Liverpool produced one of their best performances in recent memory to dismiss Arsenal at Anfield on Saturday.
It took just 20 minutes for Liverpool to beat Arsenal on Saturday afternoon.
They played on for another 70 – but it hardly mattered: the damage had been done.
Four goals in that time, each demonstrating the Reds’ wonderful counterattacking threat, put paid to any resistance the Gunners may have offered – even if, in truth, there was very little of it in the first place.
Martin Skrtel scored twice to put Liverpool fans in dreamland, showing his supreme threat from set-pieces, before Raheem Sterling and Daniel Sturridge struck after equally quick moves. The 19-year-old later added another, while a late Mikel Arteta consolation did nothing to improve the mood of the beleaguered Arsenal fans.
But while the Gunners were bad – probably the worst they have been all season – Liverpool were simply irresistible, as they carved the Arsenal back four open at almost every opportunity.
It could even have been six before half-time, had Sturridge not missed a one-on-one with Wojciech Szczesny and Luis Suarez’s wonderstrike hit the back of the net as opposed to the post before rebounding to Kolo Toure.
Indeed, what Saturday’s display confirmed was that Brendan Rodgers has built a side of sheer tactical mastery, one that may even go down in history as one of the great counterattacking teams. And maybe one of the best to have graced Anfield.
Liverpool’s pace, with Sterling, Sturridge, Jordan Henderson and Suarez, was mind-blowing, while even the likes of Jon Flanagan burst forward whenever he could. With Steven Gerrard manning the set-piece deliveries and through balls from midfield, moreover, the Reds – even with their paper-thin squad and lack of January signings – were indestructible within the realms of Fortress Anfield.
Whisper it – but Rodgers’ men are just six points off league-leaders Chelsea now, meaning Reds fans can dare to dream a little.
Encouragingly, Manchester City, Chelsea and Tottenham are all yet to visit Anfield this season – and after their 4-0 drubbing of Everton, combined with yesterday’s emphatic victory over the Gunners, Liverpool will fear no one. With 11 wins from 13 home games, why should they?
Only Southampton have beaten them on Merseyside this season and very few sides will fancy their chances of changing that record now. Arsenal, for their part, will just be happy they don’t have to return any time soon.
So if it wasn’t clear to anyone before, yesterday it became official: Liverpool are Anfield kings once again.
image: © Vincent Teeuwen
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