Szoboszlai Ends Stalemate as Liverpool Edges Past Arsenal in Title-Race Six-Pointer

Moyen Score Futmetrix: 45/100. A late intervention from Dominik Szoboszlai separated two top-four contenders in a match defined by defensive solidity rather than attacking brilliance.

When Caution Trumps Ambition

Liverpool arrived at Anfield as the league's sole unbeaten side, yet the Stakes of facing third-place Arsenal produced a match frozen in tactical paranoia. For 82 minutes, this felt less like a title-race declaration and more like two teams terrified of losing. The Intensity never ignited—just 4 shots on target across 20 total attempts, a statistic that screams defensive suffocation.

Arsenal dominated possession phases without penetration (47% but toothless in the final third), while Liverpool controlled territory (53%) through midfield superiority. The Balance tilted decisively in the 83rd minute when Szoboszlai, unmarked at the back post, finished a low cross—the only moment either side truly committed to the attack. Until then, both defenses had been impenetrable.

Virgil van Dijk and Miloš Kerkez anchored Liverpool's rearguard with such authority that Arsenal's 11 shots felt like desperate swings rather than calculated threats. The 11 corners—a narrative of set-piece pressure—yielded nothing decisive. This was defensive chess masquerading as football.

The Stakes were suffocating: a six-pointer between first and third, with Liverpool sitting three points clear. That context elevated every tackle, every clearance. Yet the match itself refused to match the occasion's magnitude. No drama in the VAR booth. No late twists. Just a single clinical moment that separated two philosophically aligned teams.

For Liverpool, this is a statement: perfect starts don't require perfect performances. For Arsenal, the sting of losing to a late goal will linger longer than the tactical competence they displayed.