HALF-TIME AT ANFIELD

Decent half of football that at Anfield!

Arsenal started brightly under the lights in the Premier League’s evening kick-off and at first it was their fans singing loudest.

But Liverpool grew into the half and that incident on the touchline between the managers appears to have sparked the hosts into life.

The goal from Mane was coming and they could have been another two or three in front but for the heroics of Aaron Ramsdale in the Arsenal net.

Bring on the second half!

PEEEEEEEEEEEP!

THAT’S HALF-TIME!

LIVERPOOL 1-0 ARSENAL

LIVERPOOL 1-0 ARSENAL

45. One minute of added time to come. Both sides will be looking to get to half-time as quickly as possible here.

LIVERPOOL 1-0 ARSENAL

43. Yellow card for goalscorer Mane there after a hard challenge on Ben White. He looks fired up today – although manager Jurgen Klopp won’t want to lose him to a red…

LIVERPOOL 1-0 ARSENAL

42. Saka goes barrelling down the Arsenal right and makes good ground. He runs out of room though and is forced to fire in a slightly aimless pass square to Sambi Lokonga. The midfielder gets a good crack on it but Alisson gathers it comfortably.

LIVERPOOL 1-0 ARSENAL

39. Arsenal skipper Aubameyang brings down the big man Joel Matip in a dangerous spot to concede a free-kick. Trent fires it into the Arsenal box with one of his trademark set piece deliveries. And in amongst the towering centre-backs up pops Sadio Mane to head home the opener. Anfield roars its approval.

GOOOOOOAAAAAAAALLLL!

LIVERPOOL GO IN FRONT!

MANE WITH THE HEADER!

LIVERPOOL 0-0 ARSENAL

37. We might lack goals here at Anfield but this is turning into an absolute barnstormer. Fabinho flies in for an essential last-ditch challenge on Lacazette as Arsenal threaten on the counter.

LIVERPOOL 0-0 ARSENAL

36. It’s Liverpool vs Aaron Ramsdale at the moment. The Arsenal keeper gets his fingertips on a rasping drive from Trent to tip it over for a corner. Ramsdale then clears his lines with a punch.

LIVERPOOL 0-0 ARSENAL

34. Aaron Ramsdale is probably worth his weight in gold…

Liverpool are all over Arsenal now as the game gets a little scrappy and the Anfield faithful find their voice. The ball is fired into the Arsenal box and Mo Salah is there to smash it goalward. But in his way is the mighty Ramsdale, who once again spreads himself wide to keep his clean-sheet intact!

LIVERPOOL 0-0 ARSENAL

32. FURY ON THE TOUCHLINE!

Managers Jurgen Klopp and Mikel Arteta are going absolutely beserk at each other on the sidelines. It seems to be have been sparked by a coming together between Tomiyasu and Mane. Klopp isn’t happy but Arteta is more than willing to let him know what he thinks of the situation.

Both end up being shown a yellow card – it’s suddenly like a derby atmosphere as the Anfield crowd responds to the drama on show!

LIVERPOOL 0-0 ARSENAL

31. ARSENAL HAVE THE BALL IN THE NET!

But it doesn’t count… Lacazette smashes the ball into the back of the net in frustration as he realises the offside flag is coming.

LIVERPOOL 0-0 ARSENAL

30. It was another fantastic double save from Ramsdale there, fresh from his heroics with THAT save against Leicester’s James Maddison.

The England keeper had parried the initial shot from Thiago before springing on the rebound to snuff out the danger.

LIVERPOOL 0-0 ARSENAL

29. HUGE CHANCE FOR LIVERPOOL!

Trent fires in another cross from the right and Thiago steps onto the second ball. He drives a shot hard towards Ramsdale, who manages to parry away for a corner.

LIVERPOOL 0-0 ARSENAL

28. That corner again comes to nothing but Liverpool are camped in Arsenal territory now and looking comfortable on the ball.

LIVERPOOL 0-0 ARSENAL

26. It’s suddenly all Liverpool after Arsenal’s bright start. The ball is loose in midfield before Oxlade-Chamberlain picks it up and strides forward. He smashes a shot straight off the backside of an Arsenal defender and it’s another Liverpool corner.

LIVERPOOL 0-0 ARSENAL

24. Trent picks the ball up on the right deep inside Arsenal territory and whips in a low cross across the face of Ramsdale’s goal. There are no red shirts anywhere near it and Bukayo Saka is able to scoop it away to the relative safety of a corner.

Liverpool can’t capitalise on the set-piece chance as Arsenal clear their lines.

LIVERPOOL 0-0 ARSENAL

22. Salah is starting to hit his stride now at Anfield. The Egyptian picks up the ball wide on the left and is quickly up to speed. Only a frantic lunge from Tavares stops him.

LIVERPOOL 0-0 ARSENAL

19. CHANCE FOR LIVERPOOL (almost…!)

Mo Salah is played through and comfortably outpaces Gabriel, but his shot takes a deflection and falls to Diogo Jota. The Portuguese doesn’t get a good connection and it’s crisis averted for Arsenal.

It wouldn’t have mattered anyway as seconds later the ref blows for offside – Salah had strayed too far forward.

LIVERPOOL 0-0 ARSENAL

18. Arsenal are having a good spell of it at Anfield. Thomas Partey bosses possession in the midfield before Ben White fires a long-range pass forward towards Saka. The England man is muscled off the ball as he bears down on the Liverpool goal but it’s energetic stuff from the visitors at the moment.

LIVERPOOL 0-0 ARSENAL

16. CHANCE FOR ARSENAL!

Tomiyasu drags Van Dijk out to the right before firing in a crisp cross in the direction of Bukayo Saka. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is alert to the danger though and just does enough to get his body in the way of the England youngster.

LIVERPOOL 0-0 ARSENAL

14. Again the delivery isn’t there for Liverpool and Arsenal win a free-kick of their own in the box. The confidently play out from the back before Lacazette missing a through-ball attempt and Alisson gathers in the hosts’ net.

LIVERPOOL 0-0 ARSENAL

13. We’ve got some end-to-end action here at Anfield now. Both sides looking to counter-attack the other as Arsenal send Emile Smith Rowe galloping down their left. A frantic period of play ends with Lacazette bringing down Mane midway in the Arsenal half.

LIVERPOOL 0-0 ARSENAL

12. The Tomiyasu vs Mane battle is already heating up nicely down the Liverpool left. Mane runs at the defender, who can only bring him down for yet another free-kick. The delivery is not quite there though and Van Dijk is unable to get a clear header on target.