Arsenal vs Liverpool final score, highlights and result as Saka, Martinelli and Trossard blow Premier League title race open

Dom Farrell

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Arsenal vs Liverpool final score, highlights and result as Saka, Martinelli and Trossard blow Premier League title race open image

Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard were all on target as Arsenal recorded a superb 3-1 win over Premier League leaders Liverpool.

The Gunners headed into the match five points adrift in the title race against a Liverpool side that have won four out of four in the league since the 1-1 draw between the sides at Anfield.

It meant a win was required to truly haul Mikel Arteta’s side back into contention and they started in electrifying fashion, with Saka’s 14th-minute opener after Alisson saved from Kai Havertz the reward.

Liverpool did not manage a shot on target during the first-half but went in level after a mix-up between William Saliba and David Raya resulted in a Gabriel own-goal.

The Gunners trio were outdone by a combined Virgil van Dijk and Alisson howler midway through the second half that ended with Martinelli gleefully dispatching the ball into an empty net.

Ibrahima Konate was sent off for a second booking when he fouled Kai Havertz during the increasingly fractious closing stages before substitute Trossard brought the house down.

Arsenal vs Liverpool final score

  Fulltime Scorers
Arsenal 3 Saka '14, Martinelli '67, Trossard 90+2
Liverpool 1  Gabriel (OG) '45+3

Lineups:

Arsenal (4-3-3 right to left): 22. David Raya (GK) — 4, Ben White, 2. William Saliba, 6. Gabriel, 35. Oleksandr Zinchenko (15. Jakub Kiwior) — 8. Martin Odegaard, 20. Jorginho, 41. Declan Rice — 7. Bukayo Saka (24. Reiss Nelson), 29. Kai Havertz, 11. Gabriel Martinelli (19. Leandro Trossard).

Liverpool (4-3-3 right to left): 1. Alisson (GK) — 66. Trent Alexander-Arnold (26. Andy Robertson), 5. Ibrahima Konate, 4. Virgil van Dijk, 2. Joe Gomez (6. Thiago Alcantara) — 38. Ryan Gravenberch (19. Harvey Elliott), 10. Alexis Mac Allister, 17. Curtis Jones — 20. Diogo Jota, 18. Cody Gakpo (9. Darwin Nunez), 7. Luis Diaz.

MORE: Where to watch Arsenal vs Liverpool live stream, TV channel, lineups, prediction for Premier League game

Who will win the Premier League title?

The first thing to say in response to that question is that Arsenal definitely can. It’s easy to forget that Arteta’s side were top at Christmas before back-to-back defeats to West Ham and Fulham. This was a stirring display and they have now beaten Manchester City and Liverpool on their own patch either side of a draw at Anfield. If the Gunners can remain unbeaten in that mini-league after their trip to the Etihad Stadium in late March then they will be firmly in the mix.

This certainly was not in the script for Liverpool, who appeared to have hit steamroller form on Jurgen Klopp’s prolonged farewell lap. Despite the dispiriting nature of this performance, the fact that they have only lost in north London this season means another long stretch without defeat is eminently possible. If City beat Brentford on Monday, they will be level on points with Arsenal and two behind Liverpool with a game in hand. As Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland return to fitness, the champions will like how this is shaping up.

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Gabriel Martinelli’s big-game goals drive Arsenal’s title ambition

A player would have to be playing very well indeed to earn the luck of an elite goalkeeper and centre-back missing the ball to let him put it into an empty net. The thing is, Martinelli probably deserved all that luck, even before his subtle nudge on Van Dijk encouraged the sky to fall in on the Liverpool skipper.

Tearing down the left flank during the first half and forcing Konate to work overtime, Martinelli deeply unsettled the Liverpool defence, who never truly recovered their poise from being a complete mess on Saka’s opener. Just as was the case when he scored the only goal against City in October, Martinelli netted the biggest goal of the day in a top-of-the-table clash. He’s the reason Arsenal are in the hunt for a first title in 20 years.

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Van Dijk admits responsibility for Liverpool defensive horror show

First, the good news for Liverpool. They are still top of the table and this was their first defeat since September. They have another season-breaking run in them.

By the same token, this was a momentum-sapper of the highest order. The Reds were relentless as they dispatched Chelsea 4-1 in midweek, although Wolves walloping Mauricio Pochettino’s beleaguered side 4-2 earlier on Sunday provided some sharp context for that result. Over 90 minutes where they were seldom in control, Liverpool’s usually rock-solid defence malfunctioned.

False nines are not a new ploy for elite teams in the modern era, but Klopp’s men seemed baffled as Havertz and Martin Odegaard dropped off the front. Van Dijk hared towards the latter in the 14th minute, the Norway playmaker’s pass was immaculate and there was no way to recover despite Alisson initially thwarting Havertz.

