WHAT'S HAPPENED
We kept our European confidences with a morally growing victory against Liverpool on Wednesday night.
Entering a game against the champions behind the derby north of London was hardly a perfect trial, but we delivered a grim back-to-wall performance to score points after goals from Alex Lacazette and Reis Nelson.
With the FA Cup semi-final in the Emirate on Saturday against Manchester City looking great, Mikel Arteta made five changes to his side but the visitors dominated most of the first half.
Playing with the throwing of the best dogs in the Premier League, Liverpool pushed us back into their own half for long periods and it was a bit of a surprise when they took the lead through a close goal by Sadio Mane.
But for all their dominance, the visitors could not extend their advantage and we made them pay the price when Lacazette took advantage of a mistake by Virgil van Dijk to score.
We then took advantage of another mistake in Liverpool, where Alison played a pass directly to Lacazette, who found Nelson to score his first goal in the Premier League.
We were expecting an answer from the Reds after the interval and we received one with Amy Martinez soon called to action to make a short-range rescue from Mohamed Salah.
Liverpool continued to put pressure, but for all their possession we stood firm and made life difficult for them as the game reached its final stages.
Mane had the best chance for the visitors late when he scored a goal from Ainsley Maitland-Niles, but scored his shot from the side, while Joe Willock had a very late opportunity, but cut off from close range.
That was it, and we claimed a welcome three points. At the next Wembley.
93 COME ON BOYS! Hold out!
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90 +5 An resilient performance gives us all three points at Emirates Stadium vs Liverpool! GET IN!
93 COME ON BOYS! Hold out!
91 BOOKING: CEBALLOS
91 We'll have five added minutes here...
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90 +5 An resilient performance gives us all three points at Emirates Stadium vs Liverpool! GET IN!
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90 Huge, huge, HUGE chance goes begging for Joe Willock to seal all three points right at the death! How did he not score!?
90 Into the 90th minute here...
86 Sadio Mane gets the wrong side of Ainsley Maitland-Niles but the angle is tight and his shot flies just wide of Emi's right-hand post.
85 SUBSTITUTION: KOLASINAC COMES ON FOR B. SAKA
85 Liverpool overplay their attack down the left-flank and we have a goal kick
83 SUBSTITUTION: ORIGI COMES ON FOR SALAH
83 SUBSTITUTION: SHAQIRI COMES ON FOR WIJNALDUM
81 BOOKING: XHAKA
79 He's back on his feet and seems to be running O.K, he'll carry on.
78 Xhaka has gone down holding his left knee...
76 SUBSTITUTION: MAITLAND-NILES COMES ON FOR SOARES
73 It's time for a drinks break.
72 Excellent work from Pepe... He's surrounded by black shirt and beats them all one-by-one before finally being chopped down on the half-way line. That was a great bit of play to win us a free-kick and relieve pressure. COME ON BOYS!
70 BIG chance for Mo Salah. He gets clear at the back post but his header is weak and easily saved by Emi Martinez. That really should have been the equaliser for Liverpool.
67 Liverpool are really turning the screw now but the boys are putting everything on the line to keep them out. Jurgen Klopp is not enjoying this one on the touchline...
64 Trent Alexander-Arnold whips in the cross but it's headed clear by Granit Xhaka.
61 SUBSTITUTION: KEITA COMES ON FOR FIRMINO
61 SUBSTITUTION: MINAMINO COMES ON FOR OXLADE-CHAMBERLAIN
58 SUBSTITUTION: AUBAMEYANG COMES ON FOR NELSON
58 SUBSTITUTION: CEBALLOS COMES ON FOR TORREIRA
58 SUBSTITUTION: WILLOCK COMES ON FOR LACAZETTE
48 It's been a feisty start to this second half - two bookings in three minutes here.
48 BOOKING: ALEXANDER-ARNOLD
46 BOOKING: TORREIRA
46 We're back underway!
44 GOAL! NELSON!
42 There's been much more fight and aggression from us since the equaliser. This time Rob Holding leaves one on Sadio Mane before staring him down!
32 GOAL! LACAZETTE!
30 The ball is chipped over the top by Granit Xhaka but the chance comes to nothing.
25 A chance to re-group and start again at the drinks break.
20 The ball is played across by Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane converts from 6 yards to open the scoring.
20 GOAL: MANE
17 Liverpool in charge at the moment, it's not been the best start from the lads.
12 The ball is swung in by Trent Alexander-Arnold from the left, Emi Martinez reads it well and is on hand to collect it on the edge of the six-yard box.
8 Liverpool dominating possession in the early stages at Emirates Stadium.
1 KICK-OFF- We're underway at Emirates Stadium!
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