Today’s teams:

Liverpool: Reina, Johnson, Skrtel, Agger, Jose Enrique, Gerrard, Allen, Sahin, Borini, Suarez, Sterling. Subs: Jones, Henderson, Coates, Downing, Carragher, Shelvey, Kelly.

Arsenal: Mannone, Jenkinson, Mertesacker, Vermaelen, Gibbs, Diaby, Arteta, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Cazorla, Podolski, Giroud. Subs: Martinez, Koscielny, Andre Santos, Walcott, Ramsey, Coquelin, Gervinho.

Referee: Howard Webb (S Yorkshire)

An interesting quote from Brendan Rodgers before the match. The Liverpool manager was asked if he had intended to bring some new faces in on the last day of the transfer window.

“That was always the plan,” he responded. “We would like to have strengthened of course but my focus and concentration now is on the players we have got.”

He doesn’t sound happy.

Vito Mannone makes another start, as Wojciech Szczesny is still injured for Arsenal. Gervinho drops to the bench, probably on account of being a bit of a nothing player.

Nuri Sahin makes his first Liverpool appearance alongside Joe Allen, with Steven Gerrard just ahead of them. Potentially the best Liverpool midfield in years, it’s just a shame that they have no strikers.

We have kick-off, Liverpool attacking from right-to-left.

Both teams just settling into the game, nothing to report apart from a long range shot from Borini. Not the best of efforts.

Mertesacker is booked for Arsenal and Liverpool have a free-kick from 30 yards. Luis Suarez steps up but blasts the ball over.

Liverpool work an opportunity, as Sterling finds Suarez, and Suarez finds Borini, and Borini finds the stand. It’s all Liverpool in the last few minutes.

Arsenal work a gap in a packed Liverpool penalty area. Eventually the ball falls to Cazorla, whose shot is smothered by his former Villareal colleague Reina.

Steven Gerrard whips in a corner and the ball brushes off the head of Daniel Agger. If the Dane had moved a milisecond later, Mannone would have been in trouble.

A fairly even game so far, with both teams limited to pot shots and efforts from distance. Thomas Vermaelen has a go. Reina shrugs as it goes well wide.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is winded after a collision with Suarez.

Gerrard finds Suarez – who could make an artform out of giving the ball away – with one of his more successful Hollywood balls, but the Uruguayan can’t wriggle free as Sterling looms in the centre.

Good work by Kieran Gibbs.

Sterling gets away from Mertesacker and Arteta comes in with a scything tackle. Card for Arteta. Dangerous free-kick for Liverpool.

Suarez touches it to Gerrard, who tries to place it, but it hits the wall.

Arsenal have their first Premier League goal of the season, and it’s Lukas Podolski’s first for the club!

Gerrard gives the ball away and it finds its way to Cazorla, who slots the German in brilliantly. More sloppy play from the Reds, and Arsenal capitalise.

Somewhere, George Graham is wiping a tear from his eye as chants of ’1-0 to the Arsenal’ ring around the stadium.

And here’s a bit of a thinker…

Carl Jenkinson looks like the real thing – Sterling can’t get a look-in. Sagna will do well to get back in ahead of the young right-back.

No sooner is that written than Sterling has Liverpool’s best chance, spinning away from the Arsenal defence and hitting the upright.

Should have been two!

Arsenal withstand a period of Liverpool pressure and Diaby comes away with the ball. He feeds Olivier Giroud, who fires wide with only Reina to beat. Not good from the Frenchman. Come to think of it, we’ve seen nothing good from the Frenchman in almost two and a half games.

Liverpool fans – if you don’t laugh, you will cry.

A replay of Per Mertesacker’s tackle on Sterling in the box. His studs shaved the ball, according to the not-at-all biased Alan Smith.

In a word, no. Should have been a penalty.

Similarly to Giroud for Arsenal, it’s hard to think a single positive contribution from Borini to Liverpool so far this season (Gomel goal aside, and does it count if you’re playing a character from Lord Of The Rings?).

