Premier League: Liverpool thrash Arsenal 4-0 to go second in the league table

Arsenal looked crushed at the end, its eight-game unbeaten run over and yet again leaving Anfield empty-handed. The result left the Gunners fifth in the league.

Takumi Minamino (obscured) celebrates with teammates Trent Alexander-Arnold, Fabinho, Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah, Jordan Henderson and Sadio Mane of Liverpool after scoring his team's fourth goal.

Imperious Liverpool extended its Premier League home winning streak against Arsenal to six on Saturday with an easy 4-0 victory that lifted its to second in the table.

Sadio Mane met a perfect free-kick from Trent Alexander-Arnold in the 39th minute to plant a header across Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale for Liverpool's opening goal.

Ramsdale produced a string of spectacular saves to keep Juergen Klopp's silky strikers at bay. But he could do nothing to stop Diogo Jota skipping past him in the 52nd minute after a dreadful misplaced pass from Arsenal defender Nuno Tavares.

Inevitably, Mohamed Salah got in on the act with a close-range volley from a Mane cross in the 73rd minute, before Takumi Minamino came off the bench to turn in a cross from Alexander-Arnold with his first touch in the 77th.

AS IT HAPPENED: Premier League Highlights: Rampant Liverpool thrash Arsenal 4-0; Minamino, Salah, Jota and Mane on the scoresheet

Arsenal showed a few flashes of resistance and attacking spirit in the first half - not least from manager Mikel Arteta who squared up angrily with Klopp over a foul in an ugly touch-line exchange that earned both yellow cards.

But Liverpool deserved the victory, and it could have been even bigger were it not for England international Ramsdale.

The win puts Liverpool on 25 points, four points behind the leaders Chelsea after 12 games. Arsenal is fifth on 20.

'ALL OVER THEM'

Right-back Alexander-Arnold was delighted with his double assist and Liverpool's improvement after defeat at West Ham United in their last Premier League outing.

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"A team of our quality shouldn't be losing games. We bounced back today in the best way we could. A very good performance. It was exactly what we needed," he said, singling out Liverpool's pressing and fluency after halftime.

"We were all over them, they were just seeing red blurs all over the place, and that's exactly what we wanted to do. That second half was outstanding."

Arsenal did put the ball in the net in the first half, but Alexandre Lacazette's effort was offside. Arsenal has not beaten Liverpool away in the Premier League for nine years, conceding at least three goals in the last half dozen defeats.

"It's one of the toughest places if not the toughest to come," said Ramsdale. "We made mistakes, but that's life and football. We got punished, and that's what the top teams do."