Liverpool’s explosive frontline left Arsene Wenger humiliated as they tore through Arsenal in a 4-0 Premier League win at Anfield.
The quartet of Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah and substitute Daniel Sturridge found the net in a breath-taking display as they breached Arsenal’s woeful defence time and again on Sunday.
The Gunners find themselves in the bottom half of the table after three games that have brought one win, two defeats and seven goals against. Yet again, pressure is building on the Arsenal boss.
The powerful Sead Kolasinac was dropped as part of the ongoing charm offensive to convince Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to stay. Arsenal supporters might have wondered why on earth so much energy is being expended on keeping the 24-year-old.
Deployed at right wing-back, with Hector Bellerin an uncomfortable fit on the other flank, he all too often left Rob Holding on his own to deal with the marauding Sadio Mane.
Firmino’s opener, the culmination of 17 minutes of remorseless pressure, came from the opposite flank, an unmarked header inside the box, but the left flank was a constant source of joy for Liverpool.
The pressure eventually told when both Aaron Ramsey and Granit Xhaka, nominally Arsenal’s midfield shield, were caught upfield. Liverpool burst in numbers when the visitors gave up possession, with no-one to slow Emre Can’s charge through the centre of the field.
Three-on-three the Premier League’s most formidable counter-attacking force had no difficulty doubling their advantage, the isolate Rob Holding showing Mane inside as he curled a low shot into the far post.
Liverpool should have been more than 2-0 up. Petr Cech’s instinctive save had denied Mohamed Salah before the rout began and had the Egyptian not been caught offside so regularly the damage would have been more severe by the interval.
After making such a mess of his starting lineup Wenger responded, withdrawing the woeful Ramsey at the half to bring in Francis Coquelin.
But it was the switch to 4-2-3-1 that briefly seemed to offer Arsenal hope. Playing players in their positions – a radical concept for Wenger this season – gave the visitors purpose in attack, with Mesut Ozil lashing a low drive past Loris Karius’ far post.
It was a chimera. Even an improved system could not mitigate for woeful errors. Bellerin’s heavy touch as he took down a clearance did nothing more than tee up Salah to burst away. From his own half he was one-on-one with Cech, who he placed a low shot beyond and into the bottom corner.
The bleeding was not to stop. Wenger threw on two strikers, Olivier Giroud and Lacazette. It was no wonder Arsenal were caught on the counter for the fourth as Sturridge headed home at the back post.
Alexis Sanchez pouted his way to the bench after an hour in which he contributed little.
He will likely still be an Arsenal player when the transfer window closes on Thursday night but he will need his manager to find a major injection of quality if what is likely to be his final season at the Emirates isn’t to represent a further slide away from the Premier League elite.
