Szoboszlai’s Stunning Free-Kick Seals Late Liverpool Win Over Arsenal

‎Defending Premier League champions Liverpool showed their resilience once again, striking late at Anfield to edge past Arsenal in a hard-fought clash between last season’s title contenders.

‎A moment of brilliance from Dominik Szoboszlai was enough to hand the Reds all three points, condemning the Gunners to their first defeat in this Premier League head-to-head (H2H) after six unbeaten meetings.

‎Early Setback for Arsenal

‎The match got off to a disastrous start for Arsenal when defender William Saliba was forced off after just five minutes with an apparent injury. His absence unsettled the Gunners’ backline but did little to their attacking intent.

‎Noni Madueke, stepping in on the right wing in place of the injured Bukayo Saka, was a constant menace throughout the first half. He came close to breaking the deadlock with a fierce effort that forced Alisson Becker into a sharp early save.

‎Meanwhile, Liverpool remained patient. A sloppy pass from Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya presented Virgil van Dijk with a golden opportunity high up the pitch, but the Reds were unable to capitalise.

‎Despite Arsenal’s renowned threat from set-pieces, their tally of 33 goals from corners since 2023/24 leads all of Europe’s top five leagues. Liverpool’s defence stood firm. The sides went into the interval locked at 0-0, setting the stage for a tense second half.

‎VAR Drama and Disallowed Goal

‎The intensity rose after the restart. Liverpool thought they had finally broken through on the hour mark when Hugo Ekitike reacted quickest to a rebound from Florian Wirtz’s close-range strike.

‎The forward bundled the ball home, but their celebrations were cut short as the linesman’s flag went up for offside.

‎Arsenal responded by introducing Eberechi Eze for his debut, alongside captain Martin Ødegaard, in a bid to wrest control of midfield. Despite flashes of skill, neither substitute managed to tilt the balance in Arsenal’s favour.

‎Szoboszlai Delivers the Decisive Moment

‎As the game entered its closing stages Szoboszlai delivered. The Hungarian midfielder stepped up to a late free-kick and produced a moment of pure quality, curling the ball beyond Raya’s despairing dive into the top corner.

‎Szoboszlai’s strike extended Liverpool’s run to a club-record 37 consecutive Premier League games with a goal. The Reds maintained their 100% start to the new season and reinforced their formidable home record against Arsenal.