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By HARRY BAMFORTH and IAN LADYMAN AT ANFIELD and LEWIS STEELE AT ANFIELD Published: 00: 05 AEST, 12 May 2025 | Updated: 03: 01 AEST, 12 May 2025 177 View comments Follow Mail Sport's live blog for the latest score, team news and updates as Liverpool host Arsenal at Anfield in the Premier League.   I told you it was coming! Arsenal are level, and you have to say that it is fully deserved. Mikel Merino silences Anfield. Martin Odegaard lets fly of an incredible effort which Alisson somehow tips onto the post. But Merino is the only player following the ball in and heads into an empty net. Guess who was playing him on? That's right, it was Trent Alexander-Arnold. he probably won'r care after all of the boos, mind. The Liverpool fans now sing Conor Bradley's name, just to remind Trent Alexander-Arnold who they now back. It's a real shame that Alexander-Arnold got that reaction, I have to say. I understand how the Liverpool fans feel, but booing one of your own like that after all that they have done feels harsh. What happens if he scores? Do they boo then as well? Oh dear. .. Boos ring around Anfield as Trent Alexander-Arnold comes on to replace Conor Bradley. Now that has got to hurt. Darwin Nunez and Alexis Mac Allister get better reactions, though, as they come on for Cody Gakpo and Curtis Jones. That is a brilliant bit of defending from Conor Bradley. Gabriel Martinelli is through, he looks set to score; I even press the goal button as he races onto the end of the ball in the box. But out of nowhere, Bradley comes across and slides through the ball just as Martinelli is about to pull the trigger. Much better from the Northern Irishman. How did Alisson see that? Gabriel Martinelli gets on the end of the resulting free-kick, and drills an effort through what looks like a million bodies. Normally, when that happens, the goalkeeper is all out of sorts and can't see the ball to save it. But not Alisson, he is a different breed, and he gets low to deny his compatriot. Conor Bradley is starting to have a bit of a stinker now. The full-back has really struggled in this second half, and I imagine he may get replaced soon. He has just been booked for a poor challenge on Myles Lewis-Skelly, after he was rinsed by the youngster. Not the best audition. .. The Liverpool fans seemed to have perked up a bit. They are now singing about Federico Chiesa, who has become a cult hero despite rarely getting the chance to play. I must admit, it's a very catchy song, and I am trying my hardest to resit bobbing along to it. Oooft, that's what you call a 'ping. ' Dominik Szoboszlai starts shaping up to shoot 30 yards out, and I am thinking, 'what are you doing? ' But he nearly makes me seem like an idiot as he stings the palms of David Raya with one hell of a strike. He really got a hold of that one. Alisson to the rescue for Liverpool. Everything seems to be coming down that Liverpool left, but this time it's not Bukayo Saka causing the problems. Ben White shows twinkle toes to dance his way into the area before aiming for the near post. But Alisson is equal to his effort. Mikel Arteta must have made the speech of all speeches at the break; I can't quite believe how different this game is now. Bukayo Saka does brilliantly down the right flank now, and he spots Leandro Trossard coming into the area. The Belgian runs onto the pass and has a pop, but it just drifts over the bar. They're getting close. Arsenal are going to get another one in a minute, they are all over Liverpool here. They have the champions pinned back in their own box, and Bukayo Saka is looking really sharp. Don't be surprised if an equaliser comes soon. Liverpool still look half asleep here, and so are their fans. You can hear a pindrop inside Anfield, and it's because Arsenal are all over the champions here. This is a far cry from what the first half was like; this time it's the Reds who are all over the shop. What a start to the second half by Arsenal! Whatever Mikel Arteta said during that break has worked a right treat; the Gunners have an interest. Conor Bradley is at fault again, as he sits off Leandro Trossard, allowing him to find Gabriel Martinelli in the area. The Brazilian then heads home, and we have a game on our hands. Conor Bradley, you are a lucky boy. The Northern Irishman should comfortably get to the ball first ahead of Leandro Trossard in his own box, but somehow, the Belgian beats him to it. He then pulls the ball back, but Liverpool manage to get the ball clear. As ABBA sing in Mamma Mia, here we go again. Both sets of teams have enjoyed their 15-minute break and are back out in the glorious sunshine. Can Arsenal come