Arsenal - Liverpool summary: score, goals, highlights, FA Cup 2023-24
FA Cup third round: Arsenal - Liverpool as it happened
Full time: Arsenal 0-2 Liverpool
Arsenal were completely undone by their wastefulness in the final third, especially in the first half. Kai Havertz was one of the main culprits, often taking an extra touch or choosing the wrong option when in a promising position, as well as heading a corner wide from close range when he really should’ve scored. Bukayo Saka was lively in the opening period but was also guilty after half time, wildly volleying a couple of efforts over from inside the box.
Given the hosts’ profligacy, there was something of an inevitability they would be made to pay by their in-form opponents, who had been poor, by their own high standards, in the first half.
There was no way Liverpool could be as passive in the second period and they weren’t, with Darwin Nuñez and Luis Díaz much livelier after half time. The game ebbed and flowed until the final 15 minutes or so, when The Reds got a grip of things.
Trent Alexander-Arnold’s superb free-kick delivery forced Jakub Kiwior to head into his own net with 10 minutes to go and, with Arsenal chasing the game in injury time, Díaz rounded off a counterattack with almost the last kick off the ball.
The Gunners are left wondering what might have been, while Jürgen Klopp’s side are in the hunt in four different competitions.
What next for Arsenal and Liverpool?
Contrasting fortunes for today's two protagonists.
Arsenal don't play again for almost two weeks, with their next game at home to Crystal Palace on 20 January.
Liverpool, meanwhile, host Fulham in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final onWednesday (10 January) before an 11-day break ahead of their next Premier League game away to Bournemouth.
Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp "super proud" of team
Speaking to British broadcaster the BBC, Liverpool boss Jürgen Klopp has spoken of his delight at today's result:
"I'm super proud. It's a super difficult draw. Maybe the most difficult we could have got. With all the things we had to consider coming here, Arsenal lined up slightly different, that was smart. We changed a bit at half-time. We were really in the game in the second half. We scored the goals and brought the kids on. We fought for 95 minutes.
"Wednesday is the next game and then a few days off. We have to make steps if you want to be where we are and around that area then we have to make steps all of the time. It wasn't an easy game to enjoy in the first half."
The FA Cup third round concludes tomorrow (Monday 8 January) with Manchester United's trip to take on 2013 winners Wigan Athletic. But the draw for the fourth round will actually take place before then.
Here Sveto with the details, including which teams are in the hat (so far).
When did Liverpool last win the FA Cup?
You don't gave to cast your minds back far to Liverpool's last FA Cup win, which came in 2021-22. The Reds defeated Chelsea on penalties in the final at Wembley for their eighth victory in the competition.
Could that soon be nine?
What can Liverpool win this season?
Premier League: Liverpool are three points clear of second-placed Aston Villa, although Manchester City, who are third, are five points behind with a game in hand.
Europa League: The Reds have qualified for the Europa League round of 16, which will be played in March. The will know their opponents upon the conclusion of the playoff round, which will be played in February.
Carabao Cup: Jürgen Klopp's side will play a two-legged semi-final against Fulham, played on 10 and 24 January. The winner will face either Middlesbrough or Chelsea in the final.
FA Cup: Thanks to their win at the Emirates, Liverpool are in the fourth round (last 32) of the FA Cup.
Trent Alexander-Arnold: how can I assist you?
Will Trent's free-kick go down as an assist since it was an own goal? I'm not totally sure on the technicalities but it was another superb delivery from the Liverpool full-back that helped break the deadlock.
One game fewer for Liverpool and Jürgen Klopp
For a long while, it looked as if we might be getting a replay, which was the last thing either of the two teams wanted. Well, maybe Arsenal would've taken it now that they've lost...
Liverpool have a two-legged Carabao Cup semi-final against Fulham coming right up, so Jürgen Klopp will be very pleased his side have avoided having to squeeze in an extra match.
Liverpool into FA Cup fourth round
Liverpool join the likes of Manchester City, Chelsea, Newcastle and Aston Villa in the hat for the fourth round.
