Laca’s frustration
It wasn’t a particular good night for any Arsenal player, none more so than Alexandre Lacazette who cut a frustrated figure upfront and struggled throughout the game.
The Frenchman has been in good form for the Gunners and manager Mikel Arteta has dodged the question over his striker’s future by saying contract talks will take place at the end of the season.
However, there was little to suggest on Saturday night that the former Lyon striker will be earning himself a new deal, despite his recent resurgence in form.
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When Gabriel aimed a pass for Lacazette on 70 minutes, the 29-year-old raised his arms in frustration and shook at his head in exasperation, a common theme that could be seen for most of the 90 plus minutes.
Lacazette’s inability to link-up with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was also another disappointment from the game, and perhaps it’s no surprise that it was the first time Auba, Laca and Nicolas Pepe had started in attack together since the FA Cup final last season.
Cedric’s tunnel talk
Cedric Soares came on as a substitute for the injured Kieran Tierney towards the end of the first half.
The Portuguese has performed consistently over the past few weeks and was recently rewarded with a call-up to the Portugal national team for the first time in over two years.
And the former Southampton right-back’s leadership skills could be seen as the players waited in the tunnel before coming out for the second half.
Cedric could be seen instructing Aubameyang what to do when the ball comes to him on the left hand side, making gestures with his hands which suggested overlapping runs could be a feature of the second half.
Unfortunately for the Arsenal captain it turned out to be an uninspiring display from both himself and his team-mates, with Cedric unable to contribute in his unfamiliar left-back position.
Klopp’s touchline fury
Both managers were their usual animated selves on the touchline in a chilly Emirates Stadium.
Jurgen Klopp in particular spent much of the game bellowing instructions at his players and badgering the fourth official when decisions didn’t go his team’s way.
The German showed an example of that frustration on 58 minutes when Lacazette went down screaming after a challenge from a Reds defender.
Lacazette had previously been subject of a Gary Lineker joke on Match of the Day, after his screams were picked up in the recent match against Burnley.
And Klopp could be seen directing his fury at Lacazette and questioning why he exaggerated the challenge which saw him quickly get back up unscathed.
Tactical reminders
Mikel Arteta’s gameplan certainly didn’t come to fruition against Liverpool and the Spaniard would have let his players know exactly how he felt at full-time.
The Arsenal manager continues to metaphorically kick every ball for his team, encouraging every attack and defensive action throughout.
He could be heard on 12 minutes telling Calum Chambers to reduce his distance from fellow defender Rob Holding, praising the Englishman for every positive action he managed in the first half.
That encouragement was shared to Nicolas Pepe too, who struggled to assert himself on the game and didn’t manage to give Arsenal any penetration in the final third.
Rocky Remembered
Although the players didn’t produce the performance that was required against Liverpool, the club can be proud of themselves for marking 20 years since the passing of Arsenal legend David Rocastle.
The players wore ‘Rocastle 7’ shirts in their warm up before the game and the PA system played his famous chant on seven minutes.
Whilst the result itself was hugely disappointing, there can be no doubt that today was all about remembering a player who has left a lasting legacy at Arsenal Football Club.