back, or will Liverpool run riot? We are about to find out. Jamie Carragher, former Liverpool defender, on Sky Sports: Right, shall we see the first of that quickfire double then? Yep, of course we should. Cody Gakpo is lucky that this video doesn't show more of the build-up, where he angered Mohamed Salah by not passing to him. It didn't take the Dutchman long to put things right, though, and what a header it was. This was the start of an absolute onslaught. We simply have to talk about the two goals, don't we? Liverpool didn't even give me time to finish writing up about the first striker before Luis Diaz had netted a second. There were just 87 seconds between Gakpo putting Liverpool ahead and Díaz doubling their lead. Blink, and you will have missed it. What was mental is that Curtis Jones nearly added a third a further two minutes later. That period of the game has taken it away from Arsenal. I bet the Arsenal players are happy to hear that whistle. Liverpool have shown why they are champions here at Anfield, ripping the Gunners apart. Two goals in the space of 90 seconds have them two to the good, but it could easily have been more. Arsenal just haven't been at the races today, while Liverpool are back on the horse after last week's hiccup. Anfield is loving every second of it. Arsenal have just three more minutes of this misery to endure. Mikel Arteta really needs to get his players in and get them, as a Scouser would say, 'give their heads a wobble'. I feel for Myles Lewis-Skelly, he is getting rinsed down the Liverpool right. Mohamed Salah is having a right field day, drifting past him at will, and this time the young defender just decides to pull him back. Of course, that means he gets booked. The lad loves a yellow. Mohamed Salah is a joke, isn't he? The way he does the outside of the boot pass is just so nonchalant, I'd even say he is better at it than Lamine Yamal. Now, that is a big statement, I know, but I back it. He is sent away down the right and you just know that Arsenal are in trouble. Salah then plays a lovely outside-of-the-boot ball into the path of Curtis Jones in the six-yard box, but he can't finish. Salah is purring today. The Liverpool fans can breathe a sigh of relief. The magic sponge has seemingly worked wonders on Luis Diaz, as he is OK to continue. He's been playing ridiculously well, so I bet he's buzzing to be continuing, as is Arne Slot. He gives a wide smile. Thomas Partey needs to be careful here. The midfielder is already on a yellow, but it is not stopping him from getting into tasty tussles and giving fouls away. He nips at the heels of Luis Diaz for a good 10 seconds before, eventually, the whistle is blown. It's never a second yellow, but he should probably calm down a little, otherwise he will be off. Meanwhile, Diaz is struggling and getting treatment. There's the frustration that has been building up. You can see that the Arsenal players are not enjoying themselves, and Mikel Merino lets his emotions get the better of him. Conor Bradley skips past the Spaniard, so the midfielder flies into a nasty challenge on the full-back. A yellow card, all day long. Ohhhh, how is it not three? Actually, the offside flag spares Luis Diaz's blushes; he really should score there. At one end, Bukayo Saka bends one over the bar to a chorus of ironic cheers from the Kop. In a flash, Conor Bradley is sent away down the right up the other end, and he squares to Diaz for a tap-in. But under pressure from William Saliba, the Colombian can't get a good connection on the ball. Bradley was comfortably off, anyway. I think the heartbreak from Wednesday is having a real impact on Arsenal here, they are all over the place. Every time Liverpool come at them now, it looks like they are going to score. The Gunners need to somehow calm this Anfield crowd down, but they are making a right racket right now. They are really in the mood. Wow, this is crazy. Liverpool are tearing Arsenal apart here, the Gunners need to make sure they don't get battered here. The champions are straight on the attack again, and Mohamed Salah has them on strings, feeding Curtis Jones. The midfielder turns on the ball and guides a lovely effort toward the corner, but David Raya is equal to it. And this is why Liverpool are the best team in the land. TWO GOALS IN A MINUTE! Just like that, Liverpool are two to the good, and my word, what a goal that is from the champions. Mohamed Salah is obviously over not getting his pass from Cody Gakpo, as he sends a sensational ball over the top for Dominik Szoboszlai to race on to. The Hungarian then does what Gakpo didn't, slides the ball across to Luis Siad, and he taps home. Anfield is in party mode again! Right on