Anfield was the setting for the Premier League’s marquee offering for the weekend and it got a bit too one-sided to be perfectly honest. How often do you see the league leaders on the wrong end of a five goal rout? No very much I would guess but that’s what happened to Arsenal as they were left licking wounds after a spectacular 5-1 defeat at fourth placed Liverpool; a win that sees the Reds cement their stronghold on the coveted fourth place and Arsenal all but conceding their grip on the first place with the lurking Manchester City and Chelsea yet to play.
TEAMSHEETS AND TACTICS
Home side Liverpool named an unchanged line-up from their draw against West Brom on the last matchday. Jordon Ibe was on the bench and he was to get some much-needed first team action later on in the game. Daniel Sturridge started up front with Luis Suarez playing just behind him in a free-wheeling 4-2-4 formation. Jordan Henderson and Steven Gerrard were tasked with keeping the midfield ticking while Coutinho and Raheem Sterling were made to run the width of the pitch. Martin Skrtel and the error-prone Kolo Toure formed the defensive backbone while Aly Cissokho and John Flanagan were the wide backs.
Arsenal were without Aaron Ramsey who scored in the reverse fixture and were also without midfield terrier Mathieu Flamini who was out through suspension. Olivier Giroud was the focal point up front with Mesut Ozil in the hole and Santi Cazorla and the impressive Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain supporting them from wide. Jack Wilshere and Mikel Arteta formed an unconvincing and paperweight midfield pivot while the usually reliable Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker were the defensive bedrock. Nacho Monreal and Bacary Sagna completed the lineup which was to play a floating 4-4-2.
THE GAME
Liverpool came out all guns blazing and found themselves in the lead inside the first minute itself with Martin Skrtel being the unlikeliest of scorers. Unlikely because you probably haven’t seen many other goal scorers this season besides the prolific Suarez and Sturridge, let alone a defender like Skrtel. Steven Gerrard pinged a perfectly weighted cross from a set-piece which was duly finished by the Slovakian international; albeit with some hints of offside. And the screws tightened around Arsenal when Liverpool got their second before 10 minutes as Skrtel again expertly guided another set-piece into the net; again from a Gerrard delivery.
Twenty minutes on the clock and what we saw was totally unfathomable stuff; Liverpool had scored another two and were cruising at 4-0 with the game having barely started. Daniel Sturridge scored the fourth which followed a devastating breakaway goal from Sterling. Jordan Henderson picked the pockets of the normally tricky Mesut Ozil on the halfway line and found the perfect pass to Suarez who perfectly set up a tap in for the young Sterling. Unbelievable became extra-terrestrial for the Reds when Philippe Coutinho threaded a through ball for Sturridge and there were no second thoughts about him not scoring. Liverpool ripped Arsenal apart and the Kop was bouncing; probably the earliest that such an event had occurred during a game.
Four early goals meant taking their foot off the pedal for Liverpool as they virtually played the rest of the game at pedestrian pace. Raheem Sterling added another early on in the second half to make it five and send all and sundry to raptures. Arsenal got one back from ex-Evertonian Mikel Arteta but it was a case of too little too late for Arsenal as they ceded the game well before they got into full throttle. Lot of ponderings to do for Wenger and co; but a day worth living for Brendan Rodgers and the entire Liverpool fraternity.