Full time: Arsenal 0-2 Liverpool
The result you guessed was coming after Arsenal's wastefulness in the first half!
The counterattack you've seen a thousand times before. Arsenal have pushed bodies forward and lose possession, Jota leads the charge and plays in Díaz, who fires high past Ramsdale!
Two Arsenal changes
Smith-Rowe and Trossard have also come on for Kiwior and Havertz.
White crosses to the back post where Martinelli is lurking and Bradley does brilliantly to head the ball away from the Brazilian at the last second.
What a chance for Liverpool to kill the game! Díaz is set away on the right and has two teammates in support but makes a mess of the pass and Ramsdale gathers gratefully.
Four minutes of injury time.
Nuñez almost heads into own net!
Odegaard floats one up to the back post where Nuñez clears...but only just! That was a bit too close to his own post for comfort.
Gravenberch hacks Odegaard down from behind and gets a yellow card. A decent opportunity for Arsenal, this.
Odegaard strides forward and looks as if he's about to unleash one from 25 yards, only to give the ball away with an attempted disguised pass.
Three minutes to go. Time running out for the hosts...
Superb defending from Bradley as Martinelli tries to race past him on the Arsenal left. The Liverpool youngster wins a goal kick and kills a bit of time.
Odegaard's cross is met by Havertz, who can only bundle the ball past the post.
Arsenal have a free kick in an equally dangerous spot out on the right. They don't have Trent, though...
You could see this coming a mile off after about 20 minutes of the first half.
Nketiah on for Arsenal
Jorginho has gone off as Arsenal chase the game.
Alexander-Arnold doing what he does, putting the ball into the most dangerous of dangerous areas.
Alexander-Arnold clips a perfect free-kick into the box and Kiwior flicks it into his own net.
Jota heads off the bar!
Jota gets onto the corner at the back post and heads off the bar, with Nuñez firing the rebound high and wide!
What a save from Ramsdale!
The closest we've come in the second half! Jota nicks the ball through to Díaz, whose low shot looks destined for the better corner until Ramsdale intervenes! A superb stop!
Two more Liverpool changes
Liverpool youngsters Conor Bradley and Bobby Clark are on for Jones and Elliott.
Rice moves the ball right to Saka, who cuts inside, as he tends to do, but curls well over the bar from the edge of the box.
Elliott barges into the back of Jorginho and gets a yellow card for his protest, I think, more than the foul.
Nuñez pass kills Liverpool attack
This might not come as a huge surprise but Nuñez looked as if he was going to be involved in a certain goal but played a poor final ball. The attacker gets in behind Saliba and has Díaz free to his right but plays the pass behind his teammate, who would've been clean through on goal.
Martinelli is skipped past Alexnader-Arnold twice in a minute but has twice been thwarted by Konaté, whose positioning to anticipate crosses into the box was exceptional.
Martinelli has looked lively since coming on. He nips away from Konaté and crosses into the box, but no white shirts are close enough to it.
Saliba first in the book
Saliba brings a smooth Liverpool attack to a halt with a tug-back on Jota and is the first player to be shown a yellow card.
As I say that, the hosts lose possession inside their own half and give Elliott space to shoot, but the midfielder's effort is straight at Ramsdale.
Arsenal have at least managed to regain the control they had in the first half in the last few minutes.
Arsenal send on Martinelli
Martinelli replaces Nelson in a straight switch for The Gunners.
Another moment of Arsenal promise! Havertz's deflected cross almost loops over Alisson, who palms it out to Saka, who shanks an attempted cross/shot out for a goal kick.
Double change for Liverpool
Jota and Gravenberch replace Gakpo and Mac Allister.
Saka volleys over!
OH MY GOODNESS. How is this possible?
Odegaard rolls a free-kick into Havertz, who is an ACRES of space in the Liverpool box. The German eventually chips the ball up to the back post, where Saka volleys over.
Arsenal are going to be made to pay for this, I'm sure of it.
The forwards get all the headlines but that was a textbook challenge in the box from Saliba on Nuñez, who was looking to make space for a shot.
Nuñez goes close!
