Reds miserable trip to the Emirates a blip on the radar

It was probably the worst outing we've seen from Liverpool in a very long time. Sunday saw them simply overwhelmed and crumble under the pressure of a revved up Arsenal squad.

What was the most surprising about this match was the inability of a Liverpool side to withstand the pressure and atmosphere of a heated rival.

To watch them seemingly wilt under the pressure was a stunning display. That it was Virgil Van Dijk and Alisson, two of the pillars of this generation, that conspired to concede an atrocious own goal summed it all up.

While it was a brutal watch, and even the goal scored by the Reds was not something you'd put on a highlight reel anytime soon, I don't think it was a damning moment in the season.

Yes, Jurgen klopp's men now have much less control over the league going forward. That does not mean they are still not capable of working magic and getting it done.

I would be more concerend if this type of apathetic, listless performance was a common theme. As it were, this is the exception to what we have seen the majority of this season. This felt more like a match from early last season when things looked the most bleak.

Conor Bradley missing out while in the form of his life due to family issues was an obvious blow. It trickled from there throughout the side.

However, with Wataru Endo returning from his international duties shortly and Mohamed Salah inching closer to fitness, Klopp will still have a lot of confidence going forward. Endo in particular would have ben quite useful in the midfield in this kind of match.

As we project ahead, yes, it was an ugly display and there are some things to clean up. Yet, I am going to take the 5 month sample of this squad playing at an elite level over this aberration.

If Liverpool cannot bounce back with authority, then the alarm bells might need to start thinking about shaking off the dust. For now, I'm chalking this up to a bad day away from home against a very inspired and talented title contender.

Let's see the response we get and go from there.