Liverpool 4-0 Arsenal: Jurgen Klopp's men romp to scintillating victory over pathetic Gunners

Full-time: Liverpool 4-0 Arsenal

A wondrous victory for Jurgen Klopp's men, who have completely decimated Arsenal at Anfield today.

Roberto Firmino opened the scoring, Sadio Mane doubled the lead, Mohamed Salah ensured victory and Daniel Sturridge added another punch to the Arsenal gut.

Arsene Wenger's men were pathetic, hopeless, woeful. But not surprising.

Salah forces another save from Cech, who can only palm the ball away for a corner.

Three minutes of added time to be played at Anfield.

Lacazette draws a foul out of Henderson. Ozil lofts the ball into the path of Giroud, who heads well over.

Welbeck forces a corner for Arsenal after pressurising Moreno. Karius, who has endured some shaky moments, punched clear to help set up a Liverpool counterattack, which ended with Cech smothering Sturridge's shot.

Final change for Liverpool - Can makes way for Grujic.

Damning.

With 10 minutes to go, Klopp decides to give the wondrous Firmino a touch of rest.

The Brazilian trots off the pitch to be replaced by James Milner.

Firmino dances past a couple of kicks to find Can, who dirves forward and ends up giving the ball to Salah.

The Egyptian picks his head up and picks out Sturridge at the back post; the substitute couldn't miss.

4-0. Liverpool have been scintillating.

Liverpool 4-0 Arsenal (Sturridge)

Didn't take him long did it.

Holding is the latest to go into Craig Pawson's notebook after clattering into Henderson.

Salah then tries to dart away from Arsenal's defence but ran the ball out of play.

Klopp now making a change - Mane comes off for Daniel Sturridge.

Concern for Liverpool as Alberto Moreno is down holding his calf.

Just before Moreno suffered the knock, the Reds almost made it four - Mane's effort trickled past Cech but did not have the legs to cross the line. Bellerin managed to clear.

Arsenal's rare foray forward ends in disappointment, unsurprisingly. Giroud attempted to head a cross into the path of Lacazette, who couldn't manage to guide his effort on target.

Quite something, Salah's goal.

On come the cavalry.

Alexis Sanchez and Oxlade-Chamberlain make way for Alexandre Lacazette and Olivier Giroud. Interesting to see what the plan is for Arsenal now.

Liverpool defend an Arsenal corner well. Salah races up the pitch and capitalises on Bellerin's poor touch before baring down on goal and finishing expertly past Cech.

It's certainly game over now.

GOAL! Liverpool 3-0 Arsenal (Salah)

Oxlade-Chamberlina tries to break away on his own but Moreno just about stops him.

Liverpool break back immediately, and Cech is forced into action in order to deny Salah. Henderson blazes the rebound over.

Mane does excellently to win a foul in a dangerous area from Holding, who failed to clear his lines.

Salah whips in a teasing ball that Can fails to fully connect with, but Liverpool still receive a corner courtesy of a refereeing error.

Mesut Ozil receives a booking for a mistimed tackle on Henderson.

Matip and Karius then construe to hand Welbeck a goal on a plate, but they just about get away with their silly decisions.

Arsenal start the second period brightly but their pressure ends with a wayward shot from Ozil, who had tried to play in Welbeck.

Back under way at Anfield. Arsenal have made one change - Coquelin on for Ramsey.

They will be dancing in the streets of Liverpool tonight.

Half-time: Liverpool 2-0 Arsenal

Liverpool are in complete control at Anfield. Goals from Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah have handed Jurgen Klopp's side a two-goal lead, which so easily could have been more.

Arsenal have been nothing short of abysmal from back to front. Every single player performing beneath what they are capable of, and there looks to be no sign of a fightback brewing.

Arsenal somehow fashion an opening but Holding's close-range effort is blocked by Wijnaldum. The young Englishman looked lost in the six-yard box.

Koscielny then passes the ball straight out of play in order to present a physical embodiment of Arsenal's half in one snippet. Woeful.

Liverpool start a move from their own half and quickly surge up the pitch. Firmino feeds Mane, who stands up Holding and fires low into the bottom corner. 2-0, and again, no more than they deserve.

GOAL! Liverpool 2-0 Arsenal (Mane)

Arsenal win a foul in Liverpool's half but a couple of players are adjudged offside as the ball flies in.

