A Liverpool side without an ounce of fat on it: no frills, no flourishes, no passengers

Arsenal's Alexandre Lacazette (left) and Liverpool's Fabinho battle for the ball during the Premier League match at the Emirates Stadium, London. Picture date: Wednesday March 16, 2022. Photo: John Walton/PA Wire 

The gap through which Thiago Alcântara threaded his pass to Diogo Jota: a yard, at a generous estimate. The space that Jota found at Aaron Ramsdale’s near post to jam the ball in: maybe a couple of feet. The space in which Roberto Firmino had somehow to divert Andy Robertson’s cross past a goalkeeper literally standing next to him: a matter of inches. These are the margins that are taking Liverpool towards the top of the Premier League, and right now they are managing to find them better than anyone else.

The match in summary: Arsenal were the better side for 50 minutes and did nothing with it. Liverpool were the better side for the next 15 minutes and killed the game comprehensively. As for the rest, who cares? Arsenal ran and rampaged and fumed and fought, just as they had done all night. But there is something heroically dispiriting about giving your best even when you know it is not remotely good enough.