Trey Nyoni marked his first Premier League start with a composed display, but Liverpool fell to a 1-0 defeat against Arsenal at Anfield after Alisson Becker's costly mistake allowed Kai Havertz to score the winning goal.
The 19-year-old midfielder was handed his first league start on his 31st appearance for the Reds, selected ahead of Ryan Gravenberch and the returning Dominik Szoboszlai alongside Alexis Mac Allister in the centre of midfield. Nyoni quickly dispelled any doubts about his ability to cope with the physical presence of Bruno Guimaraes and Declan Rice, escaping without even a booking after two strong challenges in the opening moments.
Nyoni then delivered a composed performance in a frantic encounter, justifying the faith shown in him by head coach Andoni Iraola. He recorded more touches than any other player during his time on the pitch and boasted a pass accuracy in excess of 96%.
Nyoni's promising display cut short
Having never previously started two games inside a week, it came as little surprise when Nyoni made way for Szoboszlai on the hour mark. The Reds were not quite the same after his departure, but this represented another step forward in a promising Anfield career.
Mac Allister once again stood out as Liverpool's best player, even though he was guilty of wasteful finishing when heading over a Milos Kerkez cross towards the end of the first half. The Argentina international was at the heart of the contest, constantly winning the ball in good positions and helping maintain pressure on the Arsenal defence.
Mac Allister was also willing to give Arsenal a taste of their own medicine, particularly after fouling Martin Odegaard, when he gave the Norwegian a piece of his mind before moments later sparking a furore in which Noni Madueke was fortunate to escape a red card when his head appeared to connect with Mac Allister.
Alisson's error proves decisive
Alisson Becker had been warned only last week, when he played a careless pass into midfield against Brighton, who eventually hit the post as the home team scrambled to regroup. This time Alisson was not so lucky, with his ball intended for Jeremy Jacquet instead gifting possession to Arsenal for a move that ended with Kai Havertz tapping in Declan Rice's cross at the far post.
A low-quality game of few chances meant a mistake was always likely to be the difference. The more Liverpool floundered against Arsenal's blanket defence, the more apparent it became that Alisson's indiscretion would prove decisive.
The goalkeeper did make a smart stop to keep out a low Christos Tszolis drive as Arsenal looked to make the game safe on the counter-attack during the final quarter. Alisson has more than enough credit in the bank having been the undisputed number one goalkeeper at Anfield for more than eight years, and not even Giorgi Mamardashvili's solid showing in the Carabao Cup win over Chelsea in midweek will dislodge the Brazilian, who is in the last year of his contract, any time soon. But this was an untimely reminder that even the very best are not immune from needless blunders.