Liverpool are right in this now! Nuñez pulls away to the left, drifts inside Saliba and rifles one just past the top corner! What a goal that would've been!
Trouble for Arsenal as Liverpool seem to be getting their act together a bit. Díaz is again the instigator but the attack finishes with Jones blazing a loose ball high and wide.
This wastefulness must be contagious! Liverpool counter and have got plenty of bodies forward as Díaz ventures into the box. His initial effort is blocked and he, like Havertz before him, then takes too long to get a follow-up effort away.
Gomez then appears up the other end and shoots from 25 yards. It's a decent strike but it flies well over Ramsdale's goal.
Here we go again...
Saliba plays a brilliant ball over the top for Saka, who looks to be clear of Gomez but takes too long to get a shot away and allows the defender to get back and take the sting out of his eventual effort.
A scrappy start to the second period with neither side able to get a grip of possession.
No changes for either side
Arsenal
Ramsdale; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Kiwior; Rice, Jorginho, Odegaard; Saka, Havertz, Nelson.
Liverpool
Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Quansah, Konate, Gomez; Elliott, Mac Allister, Jones; Gakpo, Nuñez, Díaz.
Back underway at the Emirates!
Here we go for the second half! Arsenal will still be kicking themselves...
De Bruyne returns as Manchester City thrash Huddersfield
Manchester City are already safely in the hat for the next round after thrashing Huddersfield 5-0 at the Etihad. Kevin De Bruyne played the last 35 minutes or so, while Phil Foden scored twice.
Chelsea, Spurs, Newcastle and Aston Villa are among the other teams who are through, too. Manchester United are in action against Wigan Athletic tomorrow (Monday).
Alexander-Arnold goes close for Liverpool
I'm pretty sure the crossbar must still be shaking. That one from Trent stayed hit!
Half time: Arsenal 0-0 Liverpool
A goalless first half which shouldn’t have have been. Arsenal have done brilliantly to win the ball back high up the pitch on a number of occasions and have worked a series of really good openings, which they have wasted.
Kai Havertz has been guilty of taking a touch too many or choosing the wrong option several times, while also heading a corner wide from close range when he should’ve done better. Martin Odegaard has come closest for The Gunners, smashing against the bar, although even that came after Havertz had failed to pick out Bukayo Saka for a tap-in.
Liverpool have offered little going forward but almost stole the half-time lead when Trent Alexander-Arnold strode forward and rifled an effort off the crossbar before the break. The Reds will surely be better in the second period, which will be a worry for the hosts.
What could have been for Arsenal
Liverpool's forays forward have been few and far between, but Arsenal have had more than enough opportunities to be a goal or two up. I've got a feeling they might live to regret it in the second half.
Half time: Arsenal 0-0 Liverpool
Referee John Brooks blows up 30 seconds early for some reason. That's all for now, folks!
Arsenal will be kicking himself they're not ahead, but also relieved not to be a goal down there.
Three extra minutes to be played.
Alexander-Arnold smashes off the bar!
And Arsenal are almost made to punish! Alexander-Arnold bursts forward and rifles a fierce effort against the crossbar!
Wasteful Arsenal
Another mistake in possession from Liverpool and Arsenal have another great chance to score! Again, too many touches from Havertz turns a clear chance into a half chance, which Alisson has little bother dealing with.
Nuñez gets away from the Arsenal defence but Ramsdale is alert and races from his line to clear the danger.
Saka is in charge but overhits his cross - or was it a shot? - to the back post and it drifts behind.
What can Arsenal do here? They have a free-kick on the right just outside the box.
Jarell Quansah down
Jarell Quansah is in for Virgil van Dijk but could be about to go off himself after injuring him trodding on the ball...
How did Havertz miss??
Oh, wow. Saka's corner lands on Havertz's head at the back post but the German somehow directs his header wide!
White denied by Alisson!
Gomez again stops Saka from going past him but the ball falls to White, who unleashes a shot from the angle of the box and is denied by Alisson's fingertips!
Rice tries one from 25 yards but it's straight down Alisson's throat. Easy for the Brazilian.
Saka has been one of Arsenal's main threats and he is set away down the right once more. This time, though, Gomez does well to stick to him and block his cross.
