Dominik Szoboszlai’s breathtaking late free-kick gave Liverpool a narrow, but significant, 1–0 victory over title rivals Arsenal at Anfield, sending the reigning champions into the international break with a valuable early advantage in the title race.
It was a clash played with intensity and edge, befitting two sides many expect to battle at the top again this season. And while Liverpool found the moment of brilliance to win it, the game also underlined some of the gaps in Arne Slot’s squad — gaps that, crucially, were filled in dramatic fashion with the arrival of Alexander Isak in a British-record transfer from Newcastle on deadline day.
Alexander Isak’s arrival could not be better timed
Liverpool have spent the summer reshaping their squad with marquee arrivals, but if there was ever a case study for why another elite forward was required, this was it.
For all their control and industry, the Reds laboured for a cutting edge until Szoboszlai conjured magic from 35 yards. Arsenal, disciplined and organised, suffocated Liverpool’s forward line for long spells. Hugo Ekitike showed flashes of promise, but also discovered the gulf in standard when facing an Arsenal defence built on physicality and composure.
Step forward Alexander Isak. Hours after the full time whistle news broke that Liverpool had agreed a £125 million deal with Newcastle to sign the Sweden striker — a deal that was completed on deadline day.
Isak’s arrival is the definitive ‘killer instinct’ signing, and the player to turn cagey afternoons into comfortable wins.
The move has been months in the making, with frustrations spilling into the open when Isak himself accused Newcastle of reneging on promises earlier this summer. But with Nick Woltemade signed at Tyneside, and Liverpool raising their offer to meet Newcastle’s conditions, the saga is finally over.
For John W Henry and the decision-makers at Fenway Sports Group, the message could not have been clearer — this team want to be champions again, and to stay ahead of Arsenal and Manchester City they need a ruthless spearhead. With the deal now done, Slot will soon have exactly that.
Dominik Szoboszlai is operating on another level
If Isak was the missing piece, Szoboszlai is the one elevating the puzzle. His 83rd-minute thunderbolt into the top corner was a goal worthy of settling any contest, the kind of strike that reverberates around a title race.
But this wasn’t just about the free-kick. Deployed at right-back, Szoboszlai produced a performance brimming with energy, intelligence and technical class. He pressed relentlessly, combined fluently with midfielders, and covered space with the kind of authority that makes him look like the best right-back in the division, despite it not being his natural role.
But Szoboszlai’s influence extended far beyond the goal. Once again stationed at right-back, a tactical quirk that has become Slot’s early trademark, the Hungarian was extraordinary. He pressed like a natural full-back, covered immense ground, and linked seamlessly with midfielders while still finding the time and space to dictate the play with his passing.
His energy was relentless, his commitment total, and his technique dazzling. Far from merely filling in, he is performing like the best right-back in the Premier League while being a central midfielder by trade. That kind of adaptability is gold dust in a title race.
Liverpool signed Szoboszlai for moments like this, but he is providing so much more the glue, the graft and the genius.
Milos Kerkez is finding his feet
Few players have been thrown in at the deep end like Milos Kerkez. Slot’s approach has been to immerse new signings straight into the cauldron rather than bed them in quietly, and the young Hungarian international has looked raw in his early outings.
This, though, was a coming-of-age performance. Up against the trickery of Noni Madueke and Arsenal’s later wide rotations, Kerkez showed both steel and stamina. He was aggressive without being reckless, and in the closing stages found enough energy to burst forward and launch a counter that nearly sealed the contest.
It was the kind of display that will give Slot confidence that he has genuine competition for Andy Robertson, and further vindicate the club’s decision to sanction Kostas Tsimikas’s loan exit.
Injury scares not as bad as feared
There were worrying moments in the second half as both Ibrahima Konaté and Florian Wirtz were forced off, but Slot was quick to calm fears afterwards.
Konaté, he explained, had simply cramped up after a relentless defensive shift. Wirtz, meanwhile, suffered a full-body cramp in what the Dutch coach called a “welcome to the Premier League moment” after a highly intense 85 minutes.
Neither player is expected to miss significant time, and the upcoming international break should give them space to recover. But the incidents were a reminder of how demanding Slot’s football is pressing, stretching, constantly shifting shape. It is a style that requires deep squad rotation, which makes the arrival of Isak even more crucial.
Depth will define Liverpool’s season, and while these scares were not serious, they were a timely warning of the fine margins involved.
A perfect start and an early statement made
Three games, three wins, nine points. Liverpool enter the first break of the campaign top of the table, two clear of Arsenal and six ahead of Manchester City.
The win over Arsenal will be framed by some as another example of the Gunners falling short in big moments, but that would undersell their performance. They were disciplined, combative and dangerous. This was a game decided not by Arsenal’s weakness but by Liverpool’s ability to conjure brilliance when it mattered.
This wasn’t a vintage Reds performance, but it was a victory forged in resilience and individual brilliance. Arsenal looked every inch a side ready to push Liverpool all the way again, but left Anfield empty-handed.
For Liverpool, it was not just about the three points but about what comes next. They have now sent an early message to the league — they can win without being at their sparkling best. And with Alexander Isak’s arrival, Slot’s side are about to add another dimension to their attack.
The champions are evolving and their rivals have been put on notice.
