Liverpool 0-2 Arsenal

By Mark Langshaw, Reporter | 02 September 2012

Goals either side of half time from Lukas Podolski and Santi Cazorla help Arsenal to a 2-0 win away to Liverpool in this afternoon's Premier League clash.

Goals either side of half time from Lukas Podolski and Santi Cazorla helped Arsenal to a 2-0 win away to Liverpool in this afternoon's Premier League clash.

Arsene Wenger's side broke the deadlock on the half-hour mark when Cazorla capitalised on a mistake by Steven Gerrard and found Podolski in space.

The German striker still had plenty to do, but kept his cool and side-footed the ball past Pepe Reina in the Liverpool goal.

Brendan Rodgers's men could have gone into the break 2-0 down had Olivier Giroud not missed a sitter at the Kop end on the stroke of half time.

Liverpool appealed for a penalty early in the second half when Luis Suarez was felled in the area by Per Mertesacker, but the referee waved away the Uruguayan's protests.

Rodgers's side raised their game and began to see more of the ball, but they fell further behind on 68 minutes when Cazorla drilled home from an acute angle to embarrass his compatriot Reina.

Liverpool's best chance of the second half came when Gerrard and Suarez combined to set up Stewart Downing, but his shot was deflected over the bar.

Late chances fell to Suarez and substitute Jonjo Shelvey but the Reds, looking like a team in dire need of an out-and-out striker, couldn't find a way through.