FA CUP 

ARSENAL  0 

LIVERPOOL 2 (Kiwior og 80, Diaz 95) 

GUNNERS fans once again found themselves shivering in the cold shouting in disbelief as their side spurned a host of big chances without hitting the back of the net.

The past two home defeats – 0-2 to West Ham and now to title rivals Liverpool – have felt like a bad dream.

The attackers are playing precision superb football in the build-up but with no end product.

It’s like the plot of a big budget movie that goes nowhere.

A headed own goal by Jakub Kiwior and a counter attack smashed in at the death by Luiz Diaz dumped the Gunners out of the Cup.

After another goalless 90 minutes, Mikel Arteta was asked whether the supporters were right to be calling for a striker in the January transfer window.

He said: “I beg the supporters that they stick behind the team.

“They deserve to be supported with the attitude they are showing.

“We need to give them support and love.”

He accepted that the missed chances were becoming  a psychological issue, adding: “We need to reset.”

“If we were getting hammered I’d be getting worried, but it is not the thing …

“What can I say? We didn’t take the chances. We are not capitalising in the last few games.

“But the attitude and courage we are showing … we are probably the best team in Europe at the moment in terms of momentum [in terms of play].”

Gabriel Jesus was out with a knee injury and Reiss Nelson had started in place of Gabriel Martinelli, who over the winter break games has epitomised Arsenal’s problems going forward.

Nelson was lively and as if he has a little bit more composure than the Brazilian winger.

A long ball the maligned keeper Aaron Ramsdale, back in goal for the FA Cup, sent Nelson through on goal in the first minute.

Just when he looked sure to score, he took a poor touch and the chance was gone.

That bumbled chance in the first minute would be repeated more than a dozen times in an incredibly frustrating third round clash.

Both sides rattled the crossbar – Martin Odegaard and Trent Alexander-Arnold – in the first half.

Darwin Nunez glanced his header wide in good chance for Liverpool moments before Kai Havertz did exactly the same at the other end.

The supposedly “in form” midfielder held his head in shame after screwing a dreadful shot well wide of the post from just a few yards out.

His list of misses tonight is too long to mention in any detail.

Arsenal’s appalling shots to goals ratio in recent weeks appears to have got in the heads of the players, who are repeatedly laying it off instead of taking a shot themselves.

The best of the many, many chances was perhaps Ben White’s long range half volley that was tipped over by keep Allison Becker.

Odegaard, much like in the West Ham game, was a bundle of energy and played some clever passes in tight situations.

Bukayo Saka by his high standards had a very poor game and was the worst offender when it came to shooting accuracy.

In one head-clasping minute he shanked a volley before skewing a cross over the bar with two teammates waiting on the six yard line.

This was a different kind of game to what fans normally see at the Emirates, with space up front and counter attacks on.

The attackers were not always struggling to get through two banks of defenders or in situations when they had only a split second to set themselves for the shot.

The Gunners were hitting long balls every now and again to good effect.

With the score still at 0-0, Ramsdale made huge save that was celebrated like a goal.

He was unlucky to be on the losing team and to have his chance of first team football this season ended in this third round exit.

Arsenal: Ramsdale, Saliba, White, Gabriel, Kiwior (Trossard 88), Jorginho (Nketiah 82), Saka, Odegaard, Nelson (Martinelli 62), Havertz (Smith Rowe 88), Rice
Sub not used: Raya, Soares, Nwanan, Sousa, Walters 

Liverpool: Becker, Gomaz, Konate, Diaz, Nunez, MacAlister, Jones (Clark 75), Gakpo (Jota 60), Elliott (Bradley 76), Arnold, Quansah (Gravenbach 60).
Subs not used: Kelleher, Clark, Gordon, MacConnell, Nyoni

Attendance 58,538