Liverpool, Sept 1, 2025|SKY LINK TIMES:
Liverpool’s Dominik Szoboszlai delivered a moment of brilliance to hand his side a narrow but crucial 1-0 victory over Arsenal in a cagey Premier League contest at Anfield on Sunday.
With both sides entering the game unbeaten after two wins apiece, expectations were high. Yet for much of the match, it seemed destined to fizzle out into a tactical stalemate. That was until Szoboszlai produced a dazzling free kick in the 83rd minute, striking from nearly 30 metres out to leave Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya helpless.
A Moment of Magic
The breakthrough came after Arsenal’s Martin Zubimendi fouled Curtis Jones in midfield. From distance, Szoboszlai stepped up and struck his right-footed shot with pace and precision, sending the ball into the top corner.
“I had to take a risk and shoot a little bit harder because I knew Raya likes to jump behind the ball. He’s an unbelievable goalkeeper. If it goes a bit more inside, he saves it,” Szoboszlai explained after the match.
The strike lit up Anfield and proved to be the decisive moment in an otherwise tight and tactical encounter.
Arsenal Left Frustrated
For Arsenal, the result extended their winless run at Anfield, which now stretches back to 2012—a sequence of 16 league matches without victory.
“It was going to be decided in two possible actions, an individual error or a magic moment, and it was decided in a magic moment,” said Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta.
The visitors controlled large parts of the game, limiting Liverpool’s attacking threat for long periods. They prevented the Reds from having a touch in their penalty area for the first 33 minutes and didn’t concede a corner until the 70th. Yet their conservative approach ultimately cost them, as they failed to create enough in the final third.
Arsenal’s woes deepened when William Saliba was forced off after just five minutes with an ankle injury, replaced by summer signing Cristhian Mosquera. While Noni Madueke’s pace provided occasional danger, Alisson was rarely tested in the Liverpool goal, aside from a routine stop from Madueke’s first-half effort.
Disallowed Goal Adds Drama
Liverpool briefly thought they had taken the lead on the hour mark when Hugo Ekitike bundled the ball home after Raya spilled a Florian Wirtz shot. However, the effort was quickly ruled out for offside, much to Arsenal’s relief.
New signing Eberechi Eze made his first appearance for the Gunners in the final 20 minutes, but he and fellow attackers Viktor Gyökeres and Martin degaard struggled to break through Liverpool’s defensive lines.
Champions Show Their Grit
For Liverpool, the victory marked a statement in their pursuit of back-to-back Premier League titles under new manager Arne Slot. After conceding four goals in their opening two matches, the champions looked rock-solid defensively, led by Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konaté.
Slot praised his side’s resilience and Szoboszlai’s decisive strike:
“If you win against a team like Arsenal, who last season were such a good team and have strengthened so much, to win against them is very positive. We will know at the end of the season what it’s worth.”
Table Implications
The win sends Liverpool into the international break top of the Premier League, two points ahead of Chelsea and three clear of Arsenal, who now sit in third.
For Arsenal, the loss is a sobering reminder that despite heavy investment—over £260 million spent in the summer transfer window—they must sharpen their cutting edge in big games to mount a serious title challenge.
Final Whistle
In the end, this was not a match remembered for flowing football or relentless attacking play, but for one spectacular strike. Szoboszlai’s long-range free kick was the defining moment, sealing Liverpool’s dominance at Anfield once more and firing an early warning shot in the title race.
Full-Time: Liverpool 1–0 Arsenal
Goal: Szoboszlai (83’)
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