Everything pointed to a goalless game with Liverpool and Arsenal showing very little space to circulate the ball, lots of physical disputes and the lowest xG in the Premier League over the last three years. Despite this, the Reds managed to find a way through a set-piece and an extremely well-taken free-kick to win and take their tally to nine points from three games.
The whole of the first half was more of a physical contest than a busy one in attacking terms, with Liverpool taking more of the attacking initiative and scaring their opponents with Gakpo's shot from outside the box, but that was one of the few moves of the first half. Meanwhile, Arsenal were very aggressive in their marking and neutralized their rivals' attempts to score, especially with Salah on the right flank. The Reds also tried to speed up their transitions and caused worries for the opposition defense.
In the 22nd minute, Madueke stepped up to take the corner and shot with great firmness, forcing Alisson to make a great save in the moment of greatest impact in the first half. After the break, the Gunners maintained their defensive stance, but had greater problems holding off the Reds' attacking impetus.
Wirtz was dangerous with a shot from the edge of the penalty area and Ekitiké took advantage of a free-kick to score, but the linesman spotted an offside position and left Liverpool very frustrated with the disallowed goal, causing the match to drop in intensity again with ten minutes marked by injuries and a few substitutions.
Liverpool defined victory as they gained more confidence
Little by little, Liverpool regained confidence with a greater attacking presence and were pushed hard by the strength of their fans, with the moment of great impact coming in the 82nd minute. From a free-kick far outside the penalty area, Szoboszlai finished with extreme class and scored a spectacular goal from a right angle to beat Raya and leave Arsenal with no points at Anfield.
Both teams could have shown a better attacking performance given the lack of attacking solutions against two very well-structured defenses. On the other hand, Liverpool are increasingly showing that they are a complete and ready team, being the only one with a 100% record in the Premier League.