Sunday 5 March 2017 19:07, UK
Liverpool jumped into third place in the Premier League table with a 3-1 win over top-four rivals Arsenal at Anfield.
Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino gave Jurgen Klopp's side a two-goal lead in a one-sided first half. Danny Welbeck pulled a goal back for Arsenal, but Georginio Wijnaldum sealed victory for Liverpool in stoppage time.
Here, we take a look at five talking points from the game, including Arsene Wenger's decision to leave Alexis Sanchez on the bench and Mane's match-winning performance for Liverpool...
Wenger emphasised the importance of playing with a "positive attitude" before the game, but Arsenal were completely overrun from the moment Firmino put Liverpool in front. Emre Can, Wijnaldum and Adam Lallana dominated Granit Xhaka and Francis Coquelin in midfield, and Liverpool's front three ran riot further forwards.
Arsenal couldn't get the basics right. From Laurent Koscielny losing his header with Firmino in the build-up to the first goal to Alex Iwobi allowing Wijnaldum to run beyond him for the second, there were costly individual errors all over the pitch as they failed to cope with Liverpool's breathless intensity.
Arsenal were desperately passive without the ball and the stats showed it. Wenger's side came to Anfield having averaged 64 ball recoveries per Premier League game, but in the first half they only managed 19 despite having just 43 per cent of the possession. The lack of desire was alarming.
They struggled with the ball, too, recording a passing accuracy rate of just 76.8 per cent - their third lowest of the entire season - as they failed to find any kind of composure to ease the pressure before the break. They did improve in the second half, but the damage was already done.
The decision to drop Sanchez left supporters scratching their heads. The Chilean is Arsenal's top scorer and top assist provider this season, but he found himself on the bench as Wenger opted for what he described as a "more direct" approach, with Olivier Giroud starting his first Premier League game since the end of January.
Whatever Wenger's reasons, however, there was no escaping the fact that the decision backfired. The Gunners carried next to no attacking threat before Sanchez's introduction at half-time, with Giroud touching the ball fewer times than any other player on the pitch - including the two goalkeepers.
Sanchez made an immediate impact after replacing Coquelin, firing a dangerous cross towards Welbeck just two minutes into the second half. Arsenal suddenly seemed to believe again. Sanchez was involved in the move leading to Mignolet saving Giroud's header moments later, and it was his pass which set up Welbeck to pull a goal back in the 57th minute.
They continued pushing forward in the closing stages, but Wijnaldum made the result safe when he netted Liverpool's third goal on the counter-attack. Arsenal were left to wonder what might have been had their talisman played from the start.
For all the attention on Arsenal beforehand, it was actually Liverpool who came into the game in worse form. Klopp's men had only won two of their previous 12 fixtures in all competitions, and they were in dire need of three points after the pain of their 3-1 loss to Leicester last time out.
Once again, they rose to the occasion against one of their top-six rivals. In nine games against Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham, Manchester United and Manchester City this season, Liverpool are undefeated, with five wins and four draws putting them top of the top-six mini-league by a distance. Arsenal, by contrast, are bottom of the mini-league with just one win from seven.
Anfield has witnessed impressive victories over Manchester City, Tottenham and now Arsenal in the last two months alone. But if Liverpool are to achieve a top-four finish, they'll need to find a way to stop slipping up against the smaller sides - starting against Burnley next weekend, live on Sky Sports.
Arsenal, meanwhile, are looking in the other direction. A run of three defeats from four Premier League games has sent them sliding out of the Champions League spots. Wenger's side now sit fifth, only one point ahead of sixth-placed Manchester United.
Results such as these will make it harder for Wenger to convince Arsenal's fans that he is the man to lead the club forward by signing a new contract, and he now faces the prospect of leaving the club having lost his proud, 20-year record of finishing in the Premier League's top four.
The Gunners now face the futile challenge of attempting to overhaul a four-goal deficit against Bayern Munich in the Champions League, and there are also Premier League games against Manchester City, Tottenham and Manchester United to come before the end of the campaign. If they can't improve their big-game record, they could find themselves starting next season in the Europa League.
Mane took the man-of-the-match award with another scintillating performance which highlighted his importance to Liverpool. The Senegal international set up the first goal with a dangerous low cross for Firmino, and he netted the second himself with a deft touch and powerful finish after taking up an excellent position in the opposition box.
It took him to 12 Premier League goals and five assists in his debut season at Anfield, giving him a higher combined total than any of his team-mates. Mane has developed an excellent understanding with false nine Firmino, with whom he combined for both goals, and Arsenal simply couldn't cope with his pace from start to finish.
Klopp will tell you Liverpool's strength lies in the collective pressing tactics which make life so difficult for their opponents, but there can be little doubting Mane's individual value. The Reds have a 68 per cent win rate with him starting this season compared to just 20 per cent without him. It's no coincidence.
