LONDON, England (AP):
Liverpool will have to settle for just lifting the English Premier League (EPL) trophy next week. It won’t be accompanied by a record-breaking points total after losing 2-1 at Arsenal yesterday.
Having ended the club’s 30-year title drought, Liverpool have eased up and the bid to match or overhaul Manchester City’s 100-point record is over.
Arsenal scored from their first two shots on target, to cancel out Sadio Mane’s opener, and Liverpool provided the assists through carelessness.
“We are all human,” Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp said. “I cannot make a negative out of something so positive, becoming champions so early in the season. These boys have played an exceptional season and no one can take that away from them.”
Under pressure from Arsenal forward Reiss Nelson on the edge of the penalty area, Virgil van Dijk opted for an ill-judged back-pass. Alexandre Lacazette intercepted the ball and rounded goalkeeper Alisson before tapping in Arsenal’s equaliser in the 32nd minute.
Alisson was at fault for Arsenal’s winner by clearing the ball straight to Lacazette, and Nelson applied the finish in the 44th.
“The goals we gave them were a present,” Van Dijk said. “Until the first goal it was totally us and we were dominant. But if you give goals like that away, including myself, you get what you deserve.
“Goals like that shouldn’t happen and it happened twice tonight. Until I make the mistake, we did nothing wrong. I take the blame for it, of course, I take it as a man and we move on.”
It had initially been Arsenal’s defending that was providing gifts. Mane was left unmarked to meet Andrew Robertson’s cross and put Liverpool in front in the 20th minute.
But Liverpool now have just one point from their last two games after being held 1-1 by Burnley at Anfield, ending a bid to become the first team to finish an EPL season with a perfect record at home.
This was only Liverpool’s third loss of the season but it means they can only finish with 99 points by winning their remaining two matches.
Yesterday’s EPL resultsBurnley 1-1 Wolves
Man City 2-1 B’mouth
N’castle 1-3 Spur
Arsenal 2-1 Liverpool
Today’s games
Everton v Aston Villa @ 12 p.m.
Leicester v Sheff Utd @ 12 p.m.
Palace v Man Utd @ 2:15 p.m.
Soton v Brighton @ 2:15 p.m.