Liverpool vs. Arsenal result: Salah scores as Gunners unbeaten streak ends

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Simon Borg
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Mohamed Salah - Liverpool - November 20, 2021

Arsenal's eight-match league unbeaten run and the hope of breaking into the top four ran into a buzzsaw of a Liverpool team, which romped to a 4-0 win over the Gunners at Anfield Road. And for long stretches, there was only one team on the field.

Four different scorers found the back of the net for Liverpool, which moved up to second place, just four points behind leaders Chelsea, which also won its Matchday 12 contest earlier in the day. With 35 goals scored, Liverpool leads the Premier League.

The home team started strong, but Arsenal defended in orderly fashion and when it failed, goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale found a way to keep Liverpool out of the net. But the visitors were ultimately undone by a set piece which Sadio Mane headed home just before halftime.

MORE: Why Liverpool needs to make a move for another forward

The Reds upped the pressing considerably in the second half and Arsenal never found a way back into the game. Diogo Jota took advantage of an Arsenal giveaway — Arsenal left back Nuno Tavares passed the ball right to him — and doubled Liverpool's lead. Mohamed Salah and Takumi Minamino then scored similar goals to pad the lead: Liverpool won the ball on both occasions, went straight downfield with a few passes, and both Salah and Minamino had easy finishes near the goal line.

Arsenal next preps for a home league match against Newcastle United next Saturday, while Liverpool will be back at home for two more matches this week: against Porto in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday and then back in the Premier League against Southampton on Saturday.  

Liverpool vs. Arsenal final score

  1H 2H Final
Liverpool 1 3 4
Arsenal 0 0 0

Goals:
LIV — Sadio Mane (Trent Alexander-Arnold) — 39th min.
LIV — Diogo Jota — 52nd min.
LIV — Mohamed Salah (Sadio Mane) — 73rd min.
LIV — Takumi Minamino (Trent Alexander-Arnold) — 77th min.

(All times Eastern)

Final: Liverpool 4, Arsenal 0

84th min.: SUBS - Elneny is on for Arsenal's Partey, while Liverpool give a debut to Morton in place of Thiago. This game is over.

77th min.: Another for Liverpool! And another overwhelming wave of attackers. Mane to Salah to Alexander-Arnold and his cross is touched in by Minamino. Cruise control or do they look for more?

76th min.: SUBS - Takumi Minamino and Jordan Henderson are in for Jota and Oxlade-Chamberlain.

73rd min.: What a goal by Liverpool. In a matter of three passes, they went from midfield to scoring in the Arsenal box. Jota touches to Mane wide left and he sends the cross to Salah alone in front of goal for the easy finish.

68th min.: Another incredible Ramsdale save on a Diogo Jota shot that was going the opposite way. This would be a lopsided score line if it wasn't for Ramsdale.

67th min.: SUB - Martin Odegaard comes in for Arsenal's Alexandre Lacazette.

65th min.: Chance for Arsenal! Aubameyang with a diagonal shot that nearly beats Liverpool's Alisson, but the Brazilian 'keeper gets his toe on the ball to deflect it.

64th min.: At this point it feels like Arsenal is playing down a man (they're not). Liverpool is first to everything and Arsenal can't bother the hosts.

58th min.: Liverpool is pouring on the pressure and Arsenal is giving up the ball way too easily. The last play saw Diogo Jota and Aaron Ramsdale colliding hard. There's a break in play to allow the players to recover.

53rd min.: SUB - Arsenal's response to the goal is to bring on Maitland-Niles for Lokonga in midfield.

52nd min.: Diogo Jota goal! Nuno Tavares with an inexplicable pass to his own box right at Jota. And the Liverpool forward put on the moves with two dribble moves and the easy finish.

50th min.: Liverpool with a buzzing move in the Arsenal box, but Ramsdale is quick to fall on the loose ball and defuse the danger.

46th min.: Second half is underway. No changes.

Halftime: Liverpool 1, Arsenal 0

Halftime: After a slow start to this game, the action finally ramped up and the tempers flared between the two benches. Liverpool's lead is arguably deserved after being on the front foot from the opening whistle. Arsenal defended comfortably for large passages of play, but then Aaron Ramsdale had to come up with a handful of big saves to keep Liverpool off the board before Sadio Mane's set-piece header. Arsenal is going to have to take more chances in the second half if it's going to prevent its first loss in nine matches.

43rd min.: Arsenal tests Alisson. Lokonga with the long-distance shot and Alisson goes down low to stop it.

39th min.: Goal Liverpool! Free kick curled in by Trent Alexander-Arnold and Sadio Mane heads it down and bounces it in. Ramsdale couldn't stop that one.

37th min.: Ramsdale again! Trent Alexander-Arnold cut inside and unleashed a left-footed blast which Ramsdale tipped over the bar. The 23-year-old is rising to the occasion.

35th min.: Save by Ramsdale! Mo Salah thought he had scored, but Ramsdale stops him, then an Arsenal defender clears the rebound before Salah can get to it.

33rd min.: Now the game is taking off. Both managers are shown cautions after coming together. Mikel Arteta and Jurgen Klopp were in each other's face after a Mane elbow on Tomiyasu.

31st min.: Impressive transition by Arsenal and Lacazette scores, but Aubameyang was offside in the build-up.

30th min.: Aaron Ramsdale double save on Thiago and Sadio Mane! It's been a quiet match as far as chances, but that was a great look with fantastic stops by Ramsdale.

10th min.: Fabinho comes close. Liverpool has had a positive start, but Arsenal is defending comfortably for the most part.

1st min.: We're underway. Liverpool immediately on the front foot.

11:45 a.m. ET: This can't be a popular take about Anfield Road, is it?

Liverpool vs. Arsenal lineups

Predictable front line for Liverpool with Roberto Firmino out. Konstantinos Tsimikas gets the start at left back and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain starts in midfield.

Liverpool starting lineup (4-3-3, left to right): Alisson-GK — Tsimikas, Van Dijk, Matip, Alexander-Arnold — Fabinho, Thiago, Oxlade-Chamberlain — Mane, Jota, Salah

Liverpool subs (9): Kelleher, Konate, Henderson, Minamino, Gordon, Phillips, Beck, Morton, Bradley

MORE: Why did it take so long for a big club to sign Van Dijk

Thomas Partey makes the starting lineup to give Arsenal its standard look from recent matches with Alexandre Lacazette playing in behind center forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

Arsenal starting lineup (4-2-3-1, left to right): Ramsdale-GK — Tavares, Gabriel, White, Tomiyasu — Partey, Lokonga — Smith Rowe, Lacazette, Saka — Aubameyang

Arsenal subs (9): Leno, Tierney, Holding, Cedric, Elneny, Maitland-Niles, Odegaard, Pepe, Martinelli

How to watch Liverpool vs. Arsenal

  • Date: Sat, Nov. 20
  • Time: 12:30 p.m. ET
  • TV Channel: NBC
  • Streaming: fuboTV, Peacock

The match will be broadcast on the main NBC broadcast network channel. The network is streamed on fuboTV, which offers new users a  free 7-day trial.

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Simon Borg Photo
Simon Borg

Simon Borg is a senior editor for football/soccer at The Sporting News.