Anyway, we have half-time, Arsenal lead through Podolski’s first goal for the club.

Jamie Redknapp’s having a good moan about Rodgers’ lack of options, and with good cause. The decision to let Carroll go looked more stupid with every passing first half minute.

We’re back for the second half…

Martin Skrtel is booked for going to ground and tackling Abou Diaby from behind. Diaby, surprisingly, does not break in half.

The Kop appeal for a penalty as Suarez goes down under the challenge of Per Mertesacker from a Steven Gerrard cross. Howard Webb shows no interest.

Reina gets down sharply to save from Gibbs, after he is played in by Podolski. Arsenal look the far more interested team here.

Stewart Downing is coming on for Liverpool. Well, the goals have to come from somewhere.

Cough.

Another goalless (and inept) performance from Borini, who goes off to be replaced by Downing.

A great moment from Liverpool – Suarez knocks the ball down to Downing superbly, gets it back and blasts a shot that Mannone tips over the bar.

There are calls on Twitter for Rodgers to ‘man up and take Steven Gerrard off.’

The Reds captain has been badly off his game – surely Jonjo Shelvey couldn’t do any worse?

Diaby has been superb today – proof of a fine player when he isn’t injured. He slips in Jenkinson, whose shot is parried by Reina. No Arsenal player there to follow up.

Downing has actually made a difference, as Liverpool put the pressure on without ever really getting anywhere.

Then, Cazorla strikes one just past Reina’s far post.

Nuri Sahin’s Liverpool debut is over, as he’s replaced by Shelvey. The Turk never really got going, with Mikel Arteta and Diaby dominating the midfield. Arteta has been in excellent form today.

Liverpool 0-2 Arsenal – A miserable week for Reina is completed as Arsenal go 2-0 up, through Santi Cazorla.

Arsenal cut the Reds open as the Spaniard exchanged passes with Podolski, before his shot squirmed through Reina and into the Liverpool goal. That should be that, as Liverpool don’t have the quality to mount any serious comeback.

There does need to be some perspective on the subject of Andy Carroll. He is being revered in absentia, but the same people saying Borini is a poor man’s Carroll now were labelling Carroll a bargain basement Fernando Torres 20 months ago.

Shelvey fails to trouble Mannone with a shot from distance.

If Joe Allen has even half the influence on Liverpool that Arteta has on Arsenal, the fans will love him. The former Everton man has been supreme.

Sterling performs a Stuart Pearce-esque tackle on Jenkinson.

The words Pearce and esque are really quite incongrous, no?

Downing lashes an effort over the bar, from a Suarez pass, and gets a corner out of it. Arsenal take off Podolski and bring on Andre Santos.

Any thoughts?

A tremendous clearance from Vermaelen after Shelvey’s shot is spilled by Mannone – both Gerrard and Suarez were ready to pounce there.

Shelvey, once again, has impressed since coming on.

Meanwhile, Abou Diaby is named man of the match. Well deserved.

Another thundering shot from Shelvey after Suarez misses from close range. Maybe Liverpool do have a new striker after all?

The former Charlton man is booked for a silly foul on Aaron Ramsey.

Alan Smith says Liverpool should go for Didier Drogba. He has missed the fact that…

a) Drogba has not been released by Shanghai Shenhua.

b) He wouldn’t be eligible to join until January anyway.

It’s Liverpool’s worst start to the season in 50 years, and they have only one point from three games. Arsenal have their first win of the season after goals from Podolski and Cazorla, and they have three clean sheets at the start of the season for the first time in 88 years.

Friday has clearly done Liverpool, and Brendan Rodgers, no favours at all. Gerrard, Reina and Suarez all had awful games and Brendan Rodgers must be seething.

That’s all from Anfield, we’ll be back soon for Southampton v Manchester United. Thanks for keeping up…