Dominik Szoboszlai’s stunner from a 32-yard free-kick has clinched Liverpool’s victory over Arsenal at Anfield, on Sunday, August 31, 2025.
The Hungarian midfielder, playing out of position at right-back, delivered a moment of magic in the 83rd minute, curling a dipping, bending shot past Arsenal’s goalkeeper David Raya to secure a crucial win in this early-season clash of title contenders.
The tightly contested match saw both teams struggle to create clear chances, with Arsenal losing key defender William Saliba to injury just five minutes in, forcing an early substitution with Cristhian Mosquera.
Despite Arsenal’s strong first-half performance, Liverpool grew into the game after the break.
Liverpool’s victory over Arsenal now means they solidify their position at the top of the Premier League with a perfect record after three matches.
Reacting to the victory, Liverpool manager Arne Slot said: “If you win against a team like Arsenal, who last season were such a good team and have strengthened so much, to win against them is very positive. We will know at the end of the season what it’s worth.
“Listening to Jamie [Carragher]. He thought we were far too open against Bournemouth, so we thought, let’s make it a boring game. On a more serious note, they took the risk of going 1v1, this was hard because they brought all the midfielders so close to the defence. Then in the second half, we went 1v1 but with Szoboszlai playing close and three midfielders. In the second half, we pressed really well, so for me, after 45 minutes, we got the upper hand. In the end, we needed a moment of magic.”
Speaking also, Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta said: “I am very disappointed with the result. I’m very proud of my players. Both sets of players had to dig in to a level where there was nothing between the two. It was going to be decided by an individual error or a moment of magic.
“You cannot dominate here for 90 minutes, it is impossible. At the end of the game, I said we have to find a way to win these big matches.
“You have to put the ball in the back of the net when you have it. We were much better than last year, much better. We have to put the ball in the back of the net if you want to win the game.
“We lost Martin [Odegaard], we lost Kai [Havertz] and then we lost Bukayo [Saka]. In the warm-up, we lost Saliba.”