From the resulting free kick, Alexander-Arnold's delivery floats to the back post...and over the bar.
Ben White is very lucky not to get a yellow card there. He loses the ball to Curtis Jones, who then brilliantly flicks it round the defender before being manhandled on his way into the box. Proper showboating there from the Liverpool man.
Wasteful again from Arsenal! Mac Allister loses the ball inside his own half and Odegaard plays the ball through for Havertz, who opts to take a touch when a first-time shot was on. His eventual effort is blocked by the Liverpool defence.
There's only one Trent Alexander-Arnold. The Liverpool full-back is facing his own goal and chooses to dribble across his box and play a brilliant pass up to Díaz rather than just clear his line, which 95% of players would've done.
A crucial interception from Gomez stops the ball reaching Odegaard, whose eyes had lit up on the edge of the box.
Arsenal work the ball from right to left nicely, with Saka, Havertz and Nelson all involved. Nelson then lays the ball off at the edge of the box to Saka, who's off balance as he shoots. An easy stop for Alisson.
A free kick for Liverpool in a dangerous position. Elliott whips it into the box but Konaté is challenged as he heads goalwards and it's easily claimed by Ramsdale.
Oooh, that's looked a bit naughty from Nelson. The winger takes on Alexander-Arnold and goes down in the box despite their being very little in the way of contact, if any. At least he didn't claim for a penalty.
Eliott's corner is met by Nuñez but the big Uruguayan can't get his header on target. That was a decent chance!
A corner for Liverpool as Nuñez breaks into the box and looks for Díaz, who is well covered by White.
The pace has dropped a bit since those opening 15 minutes.
A lull in play as Arsenal knock the ball around inside their own half.
A bit of possession for Liverpool for the first time. Which they needed after the hosts' rapid start.
Arsenal are definitely playing with more intensity than in their last couple of games (defeats to West Ham and Fulham).
A rare forward forward from the visitors as Jones tried to thread a pass through for Alexander-Arnold, who is blocked off well. The ball runs through to Ramsdale.
The Liverpool defence looking a bit shaky without van Dijk so far...
Havertz should probably have passed to Saka, who would've had a tap-in, rather than square for Nelson, who was denied by a brilliant tackle from Konaté.
Arsenal should be ahead!
Unbelievable. Gomez gifts the ball to Saka, who finds Havertz in the box. The German tries to pick out Nelson but the ball breaks back to Odegaard, who crashes the ball against the crossbar!.
A little break in play as Díaz goes down. He'll be OK to carry on though.
Arsenal are ramping things up! Seconds later, Havertz tries to find the far corner from range but his curling effort is kept out at the second attempt by Alisson!
And from Saka's corner, Havertz somehow fails to push the ball over the line at the back post!
Odegaard again involved as he lays the ball back to the box, where Jorginho slides it to Nelson. The winger gets a shot away this time but it's deflected out for a corner.
Not that I should be telling Martin Odegaard how to play soccer...
One pass too many from Arsenal! How many times have we said that over the years? Saka finds Odegaard in a great shooting position but he opts to pass left to Nelson, who is quickly crowded out.
The Liverpool response sees Elliott break away down the right but his cross into the box is poor with Nuñez well placed in the middle.
Arsenal close to early opener!
Almost the first goal in the first attack! Ramsdale pings a quarterback-style pass between Liverpool defenders for Nelson, who goes round Alisson but ends up running slightly wide, from where he can only hit the side netting!
In case you're watching too, Arsenal are in all-white.
Underway at the Emirates!
And we're off! Strap yourselves in!
Arsenal - Liverpool moments away!
The teams are out, we're almost ready to go!
Van Dijk and Szoboszlai absent for Liverpool
You may have noticed a couple of big-name absentees for Liverpool in the shape of Virgil Van Dijk and Dominik Szoboszlai. The latter was expected to miss out (and I'm not sad he doesn't considering how hard it is to spell his name), but the Dutchman is something of a surprise absentees.
Calum, Kieran and Joe have teamed up to give you the lowdown on why to of the first names on the Reds team sheet are missing toay.
