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Paul Wilson’s match report from Anfield has arrived, so I’ll leave you with that. Thanks for your company and musical tips - goodnight!
“It is telling that for Jota’s goal, the only player who appealed for handball was Guendouzi who was standing behind him and off to the side,” says Graeme Thorn. “None of the four Arsenal defenders between him and the goal, with a much better view, bothered to complain. Plus the referee was in an excellent position (closer than most of the Arsenal defenders) to see if it did brush the arm.”
Watch the replay - it’s clear. It hits his thigh, his arm and then his right foot. I loathe VAR.
I’ve seen a replay of Jota’s goal and it was a clear handball. It hit his thigh and then his arm before he volleyed it in. I doubt it changed the result but, really, what’s the point?
Full time: Liverpool 3-1 Arsenal
Peep peep! Liverpool move above Everton and up to second after a hard-fought but thoroughly deserved win over a determined Arsenal. At times Liverpool were scintillating, and Arsenal did really well to stay in the game. Alisson had to make a fine save from Alexandre Lacazette before the substitute Diogo Jota settled the match with a goal on his Premier League debut for Liverpool. They’re an awesome team, and they’re going to win the league by a country mile again.
90+1 min Takumi Minamino replaces Roberto Firmino. There will be three minutes of added time.
GOAL GIVEN! Alexander-Arnold’s cross was headed away by Luiz to the edge of the area, where Jota controlled it with his thigh - and a bit of a his arm, I thought - before dragging a volley into the corner. But VAR decided it was fine and the goal stands. I’d need to see another replay to be sure but I thought that brushed his bicep. I doubt it has changed the result.
I think this will be disallowed for handball.
GOAL! Liverpool 3-1 Arsenal (Jota 88)
Diogo Jota scores within 10 minutes of coming on for his Liverpool league debut!
86 min Salah and Wijnaldum combine to give Jota another clear chance, only for him to be brilliantly tackled by ... Salah. He tried to take the ball off Jota on the stretch and miscontrolled it. That was definitely Jota’s chance.
85 min Another Arsenal corner, another underhit travesty from Pepe.
84 min “Writing from a forlorn fire escape in Brooklyn,” writes Christian Svanes Kolding. “Aye, I can confirm that the sparsely-flavoured swill known as Newcastle Brown Ale still has cachet over here in the States. I see the kids drinking it and for Gen X’ers like me, there was a time when it was deemed exotic. A more adventurous choice than Heineken. Today, Heineken has been replaced by Peroni. The humanity.”
83 min: Jota misses a great chance to score a debut goal! Salah put him through with a stunning angled pass that took five Arsenal players out of the game. Jota swept the ball over the outrushing Leno but into the side netting.
82 min Jota runs at Holding, moves infield onto his right foot and sprays a shot well wide from the edge of the area.
81 min “It’s heartening to see Arsenal players doing anything to put themselves in front of the ball,” says Jennifer Williams. “Previous teams would let the Reds stroll right on through the box. Happy to see some grit.”
They have improved so much under Arteta; I don’t think this is a false dawn.
80 min Mane wasn’t thrilled to be taken off. Jurgen Klopp had a quick chat with him and all seems okay.
79 min A double Liverpool change. Diogo Jota comes on for his Liverpool Premier League debut in place of Sadio Mane, and James Milner replaces Naby Keita.
78 min Arsenal win a rare corner, but it’s a poor one from Pepe and Robertson clears at the near post.
76 min Ceballos plays a through ball to Nketiah, who is just beaten to the ball by Alisson on the edge of the area. I think he would have been offside. Liverpool go down the other end and Firmino’s shot spins just wide off Tierney.
74 min Arsenal’s final substitution. Lacazette, who scored one and should have scored another, is replaced by Eddie Nketiah.
73 min “It’s anyone BUT hipsters swilling Dog (Broon Ale) in the North East,” says Mike Ollier. “It’s a long time since it was a good beer, now brewed elsewhere and the recipe has changed a few times. Not only is it NOT brewed in Newcastle, it isn’t even brewed in the UK. A far superior Brown Ale is Sunderland’s Double Maxim and Sammy Smiths Brewery Brown.”
72 min Ceballos is booked for bumping Mane to the floor.
72 min Plenty of recent Arsenal teams would be 4-1 or 5-1 down tonight. They’ve done ever so well to stay in the game because Liverpool have been relentless.
71 min “Darren Fletcher was very good on Match of the Day 2 last night demonstrating how Bielsaball begins with his overload of defenders (opposition attackers plus one),” says Gary Naylor. “I’d suggest leaving three players up against Liverpool as often as possible, pinning one full back and then judicious use of the benign block (aka tactical foul) on the other side - players usually get two or three before the yellow card.
“Not perfect of course, but if the average position of the full-backs is ten yards further back, surely that would reduce their threat significantly over 95 minutes. Whether it’s worth the understaffed midfield is moot, but these full-backs win so many matches any answer to them has to be radical.”
I like that idea, but I’m not sure you would pin a full-back - wouldn’t they just drop Fabinho in? It’ll be interested, especially after yesterday, to see what Brendan Rodgers does when Leicester next play Liverpool.
70 min Marvellous persistence from Mane, who fights his way past Bellerin and Ceballos before whipping a shot from a tight angle that is comfortable saved by Leno.
68 min Bellerin is booked for a foul on Mane. And Willian is replaced by Nicolas Pepe.
68 min Aubameyang tries to run Fabinho, who blocks his run and is lucky not to be penalised.
66 min Arsenal are still in this game, just about. The next goal is a big goal. I thank you.
64 min Mane, on the turn, shovels a loose ball just wide after Firmino’s pass deflected into his path. It was a difficult chance because he had to do a 180-degree spin just to get a shot anywhere near goal.
63 min: Big save from Alisson! Lacazette goes through on goal again after a crafty pass from Ceballos. He looked onside this time and he was, but Alisson came out quickly and stood tall to block his shot. Lacazette should have done better.
62 min Van Dijk strides forward and has a pop from 25 yards. It’s well struck and Leno shovels it away as he falls to his left.
61 min Salah’s slightly selfish shot from a tight angle is blocked by Tierney.
61 min “Thinking of hipster beers, and so on, back in my undergrad days at UCL, Newcastle Brown Ale was the cheap beer of choice,” says Sarah Rothwell. “Nowadays, here in Denver, you see it sold as a cool hipster beverage. Amazing what a few decades and a change of accent can do for a drink.”
That’s absurd. I had no idea it had become a hipster beer. What next: Hofmeister New England IPA?
60 min An Arsenal substitution. Dani Ceballos replaces Granit Xhaka, who has worked like a beast without the ball. And he wasn’t booked.