Arsenal clone Anfield aura to reaffirm place in title fight\u060c<\/p>\n
LONDON \u2013 And then there were three. An afternoon that began with Arsenal facing the prospect of the Premier League leaders disappearing from sight ended with a powerful statement of intent suggesting Mikel Arteta's side can challenge Liverpool and Manchester City for the title.<\/p>\n
They have now beaten both at the Emirates Stadium this season, victories which add results to the rhetoric Arteta uses to make us all believe. Sunday's 3-1 victory over Liverpool was achieved through force of will more than anything else, a relentless pressure game designed to destabilize Jurgen Klopp's side and knock them out of a rhythm that had brought them at the top of the ranking.<\/p>\n
The fact that the decisive error came from a mix-up between the stoic duo Alisson and Virgil van Dijk showed just how shaken Liverpool were here. Bukayo Saka had given the home side a 14th-minute lead, later canceled out by a bizarre Gabriel own goal in first-half injury time. But it was the Reds who imploded with a defensive element that prompted Sky Sports pundit Roy Keane to label Liverpool a “pub team”.<\/p>\n
– Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (US)<\/strong><\/p>\n Van Dijk tried to leave a long forward pass to Alisson with Gabriel Martinelli swarming around him. When Alisson came to take care of it, he kicked it into the air, leaving Martinelli with a loose ball and an open goal to put Arsenal in front. Van Dijk was also slow to engage Leandro Trossard in stoppage time as the Gunners substitute added a third, firing through Alisson's legs as if the Liverpool keeper wasn't there.<\/p>\n Arteta ran down the touchline with uncontrolled joy. The Spanish manager has previously spoken of trying to replicate the type of hostility that Anfield is famous for, creating an environment in which Arsenal's self-belief can grow.<\/p>\n Arsenal went so far as to produce a pre-match video<\/a> widely shared on social media \u2013 including on Arteta's own Instagram account \u2013 before kick-off in a bid to sharpen tempers. Sources claim Arteta was an integral part of the production. The end result was a victory that reinforced the belief in their ability to achieve this season's goals.<\/p>\n