Martinelli’s goal was an authentic video nasty, while Van Dijk should probably have covered better on the third, given the over-worked Konate was no longer with him and Luis Diaz was going through his on-the-fly interpretation of the right-back position. Klopp’s team can get this out of their system but there’s quite a lot to get out.

MORE: Liverpool vs Arsenal history, head to head record, all-time results, trophies won between Premier League rivals

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Arsenal vs Liverpool live updates, highlights, and commentary

Fulltime: Bedlam and joy at Emirates Stadium. People were understandably ready to apply the last rites to their title bid today. Defeat to an in-form Liverpool would probably have ruled them out. But Mikel Arteta's side were magnificent throughout, save for an early second-half wobble after a nonsensical equaliser that Liverpool scarcely merited.

90th minute+2: GOOOOOAAAAALLLLLL!!!!!! Leandro Trossard!!!!!

That's it, three massive, massive points to Arsenal. You'd better believe they're in the title race. Trossard spins Elliott and there's a gaping whole where a right-back and a now dismissed central defender should be. He surges into the box and pops a low finish through Alisson.

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90th minute: Nunez thinks he should have a free-kick from Gabriel. He might have a point but gets booked for dissent. Heads are coming loose all over the place.

89th minute: Van Dijk goes up with Havertz, tumbles to the floor with him and catches him with a swinging leg. That looked a bit naughty buy VAR gives him the benefit of the doubt.

88th minute: RED CARD! IBRAHIMA KONATE SENT OFF! 

Konate fouls Havertz again, it's a blatent body check and there's little choice for the referee. You feel like it will take some written-in-the-stars, Jurgen Klopp farewell pixie dust to turn this around now.

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86th minute: For the first time since last April, Thiago Alcantara is on the pitch for Liverpool. Imagine he was involved in an equaliser...

85th minute: Nunez into one of his rumbling dribbles. He should probably cross but instead blooters a shot into orbit. What goes on between that guy's ears is fascinating at times.

84th minute: Arsenal hanging on? Well, Kiwior has just gone flying up from left-back and connected with a diving header from Odegaard's searching cross that Alisson holds. That would have brought the house down.

77th minute: Saka down having some treatment. Given Martinelli has already headed off, that wouldn't be idea for Arsenal and could essentially consign them to hanging on in a game where they've been the better side.

76th minute: Robertson's corner is half cleared and Mac Allister scuffs his volley on the edge of the box. It's one of those scrappy ones though that looks like it might sneak into the bottom corner... it goes wide.

67th minute: GOOOAAAALLLLL!!!!! Gabriel Martinelli!!!!!

And you thought the Liverpool equaliser was a mess. Good heavens. Alisson and Van Dijk make an unholy state of everything and leave Martinelli with an empty net. 

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64th minute: Check complete. On we go. A good tackle from Mac Allister all-things considered and not a great bit of play from Havertz.

63rd minute: Down goes Havertz in the area under a Mac Allister challenge. Referee Anthony Taylor isn't interested. VAR having a look, but it'd be a surprise if this was given.

62nd minute: Now Liverpool attack. End to end. Increasingly breathless. Jota, to Diaz, who shoots into Raya's arms.

61st minute: Rice surges through midfield and finds Saka, whose shot is deflected behind. A clatter of bodies converge upon Rice's in-swinging corner at the near post and the result is a goal kick.

58th minute: Nunez, Elliott and Robertson come on for Gakpo, Gravenberch and Alexander-Arnold. Arsenal repel a MacAllister setpiece.

57th minute: Just after Konate is booked for hauling back Havertz, Gabriel also enters the book for bringing down Gakpo. A good couple of moments for forwards getting the better of centre-backs, although that will be Gakpo's last involvement...

53rd minute: Arteta's men are back on it. A sublime line-breaking pass by Jorginho is touched back to Odegaard by Havertz. His shot is deflected into the side-netting from the edge of the box. Liverpool deal with Rice's corner.

51st minute: Arsenal getting back on the ball now. Konate outmuscles Havertz to close the door.

48th minute: Now Jones cuts in from the Arsenal left - an area Liverpool certainly seems to be targeting - and sends a lovely shot curling and dipping just wide. The roars of the first half have turned to groans of pure tension.

47th minute: Diaz again on the charge. His cross is behind Jota. Arsenal's heads don't appear to have cleared during halftime.

45th minute: We're back underway. No Liverpool changed but Kiwior is on for Zinchenko at left-back for Arsenal. Diaz tears forward and White has to make an important challenge. Mac Allister then fires wide from outside the box. Better than any Liverpool attack in the first half, probably.