Liverpool team to play Arsenal: van Dijk and Szoboszlai miss out
Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Quansah, Konate, Gomez; Elliot, Mac Allister, Jones; Gakpo, Nuñez, Díaz.
Arsenal team to play Liverpool: Zinchenko injured
Ramsdale; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Kiwior; Rice, Jorginho, Odegaard; Saka, Havertz, Nelson.
Less than 10 minutes until kick off
With kick off fast approaching, here's a reminder of how the teams will line up for this one.
FA Cup records: Arsenal vs Liverpool
Liverpool may be the more decorate club overall (with six European Cup/Champions League wins to Arsenal's none), but The Gunners are the FA Cup kings. No team has won the competitions more times than the London side, who have lifted the trophy 14 times. Manchester United are second on 12, with Liverpool tied with Chelsea on eight.
Let the warm-up commence!
"Warm" being the operative word. As you might expect in England at the start of January, it's a little bit chilly out there. A few brave souls not wearing snoods.
What happens if Arsenal and Liverpool draw in the FA Cup third round?
Back in the day, all FA Cup matches that were drawn would go to a replay (and sometimes a second, third or fourth replay...). Fixture congestion has changed all that, but only for part of the competition. Up until the fifth round, drawn matches are replayed (if the replay is also a draw, extra time and penalties follow).
From the fifth round onwards, however, drawn matches are not replayed and go straight to extra time and a penalty shootout.
FA Cup third round: how many teams take part?
Today's cup tie is one of 32 in the third round of the FA Cup, which is where Premier League club enter the competition. There's nothing too fancy about the format of the competition, with 64 teams whittled down to 32, then to 16, and so on.
Liverpool: the 2023-24 season so far
While the likes of Arsenal and Aston Villa have faltered, Liverpool have come into form in recent weeks, which has seen them move to the top of the Premier League. The Reds/Lilacs are unbeaten in 13 league matches and have gone three points clear of second-placed Aston Villa, although third-placed Manchester City are five behind with a game in hand.
On top of that, Klopp’s side will play Fulham in the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup (starting this week midweek) and have qualified for the Europa League round of 16.
Lilac Liverpool
Given Arsenal aren't playing in red, Liverpool, in theory, could've done, which they never get to do away to Arsenal Instead, they've gone for this lilac number, a colour I most associate with The Joker of Batman fame (as if you didn't know who he is). Jürgen Klopp's side will hope to have the last laugh today though.
Arsenal will be playing in a one-off kit for this game which is for a great cause. But before any jersey buffs get all excited, the club have said it will not be put on sale. However, a special “bespoke community t-shirt” will be available to buy which will see the money raised go to local initiatives, which Joe is on hand to explain.
Something's not white right in the Arsenal dressing room
Arsenal complying with the (presumably) compulsory social media post showing the dressing room being "ready". I'll have Liverpool's for you in just a moment, in the sake of fairness.
But something looks a bit off...
Can we read anything from those line-ups about who the FA Cup matters to the most? I'm going to say "no", with both sides fielding pretty much as strong a line-up as they could've done, which is what we all wanted!
Liverpool team to play Arsenal: van Dijk out due to illness
The big news from a Liverpool point of view is there's no Virgil van Dijk in defence. Apparently the Dutch defender may have played but has been struggling with illness. Youngster Jarell Quansah takes his place.
Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Quansah, Konate, Gomez; Elliott, Mac Allister, Jones; Gakpo, Nuñez, Díaz.
Arsenal team to play Liverpool: Zinchenko misses out
Remember how I said Eddie Nketiah would start up front for Arsenal? Yeh, well, scrap that. Kai Havertz looks set to play centre-forward against Liverppol. Zinchenko misses out in the end because of his calf problem.
Ramsdale; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Kiwior; Rice, Jorginho, Odegaard; Saka, Havertz, Nelson.
