Arsenal played a game of “scoring as close to the whistle as possible” in the first period.
With less than a minute on the clock, the home team Liverpool ticked murky. Martinelli scored the fastest Arsenal goal since Walcott in 2013 after a blistering start.
Liverpool stayed behind for a while, but gradually fought themselves into the match. Nunez provided the answer to the early sledgehammer blow and celebrated it with a weeping gesture towards the critics.
The halftime signal beckoned, so Arsenal decided to set up a razor-sharp counter. Seconds before the break, Saka pushed the lead back onto the board.
Arteta’s men pushed the vice champions with their backs against the wall with coordinated combination football. Still, a chance was enough for Firmino to balance the plates again.
Arsenal continued to play goal-oriented, but the path to goal was bumpy. A light penalty caused a fiery riot and the final score: Saka didn’t care and kept a cool head.
