Szoboszlai is the new Trent in two ways!

For now, Dominik Szoboszlai has replaced Trent Alexander-Arnold as Liverpool’s right-back and his winner against Arsenal at Anfield on Sunday confirmed that he has also replaced the now Real Madrid player as the team’s free-kick specialist.

“I should mention Trent,” Szoboszlai told Sky Sports afterwards. “He was taking the free-kicks because, obviously, he has an unbelievable shot. But finally I could have my chance and yeah, I did it.

“I had to take a risk and shoot it a little bit harder because I know [David] Raya likes to jump behind the wall and, of course, he’s an unbelievable goalkeeper. So if I think it goes a little bit more inside, he saves it.

“I took a risk. I was confident in myself, so I tried it.”

It worked. As Mikel Arteta, the Arsenal manager, put it afterwards, this was a game that was going to be decided in one of two ways. “An individual error or a magic moment,” Arteta told Sky Sports. “It was decided by a magic moment.”

Watching the game for Sky Sports, Jamie Carragher said: “We have heard so much about his ability to hit shots from a distance. We have not seen it too much for Liverpool but, wow, what a goal.

“Szoboszlai has been revitalised. Absolutely outstanding. It is almost like they have found a position for him now, playing at right-back. Outstanding in the last few games.”

Arne Slot noted that the right-back position is one that Szoboszlai has not had much experience in but the manner in which the Hungarian kept Gabriel Martinelli quiet speaks volumes for how he has approached the task.

“He is an unbelievable character and sacrifices himself for the team. If he has to play right winger, right full-back, as a 10, it doesn’t matter where he has to play, he gives his best,” Slot told Sky Sports.

“I am only working with him now for a little bit more over a season, but he shows what Liverpool is all about.” It is the mentality that has taken them back to the top of the Premier League table.
Adam Bate

Big moments still passing Arsenal by

Three games into the season and the first that Arsenal have not won. They were without their best forward player in Bukayo Saka and lost their best defensive player William Saliba within minutes of the kick-off. And this was the champions away from home.

Mitigating circumstances, then. Context that should calm supporters frustrated by a 1-0 defeat decided by what both managers agreed was a moment of magic from Szoboszlai. And yet, there is that nagging fear that such moments pass Arsenal by.

“I think the game is there for Arsenal. They have to step up,” Gary Neville had told Sky Sports at half-time. “They need a psychological boost that they can win at grounds like this. They need the ruthlessness to go for the kill.” But it was lacking when it mattered.

Could Eberechi Eze have been introduced earlier? Given that Noni Madueke had the beating of Milos Kerkez, surely the play should have been funnelled in that direction? Why was momentum allowed to shift? “Because this is Anfield,” was Arteta’s explanation.

Arsenal were unbeaten against Liverpool and Manchester City last season and the season before. Indeed, you have to go back to the 2022/23 campaign, when they lost to City twice, in February and April, to surrender the initiative in that season’s title race.

The Gunners had been five points clear with a game in hand in late January but conceded seven times in those two matches against City. Arteta has tightened up in these big games since, but the question was still whether they could do that extra bit.

It is 13 years since they have won at Anfield and with City struggling there is already a feeling that the Premier League title will be won by one of these two. These matches matter most. It takes brilliance and belief to win them. Do Arteta’s Arsenal have both?
Adam Bate

Pep vows Man City will start winning but what’s wrong?

Crisis? What crisis? Pep Guardiola is keeping his cool amid Manchester City’s poor start to the Premier League season.

“I have a good feeling in many, many things,” he vowed after being beaten again, this time at Brighton. “We played really, really good. We created a lot.”

Man City could have been three ahead by half-time had Erling Haaland made the most of his chances. City respected Brighton’s possession-based style, allowing them to have it, but springing quickly when they turned over the ball.

Rodri shone in the first half, having the most touches, passes completed and possession regains on his first league start since suffering an ACL injury last September – but he faded in the second half as Brighton overran the Man City midfield.

“I’m not Messi. I’m not going to come back and just make the team win and win and win. This is a collective,” he said.

Man City had zero control from the 60th minute. They went more direct yet weren’t on the same wavelength to push up the pitch and play off Haaland.

Their defending became messy with Abdukodir Khusanov lunging into tackles and Rayan Ait Nouri ripped apart by Yankuba Minteh. They were inexplicably wide open in the 89th minute to allow Brajan Gruda to score the winner.

“Our base is still really, really good. And the new players are really good too,” vowed Guardiola.

“It’s a question of click. It’s a question of momentum. When we are going to start winning games, it’s going to happen.”
David Richardson

West Ham stop the rot – and quieten doubters

In their first three games in all competitions, West Ham faced 18 shots on target. From those 18, they conceded 11 goals.

As a result, they slipped to the bottom of the embryonic Premier League table and crashed out of the Carabao Cup at the second round stage for the first time since 2014/15.

The pressure was rising on Graham Potter, not least because before the trip to the City Ground, he had matched the number of games Julen Lopetegui had taken charge for (22) – and won two games fewer.

He reacted by switching from a back five to a four and, while the Hammers were not there to simply sit back against Forest, they prioritised defensive solidity and taking few risks, which kept Forest at bay.

The game plan worked to perfection, but they left enough in the tank to not only settle for a point, but blow Forest away with three goals in just seven minutes at the end.

There had been little prior indication as to what was to come, but maybe that gave an indication as to what West Ham might be capable of this season, despite what the doubters might say.
Dan Long