Arsenal were powerless to do anything about the brilliance of Liverpool on Saturday evening, with several post-match statistics catching the eye.
The Reds cruised to a 3-1 victory at Anfield, showcasing why many believe they can go all the way in the Premier League this season.
Joel Matip‘s precise header but Jurgen Klopp‘s side 1-0 up before the break, before Mohamed Salah‘s double put them out of sight.
Lucas Torreira pulled a goal back late in the day, but the hosts eased to another three points, going top of the league in the process.
Here are some of the best stats that arose after the match.
Longest winning streak in Europe
Liverpool continue to churn out wins at such a rapid rate that you can be forgiven for taking them for granted.
Saturday’s victory was their 12th in a row in the league, equalling the record set by Sir Kenny Dalglish’s side back in 1990.
Three more points at Burnley next Saturday with make it a 13 on the spin—an all-time club record.
The win over Arsenal also meant Liverpool are now on the longest winning streak in Europe, thanks to Benfica’s defeat to Porto.
What a remarkable team this is.
Liverpool’s Dominance Over Arsenal Highlighted
Arsenal turned up to Anfield full of confidence, following back-to-back wins to start their season, but they were swatted aside on Merseyside.
The north Londoners have endured a nightmare against Liverpool since Klopp took charge, with the German now unbeaten after eight meetings.
The Reds have scored 26 times against them during that time—more than any other team has managed against a fellow Premier League opponent in that period.
A 3-1 defeat probably felt quite pleasant to the beleaguered Gunners, considering Liverpool have beaten them 5-1 and 4-0 at home under Klopp.
Mane Sums Up Tenacious Reds
Sadio Mane was relatively quiet by his recent high standards, but one post-match statistic involving the Senegalese summed up Liverpool’s relentlessness.
The Reds’ No.10 made a total of six tackles against Arsenal, according to StatsZone, via analyst Andrew Beasley—four more than any Gunners player managed.
They were all made in the opposition half, which further shows how impressive Liverpool’s pressing game was, allowing the visitors no room to breathe.
Even when the best attacking players aren’t at the very top of their game, their impact is there for all to see.
Subtly Effective Gini
Gini Wijnaldum is a player you have to watch closely, in order to fully appreciate what he brings to this Liverpool side.
The midfielder was a relatively low-key presence against Arsenal, but he knitted things together in his own inimitable way.
Wijnaldum made a total of 46 passes during his time on the pitch—he was replaced by James Milner midway through the second half—completing 45 of them.
That’s a 98 per cent completion rate, and while some will argue that many of those passes lacked purpose or risk, his ability to keep hold of the ball is second to none.
He makes it looks so much easier than it really is.
Van Dijk Finally Dribbled Past
The brilliance of Virgil van Dijk has been summed up by the long-running stat surrounding him not being dribbled past.
Rival supporters have even allowed themselves to become obsessed with it, seemingly not realising that they are only further highlighting how good he is.
On Saturday it finally happened: Van Dijk was dribbled past by an opponent for the first time in 50 appearances, with Nicolas Pepe the man to do it.
50 – Nicolas Pepe has become the first player to successfully dribble past Virgil van Dijk in the Dutch defender’s last 50 appearances in the Premier League, since Mikel Merino in March 2018 for Newcastle. Beaten. pic.twitter.com/B1oRZMciOB
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) August 24, 2019
It has been a staggering run by the Dutchman, who remains the favourite to win the prestigious Ballon d’Or later this year.
Is anyone else slightly relieved that everyone will stop talking about it now?