cue! Just as I started to praise Arsenal, of course, Liverpool go on to take the lead. I am such a jinx. I was just about to write a post berating Cody Gakpo for not sliding the ball across to Mohamed Salah for a tap-in after breakaway. But before I even got the chance to type, he was soon celebrating a header from Andy Robertson's cross. Salah can't moan at home anymore! Arsenal are starting to gain a bit more control in this game now. While they have had most of the ball since the start, they are managing the Liverpool counters pretty well compared to the start of the game. The longer this game goes on, the more you feel the Gunners will start to feel problems. That being said, they must be knackered after Wednesday. What have I just watched? ?? I'm not quite sure how to sum it up, really, but how Arsenal are not ahead, I don't know. Curtis Jones gives the ball away at the back, and all of a sudden, Thomas Partey is in; he has to score. But then there is a slip in there, the ball starts pinging about, until eventually Leandro Trossard has a shot blocked. A real let-off for Liverpool. I think Martin Odegaard may need a new shirt. Somebody obviously wanted his early as his shirt is ripped from the collar down to the midriff. Must have been some tug that. Liverpool are causing so many problems on the counter. The moment Arsenal make an error going forward, the Reds are on them like a flash. This time, Dominik Szoboszlai sets Cody Gakpo on his bike, but the Dutchman just overdoes it and loses the ball. The signs are there that Liverpool are up for this. How has Luis Diaz not scored? ?? It's brilliant football from Liverpool as they tear through Arsenal from back to front. It ends with Mohamed Salah finding Diaz in the box, and he simply has to score from eight yards out. But he takes a touch for some reason, and it gives David Raya time to react and make a great stop from the eventual shot. That's a big chance that goes begging. That's a good move from Liverpool. Arsenal look a little leggy here and Andy Robertson is allowed to gallop 50 to 60 yards to start a counter. He eventually whips the ball into the back stick, but Myles Lewis-Skelly bundles it to David Raya. A warning shot. Oh my word, that's a massive chance! From the resulting free-kick, Liverpool play a bizarre offside trap that leaves four Arsenal players unmarked in the box. Bukayo Saka is one of them and he gets on the end of the set-piece, and he simply has to score. The flag is down, he is certainly onside, but he hits the ball into the ground and it goes wide. It should be 1-0 to the visitors. Ooooft, that's a nasty one. Earlier today we saw Nicolas Jackson sent off at Newcastle for an elbow to the face of Sven Botman. Well, Conor Bradley has just left one on Mikel Merino while challenging for a header, but the difference is the intent. He gets away with no card. Erm. .. why are Arsenal wearing white shorts? They are sporting the black away kit but have found a reason to change the shorts and socks to white. It's not exactly like black and red are a colour clash, is it? Strange move. I'm not a fan of unnecessary kit changes. Wow! That was one hell of a rendition of You'll Never Walk Alone. It never fails to give me goosebumps. Both teams then huddle for the final time as the song comes to its end, before the game gets underway. I'm hoping for a goal-fest - we are due one! Ooooh, this is a spicy atmosphere. there are a mix of ironic cheers and some boos too as Arsenal come out first to give Liverpool a guard of honour. 'Championes' then rings around all four stands as the Liverpool fans greet their Premier League winners onto the pitch. These Reds supporters really are in party mode; they then chant a different version of 'Champions' to try and drown out the Premier League anthem. I'm very grateful for that because I hate that tune. You'd know that if you are here a lot, it's a terrible track. The soundtrack of You'll Never Walk Alone begins, and it is sung with its usual gusto. I can just feel that we are in for a cracker here. Next stop, Anfield. We are now less than 10 minutes from what I am expecting to be a belter of a game. Anfield is filling up as the warm-ups come to a close, and it's just as red as it was two weeks ago. It's going to be one hell of an atmosphere in here today. Bukayo Saka is the man for the big occasion. The Arsenal winger always turns up in the big games, especially when they are against Liverpool. Saka has scored four goals in his last five Premier League games against the Reds - against no other side has he scored more often in the league. However, all four of those strikes against Liverpool have come at the Emirates Stadium. Maybe today is the