Liverpool stun Arsenal in seven-goal thriller
Liverpool were forced to hold off a resurgent Arsenal as Jurgen Klopp’s men clung on to begin their 2016-17 Premier League season with an enthralling 4-3 victory at Emirates Stadium on Sunday.
In a remarkable encounter, Liverpool fell behind as Theo Walcott, who had missed a penalty a minute earlier, gave Arsenal a deserved lead.
But Philippe Coutinho – scorer of a stunning winner at Stoke City on the opening weekend of last season – repeated the feat with an unstoppable free-kick in first-half stoppage time.
Buoyed by that equaliser, Liverpool tore into their hosts after the break and scored three times in the first 18 minutes.
Adam Lallana put them ahead with a fine piece of control and a finish to match, before Coutinho doubled his tally by applying the finishing touch to Nathaniel Clyne’s delivery.
Along with Ragnar Klavan and Georginio Wijnaldum, Sadio Mane was making his competitive Liverpool bow and the Senegalese marked the occasion with a sensational solo goal, finished off with a rasping drive into the top corner.
The home side did pull one back almost immediately through substitute Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain – another virtuoso effort to rival that of Mane – before Liverpool saw Coutinho hobble from the field.
With 15 minutes remaining, Calum Chambers’ header set Liverpool nerves jangling further, but Klopp’s men held on to get their campaign off to a victorious, if not altogether convincing, start.
