Dominik Szoboszlai screamer against Arsenal sends Liverpool top of the Premier League

With the match seemingly headed for a goalless draw, the Reds right-back smashed an 83rd minute set-piece past David Raya in the Arsenal goal.

The game had started in the worst possible way for the Gunners with influential defender William Saliba withdrawn after just five minutes. He pulled up with an injury and was quickly replaced by Cristhian Mosquera, who was making just his second appearance after 26 minutes against Leeds last time out.

Liverpool subsequently had most of the ball early on, but they struggled to emerge from their own half, with Arsenal very much on the front foot.

They finally attempted a quick break forward, with Florian Wirtz leading the charge, only for the move to break down and the Gunners to launch a counter attack of their own.

Arsenal were more direct when they got hold of the ball and Gabriel Martinelli was the busiest of the visiting attackers, but wasted a good chance to get a shot away from a good position inside the area, to leave manager Mikel Arteta looking frustrated from the touchline.

Cody Gakpo tried his luck from a full 25 yards out as Liverpool looked to get forward, but it would've needed to be something special to score from that far out as he dragged his effort wide of the left post.

Liverpool then breathed a sigh of relief when a Declan Rice corner was just too heavy for Mosquera to get a touch, while there was another heart in mouth moment just minutes later from a similar set-piece that saw Reds shotstopper Alisson get down well to hold on to a goal bound Noni Madueke volley.

Rice blasted over a 29th minute free-kick, while a moment of madness from Raya so nearly cost Arsenal, as he tried to play out from the back. Virgil van Dijk picked up the ball and looked to get a shot away, but opted to pass and allow Rice to get in a block.

Riccardo Calafiori was, meanwhile, not far from finding an opener with a shot at the other end, at the end of the first half that was deflected wide for a corner, before heading the subsequent set-piece just off target.

There was nothing separating the two teams at the break in a match with lots of intensity but lacking in chances, and it was a similar theme at the start of the second half, with calls for new Arsenal signing Eberechi Eze to be introduced.

A 54th minute Rice corner was powerfully headed clear by defender Ibrahima Konate while Alisson had to be alert to pounce on a loose ball in the area after a long clearance from Raya was being chased down by Viktor Gyokeres.

Liverpool remained patient in their approach, but came to life on the hour mark and had the ball in the back of the net through Hugo Ekitike but the goal was correctly ruled out for offsides in the build-up play.

There was a nervy moment at the other end that needed a Konate intervention, as Madueke fired in on goal while Raya had to be alert to get his hands to a Mohamed Salah cross from the right-hand side that bobbled off Califiori.

Liverpool had introduced Curtis Jones for Alexis Mac Allister on the hour mark in a bid to affect the result, and Arteta rang his changes with 70 minutes played as he brought on Eze for Gabriel Martinelli and Martin Odegaard for Mikel Merino.

And the two Arsenal substitutes almost made an immediate impact with a neat give and go on the edge of the area, before the ball fell to Gyokeres and was ultimately cleared.

Joe Gomez came on for an injured Konate for the last 10 minutes of the game, as Frederico Chiesa was brought on to replace Ekitike.

Both managers were hoping to impact the game with their changes, but it was a moment of magic from Dominik Szoboszlai that settled this tie as he fired in an exceptional free-kick from a long way out that left Raya with no chance.

To be fair, it was second half Jones who won the free-kick after drawing what seemed like an unnecessary foul from Martin Zubimendi.

It was always going to take something special to beat Arsenal  and Raya was never getting near that Szoboszlai strike.

Wirtz was withdrawn after the goal with a limp and replaced by Wataru Endo as the Gunners threw on 15-year-old Max Dowman for the impressive Madueke for one last throw of the dice.

Seven minutes of injury time gave Arsenal fans faint hope of a last-gasp draw, but Liverpool did well to take the pace out of the game and claim a vital three points, to move onto nine at the top of the Premier League standings and leave the Gunners in third with six points.

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