Arsenal 4-1 Liverpool: The cannon shatters top 4 dreams

Ozil and Sanchez scored spectacular goals at the end of the first half, helping Arsenal secure a resounding victory against a major opponent.

Giroud capped off Arsenal's successful day with a powerful shot from outside the penalty area. Photo: Reuters.

Liverpool collapsed in the final eight minutes of the first half. Goalkeeper Mignolet had to pick the ball out of the net from shots by Hector Bellerin, Mesut Ozil, and Alexis Sanchez. In the second half, the visitors pulled one back from a penalty by captain Jordan Henderson. However, Emre Can's subsequent red card sealed the fate of Liverpool. Brendan Rodgers' side left the Emirates Stadium with another goal conceded when Oliver Giroud sealed the 4-1 victory in injury time.

Arsenal's resounding victory over Liverpool propelled them to second place, ahead of Manchester City's late match against Crystal Palace in Round 31. Arsenal now have 63 points, two points more than Manchester City and four points behind league leaders Chelsea.

Meanwhile, Liverpool suffered their second consecutive defeat against rivals for a top-four spot. They lost to Manchester United last week and Arsenal today. This not only puts Liverpool at risk of seeing the gap widen but also jeopardizes their current fifth place position if Southampton and Tottenham both win.

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Liverpool entered the match at the Emirates Stadium missing several key players and facing behind-the-scenes instability following the controversy surrounding Sterling's refusal to sign a new contract. Starting as underdogs, Liverpool were quickly pressured by Arsenal early on and nearly conceded an early goal if Mignolet hadn't made an excellent save from Ramsey's one-on-one shot.

It wasn't until midway through the first half that Liverpool began to regain control of the ball and launch sharp counter-attacks towards Arsenal's goal. The visitors even had a clearer chance to open the scoring when Markovic faced Ospina but decided to pass to Sterling, who couldn't keep up to finish.

Liverpool were the better team in the middle of the first half, creating several dangerous attacking opportunities, but today was Arsenal's day. The home side benefited from the brilliance of their star players, which is crucial in big matches. Young defender Bellerin unexpectedly opened the scoring with a decisive dribble and finish in the 37th minute. Almost immediately, Ozil doubled the lead with a stunning free-kick from over 20 meters. Alexis Sanchez sealed the first half with a powerful shot from outside the penalty area into the top corner, making it 3-0.

Ozil scored a spectacular goal from a free-kick. Photo: Reuters.

The last time Liverpool were three goals down at half-time in the Premier League was over 20 years ago, in February 1994. This is not only a sad historical event but also reflects the disappointing state of Liverpool at the moment.

Liverpool's only bright spot in this match was attacking midfielder Philippe Coutinho. The Brazilian star delivered some brilliant passes that at times tore apart Arsenal's defense. Unfortunately, there was no true striker above Coutinho to finish his passes. The duo of Sterling and Markovic clearly showed their weakness in finishing ability and their impatience in front of Arsenal's goal.

Sterling still drew attention with his ball control and dribbling, but in reality, it harmed Liverpool. The visitors opted for a counter-attacking strategy in this match, but the ball always slowed down a notch and lacked speed when it passed through Sterling's feet. Sterling should have shown more simplicity and creativity when the Arsenal defense was constantly marking him.

While Liverpool's attack lacked creativity, their defense played as if they were half-asleep. Defensive midfielder Lucas, recently returned from injury, showed he wasn't ready for a big game like today's. Lucas constantly lost possession in midfield and failed to perform his defensive duties effectively, leaving Liverpool's three-man defense vulnerable to direct attacks. Kolo Toure, a former Arsenal player, fared no better, lacking reliability in his finishing in front of the penalty area.

Liverpool were overshadowed on a day when Arsenal's stars shone. Photo: Reuters.

Manager Rodgers decided to bring Sturridge on at the start of the second half, but his appearance was too late to change the game. Liverpool played even more defensively than in the first half, forced to push their lines forward. Manager Wenger only needed to bring on a speedy player like Danny Welbeck to cause chaos in the Liverpool defense. In the 84th minute, Welbeck was the one who caused Emre Can to receive his second yellow card and be sent off.

Emre Can's red card hampered Liverpool just as they had pulled one back. Playing with ten men, Liverpool conceded a fourth goal from Giroud's left-footed strike. This was a testament to the French striker's recent form, earning him the Premier League Player of the Month award. It was his seventh goal in six consecutive league matches.

According to VnExpress