They almost carve out an opening with Bellerin, Sanchez and Welbeck linking up, but the latter quells momentum as he shoves over Matip.

Sanchez has the ball in the net for Arsenal but the whistle had gone long before then.

The Chile international has been very quiet so far, but is certainly not being helped by those around him.

More concerted Liverpool pressure leads to a chance for Mane, but his first-time volley drifts comfortably wide of the post.

Firmino attempts to find Salah who had made a great run but his pass was intercepted by Holding.

Liverpool come again through Mane, but his through ball to Moreno was overcooked.

Salah has the ball in the net but he was adjudged offside in the build-up. Another lovely ball from Can, but the Egyptian could not time his run.

Salah chases a ball from Wijnaldum and stings the palms of Cech, who is lucky his parry finds Holding.

Arsenal try and create an opening at the other end but Sanchez eventually concedes a foul for his badgering of Reds players.

Craig Pawson is a busy man today.

The referee sees fit to caution Gomez, who was skinned by a brilliant piece of skill from Aaron Ramsey. Karius manages to punch clear and allows the Reds the chance to regroup.

Welbeck goes into the book for a 'challenge' on Moreno. Replays show it to be very harsh - Moreno played for the booking entirely.

Lovren is cautioned for a cynical challenge on Welbeck. Liverpool's defensive frailties are displayed for the first time, as Karius makes a hash of a seemingly straightforward clearance. Not great by the German.

Firmino almost turns provider for Henderson! The two combine to get past five Arsenal defenders, but Henderson's effort is not on target. Should do better.

Can lays the ball to Gomez, who delivers a teasing ball into the box. Firmino meets the ball well and heads down past Cech, who had no chance. No more than what Liverpool deserve.

GOAL! Liverpool 1-0 Arsenal (Firmino)

Great ball from Wijnaldum releases Mane, who earns a corner out of Koscielny.

Henderson fires it out to Moreno, whose shot was blocked. Liverpool come again through Gomez, who finds Firmino with a cross.

Salah really should have scored. He is getting joy out of Bellerin already.

Salah should have scored.

A give and go between Can and Firmino hands the former space in the area. He delivers a great ball to Salah, whose effort is blocked excellently by Cech. Should be 1-0 to Liverpool, who are firmly in control already.

Liverpool receive a let-off as Welbeck fumbles a good opportunity, but Arsenal are swiftly under the cosh again.

An inventive pass from Can almost finds Salah, but the Egyptian just can't reach the clever ball.

Henderson's lofted ball is chased well by Salah, but Arsenal just about deal with the Reds' probing.

Salah then makes a lost cause a decent opportunity and searches for Mane, but in the end Can heads the first chance of the game wide of Cech's left post.

Mesut Ozil gets the game under way at at Anfield.

Both teams are in the tunnel. Less than five minutes to go until kick-off.

Less than 10 minutes to go until kick-off at Anfield. Will Jurgen Klopp continue his strong form over Wenger, or will the Gunners stop the rot against the Reds?

There may be questions over his future, but there is only one thing Sanchez is focused on today.

Just over 20 minutes to go until kick-off. A reminder of today's teams:

Liverpool: Karius, Gomez, Matip, Lovren, Moreno, Henderson, Can, Wijnaldum, Mane, Salah, Firmino.

Arsenal: Cech, Holding, Monreal, Koscielny, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Xhaka, Bellerín, Ramsey, Sánchez, Özil, Welbeck.

Two crucial figures for Arsenal return today. Sanchez will provide an added attacking threat, while Koscielny will surely add defensive nous to a backline that looked rather shaky last weekend.

A momentous day for Ramsey, who will be hoping to mark it with a win.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has issued an update over the situation surrounding Simon Mignolet

"[It is] to rest him, that's all. Four games in a very short term, for a goalkeeper especially," Klopp said.

"He didn't want to rest, it's not a problem. We spoke yesterday about it and I really thought it made sense, especially because we have the quality in behind.

"It is just because I want to let him have a rest after this really intense time with really good performances for us.

"But with the other boys, we wanted a situation like this; we wanted to have three strong goalkeepers. They've shown up in training, they are really ambitious, they want to have game time, they want to have games, so today Loris is starting."

Klopp has rejigged his defence with starts handed to Karius and Joe Gomez, who comes in for Alexander-Arnold at right-back.

Will he provide the Reds with the solidity they need?

