Liverpool v Arsenal, 29 December 2018

Score5-1 to Liverpool
RefereeMichael Oliver
CompetitionPremier League
VenueAnfield
Attendance53,326

View Liverpool v Arsenal head to head

Kick-off: 5.30pm Liverpool had now scored at least three goals in six of the last seven meetings (all Premier League). This was now first time the Reds had scored four or more goals in consecutive home league games against the Gunners since 26 August 1922. Premier League Head to Head Played: 54 Liverpool won: 20 Drawn: 19 Arsenal won: 15 Liverpool scored: 87 Arsenal scored: 68

5 Liverpool

Manager: Jürgen Klopp

1 Arsenal

Manager: Unai Emery

Goals:

Roberto Firmino 14 G
Roberto Firmino 16 G
Sadio Mané 32 G
Mohamed Salah penalty 45 P
Roberto Firmino penalty 65 P

Goals:

Ainsley Maitland-Niles 11 G

Starting lineup:

Goalkeeper Alisson Becker
Defender Dejan Lovren
Defender Virgil van Dijk
Defender/Midfielder Trent Alexander-Arnold
Defender/Midfielder Fabinho
Defender/Midfielder Andy Robertson
Midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum
Midfielder/Forward Roberto Firmino
Midfielder/Forward Sadio Mané
Midfielder/Forward Mohamed Salah
Midfielder/Forward Xherdan Shaqiri

Starting lineup:

Bernd Leno Goalkeeper
Stefan Lichtsteiner Defender
Shkodran Mustafi Defender
Sokratis Papastathopoulos Defender
Sead Kolašinac Defender/Midfielder
Granit Xhaka Defender/Midfielder
Aaron Ramsey Midfielder
Lucas Torreira Midfielder
Alex Iwobi Midfielder/Forward
Ainsley Maitland-Niles Midfielder/Forward
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang Forward

Substitutions:

Jordan Henderson for Sadio Mané 62
Adam Lallana for Georginio Wijnaldum 78
Nathaniel Clyne for Andy Robertson 83

Substitutions:

Laurent Koscielny for Shkodran Mustafi 46
Alexandre Lacazette for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang 71
Mattéo Guendouzi for Sead Kolašinac 80

Cards:

Andy Robertson 26 Y

Cards:

Granit Xhaka 33 Y
Sokratis Papastathopoulos 90 Y

On the bench:

Goalkeeper Simon Mignolet
Defender Nathaniel Clyne
Defender/Midfielder Jordan Henderson
Midfielder Naby Keïta
Midfielder/Forward Adam Lallana
Forward Divock Origi
Forward Daniel Sturridge

On the bench:

Goalkeeper Petr Čech
Defender Laurent Koscielny
Defender/Midfielder/Forward Bukayo Saka
Midfielder Mohamed El Neny
Midfielder Mattéo Guendouzi
Midfielder Joe Willock
Forward Alexandre Lacazette

Comments:

League position: 1st Liverpool had now taken 54 points from their 20 games so far in this Premier League season; 16 more points than at the same stage of the previous season. They won 52 points in the entire 2011-12 season. They became the ninth team to remain unbeaten after 20 games of a top division season. Of the previous eight, only Sheffield United in League Division One in 1899-1900 failed to finish the season as champions. Liverpool had now won all eight games they played in December 2018; a new club record for the most wins in a calendar month. The Reds won all of their seven games in the Premier League in December 2018. It was the fifth time that a team had won seven games in the top division in a calendar month (also Chelsea in April 1922, Burnley in March 1959 and September 1961 and West Ham United in April 1986, all in League Division One). With the first hat-trick of his senior career, Roberto Firmino became the 16th different player to score a hat-trick for the Reds in the Premier League. He had now scored eight goals in his last seven Premier League games against Arsenal. Ainsley Maitland-Niles' goal meant that Liverpool were behind in a Premier League game at Anfield for the first time since the visit of Leicester City on 30 December 2017 (so one day short of exactly a year ago).

Comments:

League position: 5th Arsenal had now taken seven points in the last 20 away games in the Premier League at the other five teams in the big six (won none, lost 13). Only Fulham (24) had now conceded more goals in away games than the Gunners (21) so far in this Premier League season. They had now conceded 30 goals after 20 games of a league season for the first time since 1976-77 in League Division One (also 30). This was the fourth time that Arsenal had conceded four goals in the first-half of a game in the Premier League. This was the first time that the Gunners had conceded five or more goals in a game since a 5-1 loss to Bayern München at Emirates Stadium in the UEFA Champions League on 7 March 2017.

