Arsenal did one thing to Liverpool that’s never happened in the Premier League before

Add as preferred source on Google

Arsenal broke a Premier League record against Liverpool on Sunday.

The level of dominance that Arsenal enjoyed in their 3-1 win over Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium yesterday has now been put into perspective by one remarkable stat.

The Gunners were in complete control for a large part of the match on Sunday, and even when Liverpool had a spell of sustained possession, they did little to threaten the Gunners’ goal. The one goal they did score did not even come about from a shot on target, but rather an unfortunate ricochet off of Gabriel Magalhaes, after some confusion between William Saliba and David Raya at the back.

In fact, over the course of the entire match, the Reds only managed one shot on target. Mikel Arteta’s side, meanwhile, produced seven, and fifteen shots in total.

These were not all speculative efforts on goal from range, either. The Gunners repeatedly worked their way into good positions, cutting through the Liverpool defence, to an extent far beyond what the Merseyside club are used to.

This is highlighted by one stat that shows that Arsenal in fact made history on Sunday. As reported by TNT Sports, the north London club recorded an xG of 3.52 in this game, which is the most Liverpool have ever faced in the Premier League.

Arsenal showing signs of attacking progress

Arsenal have not always been the most clinical side in front of goal this season. In fact, even in an earlier clash against Liverpool, when the Gunners were knocked out of the FA Cup by Jurgen Klopp’s men, they were guilty of missing a hatful of very presentable opportunities. 

Arsenal were able to find their finishing touch yesterday, though, as Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, and Leandro Trossard all succeeded in finding the back of the net.

The Gunners now need to maintain this habit of converting their chances into goals. Arteta’s squad lacks a prolific, out-and-out goalscorer to spearhead the attack, as such his team needs to score by committee. If Arsenal are to stand any chance of being crowned champions this season, the likes of Saka, Martinelli, Gabriel Jesus, Kai Havertz, and Martin Odegaard, amongst others, all need to chip in regularly throughout the remainder of the campaign.

Arsenal are right back in the title race now, off the back of this win over Liverpool. They must now back that up with a consistent run of positive results.