'Shouldn't happen' — Michael Owen points finger at Liverpool star after Arsenal defeat

Liverpool were sent back to Merseyside with dampened spirits on Sunday after Arsenal blew the Premier League title race wide open with their 3-1 win at the Emirates. The Reds looked a shadow of the team that had not lost a match since September, and Mikel Arteta's title hungry Gunners made sure they were punished.

It was an overall one-sided affair in the capital as Bukayo Saka struck after just 14 minutes to put Arsenal ahead. Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard both scored in the second half to undo a Gabriel Magalhães own goal that had briefly given Liverpool a way back in.

With just one shot on target the entire game, Jurgen Klopp's side uncharacteristically struggled in front of goal. Their luck wasn't much better at the other end either, as a disastrous mix up between Alisson and captain Virgil van Dijk gifted Martinelli his chance to fire Arsenal ahead once again.

Both players failed to deal with a ball hooked in from long range and Arsenal's Brazilian happily capitalised on their errors to slot it home. The two Liverpool stars looked to make the clearance, but neither fully committed. After the match, van Dijk took 'full responsibility' for the mistake and told Sky Sports 'should have made a better decision'.

However, pundits believed Alisson was the man mostly at fault during the nightmarish situation. Michael Owen weighed in on the situation and pointed the finger mainly at Liverpool's goalkeeper.

"It shouldn’t happen, it’s definitely a mistake. I thought it was Alisson’s fault, if I had to pick a player," the former Red told Premier League Productions. "Listen, you can blame both of them in many ways. I think, potentially, Virgil van Dijk could head this one. He could head it and he lets it bounce.

"After that, he is in total control if Alisson stays on his line. He is in control. He is happy one-v-one — stronger and quicker. He’s goal-side and absolutely in control, just don’t come out and leave him to it, then Alisson comes out and actually half collides and none of them touch it . So, I think it’s more Alisson’s fault than van Dijk’s."

Ian Wright agreed, admitting that Alisson's presence 'confused everything' and van Dijk 'needed more communication' from the No.1.

To further add to their frustrations, Liverpool will be without Ibrahima Konaté for Saturday's clash against Burnley following his sending off against Arsenal. The 24-year-old picked up two yellow cards at the Emirates and was dismissed in the 88th minute.