Szobozslai's "Boxing," the Separator Between Liverpool and Arsenal's Jab Battle

LIVERPOOL, SUNDAY — The match between Liverpool and Arsenal felt like a duel between boxers who respect each other. They restrained themselves from activating their opponent's signature punches. Who would have thought that the home team, Liverpool, actually had a secret punch that was unleashed through midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai at the end of the match.

Arsenal finally experienced the bitterness of Real Madrid when a free kick determined the fate of the match. Having performed solidly for 82 minutes, the visiting team was punished by Szoboszlai's magical free kick from 30 meters away. That goal was enough to secure a 1-0 victory for Liverpool at Anfield Stadium, Sunday (31/8/2025) WIB.

Szoboszlai stated that practice and courage are the keys. "We continue to practice free kicks even though it hasn't been successful so far. I try to take risks. I am confident and attempt it. I must thank Trent (Alexander-Arnold) because he was the one who took the free kick before," he said.

Apart from that magical moment, there wasn't much of note at Anfield. Just look at the number of shots on target, which totaled just four during the 90 minutes of regulation time (Liverpool 3, Arsenal 1). Meanwhile, the total chance value for both teams was less than one xG (expected goals) (Liverpool 0.45 xG - Arsenal 0.55 xG).

The two teams resembled boxers merely exchanging jabs, cautiously searching for momentum. As a result, especially in the first half, most passes were made in their own half of the field. When they successfully regained possession of the ball, Liverpool and Arsenal were also not reckless in making transitions. They respected each other.

Arsenal held a slight lead in the first half. The midfield duo of Declan Rice and Martin Zubimendi patiently orchestrated the attack. Liverpool were frustrated, registering only two shots in 45 minutes. According to Squawka, that was Liverpool's fewest in a first half at Anfield since October 2021.

"Hearing Jamie (Carragher), we were considered too open against Bournemouth. So we thought we wanted to make this match boring," said Liverpool coach Arne Slot jokingly. "For a serious answer, we struggled because they pressed with all their midfielders into our defense," he continued.

Liverpool made adjustments after the halftime break. Supported by tens of thousands of fans, they were bolder in applying high pressure. Szoboszlai contributed more to the midfield. Passes to initiate transitions to winger Mohamed Salah also occurred more frequently. Arsenal struggled to control the game, but still remained unthreatened in their own penalty area.

Slot is bolder in taking risks compared to the visiting team's manager, Mikel Arteta. In addition to urging his team to be more aggressive in the second half, he also made quick substitutions. Midfielder Alexis Mac Allister, who was less dominant in the midfield, was replaced by Curtis Jones. Meanwhile, Liverpool's set-piece goal originated from Jones's actions during the transition.

Arsenal's biggest mistake was being too comfortable. They did not capitalize on the momentum in the first half by continuing to play with an almost identical approach. Arteta's caution was evident in the starting lineup. He opted for winger Gabriel Martinelli and the more defensive midfielder Mikel Merino.

Two more offensive substitutes, Eberechi Eze and Martin Odegaard, were only introduced in the 70th minute. By that point, "The Cannon" had lost control of the game. Arsenal only regained control after conceding. Liverpool held on for the remaining seven minutes of normal time and seven minutes of injury time.

"I think both teams raised their level of play to the point where there was no margin left. Many actions occurred, but not in the penalty area. The match could only be decided by two possibilities: an individual error or a magical moment. Earlier, it was determined by a magical moment," said Arteta, who has never won at Anfield.

Szoboszlai deserves to be crowned as the hero of victory. In addition to scoring the only goal at Anfield, the midfielder of the Hungarian national team also successfully fulfilled an emergency role as a wing-back. Szoboszlai was able to limit the threat from Martinelli on the wing, even though he was not playing in his original position.

The result also marks the end of Liverpool's winless streak against Arsenal. "The Reds" won for the first time in the last seven encounters. This victory puts them ahead of Arteta after two draws in last season's meetings. Meanwhile, Liverpool welcomes the international break as the top of the English Premier League standings (9 points).

On the other hand, the visiting team displayed several positive aspects. One of them is the squad depth that was lacking last season. They arrived at Anfield without their two main strikers, Bukayo Saka and Kai Havertz. Unfortunately, "The Gunners" had to lose their key defender William Saliba just five minutes into the match.

Previously, the duel was referred to as a clash of two poles between attack versus defense. Liverpool, with the deadliest attack, while Arsenal boasted the strongest defense. In the first part of this season, at Anfield, the attack proved to be superior. "The Reds" owe their gratitude to Szoboszlai. (AP/REUTERS)