Halftime: Liverpool go in level at 1-1 having failed to have a shot on target during the first half. Jurgen Klopp's side haven't been far short of abject. And yet Arsenal stained a glorious performance with that moment of high farce on the stroke of halftime. After all the high quality, will that be the moment that defines their afternoon?

45th minute+3: GOOOAAAALLLLL!!!!! Gabriel (OG)!!!!!

Oh Arsenal, Arsenal, Arsenal, Arsenal. What on earth have you done? Gravenberch plays a throughball that Saliba looks to shepherd towards Raya, neither of them committing to dealing with it. The tenacious Diaz nips in and gets there first, with the ball ricocheting off Gabriel and trickling into the net. All of the air feels like it's been sucked out of Emirates Stadium.

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45th minute+1: We're into three added minutes. Jorginho beautifully disguises a reverse pass to Martinelli. The ball is slightly caught under his feet and Konate, who feels like he is keeping Liverpool above water single-handedly at times, flies in to make a last-gasp challenge.

44th minute: Alexander-Arnold now goal-side of Saka, so he shifts possession inside to Havertz and out to the right. Liverpool repel their opponents but Arsenal are back popping the ball around before White is caught late by a petulant Diaz challenge.

42nd minute: Martinelli again sizing up Konate as Alexander-Arnold resides in a different area of north London. The Liverpool defender comes out on top this time.

38th minute: A tidily constructed set-piece from Arsenal sees the over-worked Konate half clear and Gabriel drill a low shot that Alisson gathers.

31st minute: Jones has a go at fouling White, Mac Allister makes sure. A few moments later, White gets himself a booking for timewasting after dallying over the restart. That feels odd. It's hardly as if Arsenal look like a team playing for halftime right now.

30th minute: A snapping little passage of play that it looked like Arteta might be about to walk into. His right on the touchline. Richard Keys will be furious.

29th minute: It's a Liverpool corner on the left after Zinchenko cleared a diagonal ball behind. Alexander-Arnold to take. Van Dijk gets up but his header loops harmlessly over.

25th minute: Rice bungled Mac Allister out of possession and Havertz drives through midfield. Gomez is persuaded into cynical foul and that brings a deserved booking. Liverpool off the pace in all departments right now.

21st minute: Liverpool are all over the place at the back right now. Alisson's pass gets Alexander-Arnold into trouble and he flicks the ball straight to Havertz. Van Dijk, who has been one of the main culprits, makes a desperate last-ditch challenge to deny Odegaard.

14th minute: GOOOAAAALLLLL!!!!! Bukayo Saka!!!!!

Arsenal's rip-roaring start is rewarded. A gorgeous first-time pass from Odegaard puts in Havertz. His finish is typically unassured. Alisson saves with his chest and the rebound falls for Saka, who takes a touch and dispatches a finish.

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13th minute: Back come Liverpool with a chance of their own. Mac Allister drills a pass into Gakpo, who's onside because Arsenal's defensive line is all over the place. The forward drills hard, low and wide across goal.

11th minute: Blistering wing play from Martinelli that Konate is unable to deal with. And Saka should score! The England star flung himself into a diving header but failed to make contact with the goal at his mercy.

7th minute: Odegaard whipping up the home fans already. Is that a new record? Anthony Gordon has probably done it earlier at St James' Park after conceding a throw-in.

3th minute: Nice play by Arsenal and Saka drills a dangerous ball to the near post that Konate hacks clear.

1st minute: Early involvement for Gakpo at centre-forward. The Dutchman holds up play from Van Dijk's long ball forward, Gabriel gets himself in a bit of a mess and a darting Jota is goalside of Zinchenko, only for his touch to escape him. What a start that might have been.

4 mins prior to kickoff: Here come the two teams. Great noise at Emirates Stadium as you'd expect.

25 mins prior to kickoff: A little bit more of an update on Szoboszlai, who has been left out after experiencing soreness in his hamstring. Given he was recently sidelined by a similar injury, Klopp is understandably wary of taking any further risks heading into a key period of the season.

35 mins prior to kickoff: A forgotten face returns to the Liverpool bench today. Thiago Alcantara is in a matchday squad for the first time since April last year. The Spain playmaker has endured a truly rotten time with injuries and, after a close season when Liverpool shipped out Fabinho and Jordan Henderson, some might have assumed he left the building too. But here he is, a year to the day on from his previous start on February 4, 2022.

Liverpool midfielder Thiago Alcantara
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55 mins prior to kickoff: Two changes for Arsenal to the team that beat Nottingham Forest 2-1. Gabriel Jesus misses out with a knee injury, meaning Kai Havertz comes in to play at centre-forward. Emile Smith Rowe replaced the Germany international in midfield at the City Ground but makes way for Jorginho, as Arteta understandably opts for a touch of pragmatism against the in-form Reds.

