed to bypass criticism from Gary Neville after being called "arrogant" for not strengthening his squad with a defensive midfielder.

Meanwhile, if Rodgers manages to maintain a solid defensive record with the attacking threat of Benteke and Firmino starting to find their feet, and Daniel Sturridge still to return, Liverpool may have finally found a balance to get back in the mix. They are now 11/8 to finish in the top 4 with Bet365 and, on the front foot, exhibited exhilarating attacks, having managed 3 more shots on target than they had in their first 2 league matches.

Arsenal fans on the other hand, must have some patience during matches. The quality of their side is apparent when the team is brimming with confidence and frustration from the stands are perhaps starting to seep into the mindset of the players.

Who were the top performers in Monday night's game at the Emirates? let us know your thoughts in the comments below