The numbers speak for themselves. Mohamed Salah does not only make hay against the Premier League’s lesser lights, he routinely damages Liverpool’s rivals in the so-called Big Six. And so it was again here. Yet again.

The first half had been a story of Bukayo Saka’s excellence for Arsenal. He scored a wonderful opener and, after Virgil van Dijk had helped Liverpool back up from the canvas, there was a first Arsenal goal for Mikel Merino. Mikel Arteta’s team looked set for a statement victory in a game that they dared not lose.