time he breaks his duck at Anfield. That post leads me perfectly on to my next post, so thanks, Ian. It has already been confirmed that, like Chelsea last week, Arsenal will give Liverpool a guard of honour as they come out of the tunnel today. Since that news broke, the debate in my office about it, and beyond, has been pretty mental. Many think that it's a sign of respect that should be shown to the champions, while others agree with Ian that it's outdated and unnecessary. Personally, I'm not that fussed on the subject. It's up to the teams to decide whether they want to give a guard of honour or not; it's not compulsory. And if Arsenal feel like Liverpool deserve one, then fair play. I have a feeling we will be seeing these scenes until the very end of this season. The league may be all tied up, but it's not going to stop these Liverpool fans creating a party atmosphere. Just look at all that pyro. It feels very similar to the build-up to the Tottenham game; everybody is buzzing around Anfield. I suspect the vibes will be similar, if not better, come kick-off. I bet Mohamed Salah is buzzing that Arsenal are at Anfield today. Now, that may sound bizarre considering just how good the Gunners can be, but hear me out. Salah has scored 11 Premier League goals against Arsenal, only netting more against Manchester United (13) and Tottenham (12). His first-ever goal in the competition came against the Gunners in a 6-0 win for Chelsea in March 2014, and he seems to score against them every time they face off these days. Earlier this season, he scored a huge goal to earn a point for Liverpool late on at the Emirates. Can he add to his tally against them today? Gary Neville, former Man United skipper, on Sky Sports: It's been a really tough week for Arsenal, hasn't it? Being knocked out by PSG in the Champions League on Wednesday means that they end another season trophyless. It's fair to say, in the days that have followed that defeat, the talk of the town has been about whether Mikel Arteta should now be under pressure. I mean, he hasn't brought Arsenal a trophy in five years. Yes, they have had one hell of a journey en route to becoming one of the best teams in Europe, but you don't get trophies for that. This is not me saying he isn't a top manager, because the job he has done at Arsenal has been fabulous. But has he taken them as far as he can? They are the nearly men, after all. They are set for a second-place finish for the third season running, and if anything, it feels like they are regressing. Domestically, at least. They are currently 13 points behind where they were in the Premier League at this very stage last season. You feel Arteta needs to win something next season, or he could be in trouble. I swear every team in the Premier League has an awful record at Anfield. Whenever I cover a big game here, there is always some statistic about the opposition having not won at the ground in a gazillion years, or something like that. And well, Arsenal are another one of those sides who have an absolutely rancid record at Anfield. Liverpool are unbeaten in their last 14 home games against Arsenal in all competitions since a 2-0 loss in the Premier League in September 2012. Yep, it's been 13 years since the Gunners last tasted victory on the red side of Merseyside. To put that into perspective, I was 12 back then. Today could be the perfect day for them to end that run, though. This is probably the best opportunity they have had in years to win here, given that Liverpool now have nothing to play for. All runs have to come to an end at some point, don't they? Micah Richards, former Man City defender, on Sky Sports: Now, this is going to be interesting. This is the first game Liverpool have played since Trent Alexander-Arnold announced he will be leaving the club after 20 years. It's fair to say, the reaction from Liverpool fans on social media wasn't exactly positive. The terms 'snake', 'traitor', and 'lizard' have been thrown around by Reds supporters in the aftermath of the revelation. Yep, I don't get the lizard one either. So, you'd expect the reaction inside Anfield to be negative if he plays today, or even when he warms up on the touchline. But the thing is, I don't think it's a given. When news broke that he was closing in on a move to Real Madrid in March, the reaction was similar; fans even burned his shirt. However, when he took to the pitch for the first time following the news, he was serenaded by the Liverpool fans in the away end at Leicester. With this game being played at Anfield, the reaction could be different, but I honestly have no idea what it will be like. Hopefully, the fans focus more on the title win, but we will see. I