5 Liverpool

Manager: Jürgen Klopp

Goals:

Roberto Firmino 14 G
Roberto Firmino 16 G
Sadio Mané 32 G
Mohamed Salah penalty 45 P
Roberto Firmino penalty 65 P

Starting lineup:

Goalkeeper Alisson Becker
Defender Dejan Lovren
Defender Virgil van Dijk
Defender/Midfielder Trent Alexander-Arnold
Defender/Midfielder Fabinho
Defender/Midfielder Andy Robertson
Midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum
Midfielder/Forward Roberto Firmino
Midfielder/Forward Sadio Mané
Midfielder/Forward Mohamed Salah
Midfielder/Forward Xherdan Shaqiri

Substitutions:

Jordan Henderson for Sadio Mané 62
Adam Lallana for Georginio Wijnaldum 78
Nathaniel Clyne for Andy Robertson 83

Cards:

Andy Robertson 26 Y

On the bench:

Goalkeeper Simon Mignolet
Defender Nathaniel Clyne
Defender/Midfielder Jordan Henderson
Midfielder Naby Keïta
Midfielder/Forward Adam Lallana
Forward Divock Origi
Forward Daniel Sturridge

Comments:

League position: 1st Liverpool had now taken 54 points from their 20 games so far in this Premier League season; 16 more points than at the same stage of the previous season. They won 52 points in the entire 2011-12 season. They became the ninth team to remain unbeaten after 20 games of a top division season. Of the previous eight, only Sheffield United in League Division One in 1899-1900 failed to finish the season as champions. Liverpool had now won all eight games they played in December 2018; a new club record for the most wins in a calendar month. The Reds won all of their seven games in the Premier League in December 2018. It was the fifth time that a team had won seven games in the top division in a calendar month (also Chelsea in April 1922, Burnley in March 1959 and September 1961 and West Ham United in April 1986, all in League Division One). With the first hat-trick of his senior career, Roberto Firmino became the 16th different player to score a hat-trick for the Reds in the Premier League. He had now scored eight goals in his last seven Premier League games against Arsenal. Ainsley Maitland-Niles' goal meant that Liverpool were behind in a Premier League game at Anfield for the first time since the visit of Leicester City on 30 December 2017 (so one day short of exactly a year ago).

1 Arsenal

Manager: Unai Emery

Goals:

Ainsley Maitland-Niles 11 G

Starting lineup:

Bernd Leno Goalkeeper
Stefan Lichtsteiner Defender
Shkodran Mustafi Defender
Sokratis Papastathopoulos Defender
Sead Kolašinac Defender/Midfielder
Granit Xhaka Defender/Midfielder
Aaron Ramsey Midfielder
Lucas Torreira Midfielder
Alex Iwobi Midfielder/Forward
Ainsley Maitland-Niles Midfielder/Forward
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang Forward

Substitutions:

Laurent Koscielny for Shkodran Mustafi 46
Alexandre Lacazette for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang 71
Mattéo Guendouzi for Sead Kolašinac 80

Cards:

Granit Xhaka 33 Y
Sokratis Papastathopoulos 90 Y

On the bench:

Goalkeeper Petr Čech
Defender Laurent Koscielny
Defender/Midfielder/Forward Bukayo Saka
Midfielder Mohamed El Neny
Midfielder Mattéo Guendouzi
Midfielder Joe Willock
Forward Alexandre Lacazette

Comments:

League position: 5th Arsenal had now taken seven points in the last 20 away games in the Premier League at the other five teams in the big six (won none, lost 13). Only Fulham (24) had now conceded more goals in away games than the Gunners (21) so far in this Premier League season. They had now conceded 30 goals after 20 games of a league season for the first time since 1976-77 in League Division One (also 30). This was the fourth time that Arsenal had conceded four goals in the first-half of a game in the Premier League. This was the first time that the Gunners had conceded five or more goals in a game since a 5-1 loss to Bayern München at Emirates Stadium in the UEFA Champions League on 7 March 2017.