Arsenal: the 2023-24 season so far
It was all going so swimmingly for Arsenal. Sure, they hadn’t really been blowing teams away as they did at points of last season but there seemed to be a maturity about Mikel Arteta’s men, who appeared to have learned from last season’s title collapse. A 1-1 draw away to Liverpool on 23 December kept them top of the Premier League but was followed by disappointing defeats to West Ham and Fulham, which have allowed doubts to creep back in about their title credentials. The Gunners have dropped down to fourth, five points behind today’s opponents, the new leaders.
Arsenal won their Champions League group and will face Porto in the round of 16, but were eliminated from the Carabao Cup by West Ham on November.
Liverpool fans - are you supporting Salah and Egypt at the Africa Cup of Nations or not? The good news for you is the attacker, who has scored 18 goals in 27 games in all competitions this season, will definitely miss just one Premier League game (along with two cup ties). The bad news will come if Egypt make it out of the group stage and go far in the tournament, with is completely possible.
Liverpool are Arsenal's (late) first footers
While today's cup tie is Arsenal's first game of the year, Liverpool were involved in a thriller against Newcastle on New Year's Day, winning 4-2 when they could've won 10-2. Their last away game saw them win 2-0 at Burnley on Boxing Day, while they haven't lost a domestic away fixture since the end of September (although they have been beaten twice on the road in the Europa League since then).
Early Arsenal team news update: Gabriel Jesus to miss Liverpool cup tie
Breaking news! As well as Elneny, Tomiyasu, Partey, Vieira and Timber, who I mentioned earlier, striker Gabriel Jesus will also miss out for Arsenal with a knee injury, which is set to keep him out for "a short time".
Eddie Nketiah will surely be starting up front.
The Emirates hosts first game of 2024
Arsenal play their first home game of 2024 today and they'll hope it goes significantly better than their last home game of 2023, when they were beaten 2-0 by West Ham United. A result which has gone some way from turning them into title challengers to title outsiders, in some people eyes. We'll delve into that in just a moment.
Early Liverpool squad news: Salah misses first game due to AFCON
The big blow for Liverpool, and perhaps the biggest for any Premier League club, is that Mohamed Salah is also off to the Africa Cup of Nations with Egypt. You suspect The Reds will miss him a tad more than The Gunners miss comparator Elneny. Wataru Endo has also jetted off on international duty, where he will also take part in the Asian Cup with Japan.
Thiago Alcantara, Stefan Bajcetic, Ben Doak, Joel Matip, Andy Robertson and Kostas Tsimikas are long-term absentees and have now been joined on the sidelines by midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai, who has suffered a hamstring injury.
Early Arsenal team news: Zinchenko a fitness doubt
Left-back-cum-midfielder Oleksandr Zinchenko missed Arsenal's defeat to Fulham on New Year's Eve due a calf injury and a late decision is set to be made on whether he is available to play or not.
Early Arsenal tean news: Partey and Tomiyasu among absentees
Mohamed Elneny and Takehiro Tomiyasu are unavailable as they are now at the Africa Cup of Nations and Asian Cup with Egypt and Japan respectively. Thomas Partey, Fabio Vieira and Jurrien Timber are sidelined through injury.
Before we get down to business, you may still be looking for a way to watch today's game. If you’re in the United States, then you’re in luck as there is a way and Calum is here with the details!
Just be sure to stick with me too, please!
What time does Arsenal - Liverpool kick off?
We’ll all have to wait just a little though, as the clash in London gets underway at 4:30 p.m. local time, which is 11:30 a.m. ET and 8:30 a.m. PT. How could there possibly be a better way to wake up on a Sunday morning, west coasters?
Over the next 90 minutes or so I’ll be bringing you build-up, team news and plenty more. Let's do this!
Hello and welcome to Arsenal - Liverpool!
It’s the world’s oldest domestic soccer competition and one of the heavyweight match-ups of the English game. Arsenal take on Liverpool for a place in the fourth round, with both teams in the thick of a Premier League title race. With that in mind, how much importance will Mikel Arteta and Jürgen Klopp place on the FA Cup? We’ll find out soon enough when the teams come in, but there’s always plenty at stake when these two lock horns regardless.
I’m Roddy and thanks for joining me as The Gunners host The Reds at the Emirates!