mean, this isn't really a surprise. Arne Slot confirmed in his pre-match press conference that Conor Bradley was going to start this match, as he should. Now that we know Trent Alexander-Arnold is leaving Liverpool at the end of the season, it is only right that Conor Bradley starts every game until the end of the season. That's not to say that Alexander-Arnold should get hate from the Liverpool fans, not at all, but if he hasn't committed his future to the club, then there is really no point in playing him. Bradley could well be the future in that right-back position, and he hasn't accrued the consistent minutes that are needed to show just how good he is. So yeah, I think it's a good call from Slot. The question is, can Bradley deliver? Well, he certainly isn't at Anfield, that's for sure. Declan Rice has arguably been Arsenal's best player this season. He is key to everything that they do. So, for him not to be in the squad today is a huge blow. While it is understood that he is injured, it is yet unclear how serious the injury is or what it is. Your guess is as good as mine. I guess it's just lucky that Arsenal have nothing to play for, so this game doesn't matter a huge amount. And for those of you saying Champions League football, Manchester City's draw at Southampton yesterday eased the pressure on the Gunners. I'm pretty damn sure they will be in the competition next term. Well, I wasn't expecting this. There is no Declan Rice in the Arsenal squad today, he misses out due to injury. Either that, or he didn't fancy giving Liverpool a guard of honour. Instead, Mikel Merino drops into the midfield and Leandro Trossard comes into the forward line. Ben White also gets a rare start. The proof is in the pudding. As I said, Arne Slkiot has gone strong, making six changes from the side that lost at Chelsea next week. Ibrahima Konate, Andy Robertson, Conor Bradley, Ryan Gravenberch, Dominik Szoboszlai, and Luis Diaz all come in. Trent Alexander-Arnold is dropped. .. Right, the team news is out. Before I post it on here, what I can tell you is that Arne Slot is not messing around today. I told you he wanted to prove a point today, and this line-up certainly suggests that. No second string side today. .. Look, Liverpool may have already secured the Premier League title, but there is no way they will be taking today lightly. I know that they played like they were still on the sesh at Stamford Bridge last week, but that was always to be expected in the first match after their triumph. They have a history of it. However, today is much different. They have had two weeks to celebrate that title win, and now it is time to get down to business. They face the one side that kept them on their toes for months before falling away. For so long, Arsenal were the only viable challenger to the Reds in the race for the title. And while they now sit 15 points adrift of the champions, the Gunners are still more than able to cause them real problems today. Arne Slot's side will want to show why they are the best team in the top flight, and they have the chance to do that today. I'm sure they will be well up for this!

By Harry Bamforth I'm not sure Arsenal fans will enjoy their trip to Anfield this afternoon. And why is that? Well, I'm sure they don't want to be reminded that they lost out on the title to Liverpool this season, but there are signs of the Reds league triumph everywhere you look. I have seen at least four different styles of t-shirts showcasing that Liverpool have won their 20th league title. The fans are still bathing in that glory. It is two weeks to the day since the Reds got the job done against Tottenham in some style. I'm pretty sure the party hasn't stopped since, and I am basing that on the Liverpool fans that I know. Well, today it continues as the Reds take to the Anfield turf as reigning champions for the very first time. The atmosphere is going to be electric. By Harry Bamforth Not a bad way to end the day, eh? It's been a Sunday stacked with Premier League football, and I have been loving every single bit of it. We have saved the best until last as Anfield hosts a battle between the top two, Liverpool and Arsenal. A couple of months ago, there were hopes that this would perhaps be a title decider. But well, the Gunners' rancid league form changed that, as Arne Slot's side have romped to the league. Still, it doesn't mean we aren't in for a fun day anymore. Games between these sides always deliver drama. I've got the sun cream on, and you should too if you are at Anfield - it's a glorious day on Merseyside. Let's hope the football matches the weather. .. Whoops utd 0 West Ham 2.

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