How Liverpool fell into every Arsenal trap as Mikel Arteta's "dark arts" prevail

Andoni Iraola went to great lengths to argue against the idea, but it was hard not to view this game as key to deciding whether or not Liverpool could challenge for the title this season. Win, and the Reds would move within three points of both the champions and top spot, all while having shown signs of beginning to hit their stride in recent weeks. Lose, however, they would slip nine points behind as a result of a slow start to the campaign that owed much to teething pains under a new head coach.