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And that fact was best encapsulated by the performance of Conor Bradley.

With Trent Alexander-Arnold on the way out, the Anfield crowd has already anointed the 21-year-old as the natural successor at right-back given the loud chants of his name during the opening moments of the match.

When Bradley thundered into a challenge to wipe out Gabriel Martinelli early on, the volume of the backing only intensified and set the tone for a good first-half showing from the Northern Ireland international.



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Bradley had already been beaten once by Leandro Trossard inside the area when he stood off the Arsenal man and allowed a cross from which Martinelli glanced the visitors back into the game.

And Bradley later found livewire teenager Myles Lewis-Skelly a little too hot to handle and picked up a booking as a consequence before being replaced.

While the Northern Irishman has made encouraging steps in the last 18 months, he remains a relative novice at Premier League level with this only his 15th start in the competition.

A new right-back to challenge for a first-team role will therefore benefit both Liverpool and Bradley himself.

Gakpo and Diaz show difference

It was a classic Anfield one-two.

And it exposed the chief reason Liverpool and not Arsenal will be holding aloft the Premier League title later this month.

Two goals inside 90 first-half seconds was a further example of the greater firepower that has ensured the Reds have romped to a 20th championship.

The opener, scored by Cody Gakpo, was significant, the Dutchman becoming only the second player after Mohamed Salah to score in 10 consecutive starts at Anfield for Liverpool.

The goal was Gakpo’s 18th of the campaign and was shortly followed by a 17th for Luis Diaz, the Colombian continuing his strong end to the season.

For comparison, Arsenal’s leading scorers are Kai Havertz with 15 and Bukayo Saka on 12.

Andy Robertson’s cross for the opener was his first Premier League assist of the campaign on his 250th top-flight appearance for the Reds, while Dominik Szoboszlai’s good run and pass for the second followed his two assists last time out at home to Tottenham.

The Hungary international, like Diaz, is ending the season on a high.

Rivals ready to go again

In the end, the pre-match guard of honour was one of the least contentious moments of the afternoon

But the ebb and flow of what followed confirmed there is a good chance one of these two teams will be enjoying similar recognition next season.

If Liverpool have by some distance been the dominant Premier League team, only Arsenal have given them a challenge

And while major change is anticipated in both squads during the summer, they will be expected to again be the front-runners for the title next term.

This draw also ensured Liverpool finished above the Gunners in the mini-league containing the top six
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