1 hour prior to kickoff: The teams are in. Let's start with Liverpool. Dominik Szoboszlai does indeed miss out, with Ryan Gravenberch starting in midfield. Trent Alexander-Arnold returns to the defence, with Cody Gakpo leading the attack. Darwin Nunez is only fit enough for a place on the bench after suffering a swollen foot during the 4-1 midweek win over Chelsea.

1 hr 10 mins prior to kickoff: It's probably a bit early to be talking like this (it certainly is in mathematical terms) but it could be hard to see a way back for Arsenal's title aspirations if they lose today. That would put them eight points behind Liverpool and level with Manchester City, who will have two games in hand. City's recent form and Klopp announcing his Liverpool departure appears to have set the stage for another titanic showdown between the two best teams of recent seasons. Mikel Arteta badly needs his players to rip up that script.

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1 hr 30 mins prior to kickoff: Confirmed team news will be with us in about half an hour but there's seemingly a significant blow for Liverpool. David Lynch is reporting that Dominik Szoboszlai has not travelled to London with Jurgen Klopp's squad. The reason for the Hungary international's absence is unclear at this stage but he only recently returned from a hamstring problem.

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2 hours prior to kickoff: Hello and welcome to The Sporting News' live coverage of Arsenal vs. Liverpool in the Premier League. Oh boy, this is a big one.

Arsenal vs Liverpool lineups, team news

Gabriel Jesus misses out with a knee complaint, meaning Kai Havertz returns to lead the line. Jorginho replaces Emile Smith Rowe in midfield.

Mohamed Elneny is on the bench following AFCON 2024 duty, but Takehiro Tomiyasu is yet to return to contention following Japan's run to the Asian Cup quarterfinals.

Arsenal (4-3-3, right to left): Raya (GK) — White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko — Odegaard, Jorginho, Rice — Saka, Havertz, Martinelli.

Arsenal subs (9): Ramsdale (GK), Soares, Kiwior, Trossard, Elneny, Walters, Nelson, Nketiah, Smith Rowe.

Jurgen Klopp is still without Mohamed Salah through injury, while Darwin Nunez is only fit enough for a place on the bench after coming out his all-action performance against Chelsea with a swollen foot. Cody Gakpo comes in to lead the attack.

Trent Alexander-Arnold returns in defence, with youngster Conor Bradley absent following the death of his father. Ryan Gravenberch starts in midfield with Dominik Szoboszlai unable to make the matchday squad. Thiago Alcantara is on the bench for the first time since April last year.

Liverpool (4-3-3 right to left): Alisson (GK) — Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Gomez — Gravenberch, Mac Allister, Jones — Jota, Gakpo, Diaz.

Liverpool subs (9): Kelleher (GK), Adrian (GK), Connel, Clark, Robertson, Quansah, Elliott, Thiago, Nunez.

What time is Arsenal vs Liverpool Premier League match?

This game will kickoff at Emirates Stadium at 4:30 p.m. local time in the UK. Here's how that translates to some of the major regions around the world:

  • USA/Canada (ET): 11:30 a.m.
  • Australia (AEDT): 3:30 a.m.
  • India (IST): 10 p.m.

Arsenal vs Liverpool live stream, TV channel

USA: This game is available for live streaming on the Peacock Network.

Canada: Every Premier League game this season is live-streaming exclusively via Fubo.

Australia: Fans in Australia can stream every match live and on-demand on Optus Sport.

UK: This match is available for live broadcast via Sky Sports with streaming options on Sky Go and Now TV.

India: This match will be telecast on Star Sports, while fans in India can stream on JioTV and Hotstar.

Here's how to watch this Premier League match across selected areas of the world's major regions:

Region TV Streaming
USA — Peacock
Canada —

Fubo Canada
UK Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Premier League Sky GO, Now TV
Australia — Optus Sport
India Star Sports Select 1, Star Sports Select 1HD, Star Sports Asia JioTV, Hotstar

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Dom Farrell

Dom Farrell Photo

Dom is the senior content producer for Sporting News UK. He previously worked as fan brands editor for Manchester City at Reach Plc. Prior to that, he built more than a decade of experience in the sports journalism industry, primarily for the Stats Perform and Press Association news agencies. Dom has covered major football events on location, including the entirety of Euro 2016 and the 2018 World Cup in Paris and St Petersburg respectively, along with numerous high-profile Premier League, Champions League and England international matches. Cricket and boxing are his other major sporting passions and he has covered the likes of Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury, Wladimir Klitschko, Gennadiy Golovkin and Vasyl Lomachenko live from ringside.