Not a bad bench for Arsenal, with Giroud, Lacazette and Walcott lying in wait.

SUBSTITUTES

Arsenal: Ospina, Mustafi, Kolasinac, Coquelin, Walcott, Lacazette, Giroud.

So Alexis Sanchez is starting but there is no place for Alexandre Lacazette, who drops to the bench. Welbeck starts up top for the Gunners, who seem to have stayed with three at the back.

TEAM NEWS

Arsenal: Cech, Holding, Monreal, Koscielny, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Xhaka, Bellerín, Ramsey, Sánchez, Özil, Welbeck.

SUBSTITUTES

Liverpool: Ward, Klavan, Alexander-Arnold, Grujic, Milner, Solanke, Sturridge.

TEAM NEWS

Liverpool: Karius, Gomez, Matip, Lovren, Moreno, Henderson, Can, Wijnaldum, Mane, Salah, Firmino.

Is this Wenger asking for some tactical advice on social media?

Danny Murphy fuelled the flames ahead of the clash at Anfield by saying Alexis Sanchez would choose Liverpool over Arsenal if given the choice now.

"When Alexis Sanchez had the choice in 2014, he decided to join Arsenal ahead of Liverpool. If he had those options again today, there is a good chance he would go the other way," Murphy told The London Evening Standard. "Look at Liverpool in 2017. They are in the Champions League. They have increased the capacity of Anfield to 54,000 and there are outline plans to take it to 60,000, similar to Emirates Stadium."

"Jurgen Klopp is now settled in the manager's job. He is very charismatic and might be more of a draw than Brendan Rodgers was. Brendan did well at Liverpool but Klopp won two Bundesliga titles and reached a Champions League Final with Borussia Dortmund.

"Liverpool seem to be on the way up, whereas I feel Arsenal are on a plateau — and if they lose Sanchez before the transfer window closes next Thursday, they will find themselves in an incredibly difficult position," he added.

Arsenal playmaker Mesut Ozil has suffered early season criticism, but Jurgen Klopp does understand the derision levelled at his compatriot.

"He is an outstandingly skilled boy. If people are not happy with him, I don't know why. There is absolutely no doubt over in ­Germany about the quality of Mesut Ozil. In his position Germany is ­really blessed with a lot of world-class or close-to-world-class ­players but he is a first pick in the German national team, so that should be a sign.

"The manager, Joachim Low, sticks to the players he is ­successful with, but not when other ­players offer more. So Ozil's always a very ­important player for Germany – don't forget he won the World Cup with Germany three years ago, so I don't know why people criticise him."

There will be no Coutinho for Liverpool, but Alexis Sanchez will start for Arsenal this afternoon.

The Chilean is set to make his first appearance of the season, but will it be his last in Gunners colours?

Another bit of Liverpool team news; Simon Mignolet has been omitted from the squad entirely by Jurgen Klopp.

He is neither ill or injured, but Klopp has opted to start Loris Karius and have Danny Ward on the substitutes' bench. Remains to be seen what transpires from that...

Coutinho is unavailable, and Klopp provided an update on Liverpool's further knocks and niggles.

"[Wijnaldum] will be here as soon as possible and is available. [Other than Wijnaldum] nothing major, Trent had a little dead leg, was not serious, Emre twisted a little, shouldn't be serious. Nothing happened yesterday [Thursday], it should be okay."

Liverpool will, predictably, be without Philippe Coutinho this afternoon.

Jurgen Klopp confirmed that the Brazilian is still on the Reds' injury list, but the playmaker has been called up by his country for their upcoming World Cup qualifiers.

"He's on our injury list - that hasn't changed," Klopp said in his pre-match press conference.

"We have had no contact with the Brazil FA but the rules are if they want to check him he has to go. I don't know exactly but I think it will happen, we'll do it, no problem."

But Liverpool are prepared for the visit of the Gunners.

Arsenal are already behind enemy lines...

Good afternoon and welcome to IB Times UK's live coverage of Liverpool vs Arsenal.

Jurgen Klopp's side welcome Arsene Wenger's men to Anfield in a clash between two sides eager to claim one of the Champions League spots.

The Reds are coming off the back of two consecutive home wins, while the Gunners are licking their wounds after losing to Stoke City last weekend.

Arsenal also suffered two defeats against Liverpool, and will be hoping to stop the rot on Merseyside today.

Stay here for team news, live updates and all the reaction from Anfield.