Arsenal endured their first setback of the Premier League season as they fell 1-0 to Liverpool at Anfield, with Dominik Szoboszlai’s stunning free-kick and William Saliba’s early injury shaping the contest.
The Gunners’ afternoon took a disastrous turn inside five minutes when William Saliba was forced off after a collision with Hugo Ekitike.
Despite the early setback, Mikel Arteta’s side contained Liverpool for long spells, with Noni Madueke looking lively and forcing Alisson into a save.
Liverpool briefly thought they had gone ahead through Ekitike, but VAR ruled it out for offside in the build-up.
The deadlock was finally broken in the 67th minute as Dominik Szoboszlai curled a sensational 30-yard free-kick into the top corner, leaving David Raya helpless and Arsenal empty-handed.
Arsenal Player Ratings vs Liverpool
David Raya – 6/10
One risky pass aside, had little to do before picking the ball out of his net from Szoboszlai’s unstoppable free-kick.
Jurrien Timber – 7/10
Solid defensively against Cody Gakpo and offered good support going forward.
William Saliba – N/A
Forced off injured after just five minutes. A major blow for Arsenal.
Gabriel Magalhaes – 7/10
Composed and dominant against Ekitike throughout.
Riccardo Calafiori – 8/10
Outstanding performance. Kept Mohamed Salah quiet and carried the ball well into midfield.
Mikel Merino – 6/10
Worked hard defensively but lacked Odegaard’s creativity.
Martin Zubimendi – 6/10
Neat and tidy but failed to add penetration in midfield.
Declan Rice – 5/10
Ran tirelessly and defended well, but his poor set-piece delivery wasted key opportunities.
Noni Madueke – 8/10
Arsenal’s brightest spark. Tormented Kerkez with pace and forced Alisson into a key save.
Viktor Gyokeres – 3/10
Anonymous once again. Booked late on in another disappointing outing.
Gabriel Martinelli – 4/10
Worked hard defensively but contributed little in attack. Confidence looks low.
Substitutes:
- Cristhian Mosquera – 7/10: Impressive stand-in for Saliba, calm under pressure.
- Eberechi Eze – 6/10: Added energy with a couple of strong runs.
- Martin Odegaard – 6/10: Couldn’t find the spark Arsenal needed.
- Max Dowman – N/A: Introduced in stoppage time.
Mikel Arteta – 5/10
Set his team up solidly but failed to take risks when chasing the game. His Anfield curse continues.
Arsenal showed defensive resilience but lacked attacking edge. With Saliba’s injury and Viktor Gyokeres’ ongoing struggles, Arteta will need solutions quickly if the Gunners are to mount a title challenge.