WHAT is Ivan Toney worth?What is a striker if he has an eye for goal?
Because Arsenal’s season is in danger of sinking without a glimpse after squandering chances before an own goal from Jakub Kiwior and a goal from Luis Diaz in stoppage time condemned them to elimination in the third round of the FA Cup.
Mikel Arteta’s side have made 48 attempts on goal in their last two home games.
And Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp was only too happy to avoid a third-round replay and some other trademark groans from game congestion when his side claimed an undeserved win.
Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka were the worst culprits in Arsenal’s profligacy before Klopp staged a forged finale to claim victory.
But the Gunners have now managed just one win and five goals in their last seven games, a run that leaves them five points behind fourth-placed Liverpool in the Premier League.
Gabriel Jesus missed him due to a knee injury, but the Brazilian is a prolific striker.
So while Brentford insist Toney will only be sold for a ridiculous fee, it is worth Arsenal asking exactly how ridiculous they mean.
After failing to convert 30 in their 2-0 home loss to West Ham, they have been poached here again.
Championship-leading Liverpool, who face Fulham in the Carabao Cup semi-finals, are still aiming for a quadruple this season; They have seldom reached the heights of their victorious crusade four years ago.
In addition to Mo Salah and Wataru Endo, who are on duty abroad, Klopp will be without Virgil Van Dijk due to illness.
In the absence of Jesus, Arteta moved Havertz to centre-forward and brought in Reiss Nelson and Jorginho, as well as Aaron Ramsale in goals.
Still, the lineups still indicated that those two title-chasing coaches were taking the cup seriously.
Arsenal, wearing all white as part of their ‘No More Red’ anti-knife crime initiative, were almost in front in the third minute when Ramsdale’s long ball sent Nelson clean through but, after rounding Alisson, he shot into the side-netting.
Showing an impressive early response to their back-to-back league defeats, Arteta’s men began with verve and urgency.
Havertz was twice denied by Alisson in quick succession – at the back stick from a Saka corner then with a curling effort from the edge of the box.
When Joe Gomez stole Saka and Havertz fell asleep, Martin Odegaard hit the crossbar and the league leaders pulled away.
However, the Gunners couldn’t make their blitz start count, and Darwin Nunez, a striker struggling to locate a cow’s butt with an earlier banjo, headed in a Harvey Elliott corner from close range.
Other than that, it’s all Arsenal, with Saka regaining his usual vigour, having looked tired lately.
Declan Rice won a strong tackle to dispossess Alexis Mac Allister high up the pitch but Havertz scuffed his shot horribly.
Then Ben White let it go with a ferocious shot, which Alisson wasted and from Saka’s corner, Havertz put a loose header wide.
The German went through one of his maddening days and soon dutifully fired at Alisson after Nelson took possession in impressive fashion.
After waves of pressure from Arsenal, Liverpool captain Trent Alexander-Arnold fired a shot that hit the crossbar and Klopp’s men finished a tricky part in style.
The visitors raised their game early in the second period and when Alexander-Arnold picked out Nunez, he drilled an angled shot narrowly wide.
After William Saliba saved Nunez, Mac Allister fouled Jorginho at the Liverpool backline and an adorable free kick from Odegaard set Havertz free, who hit the back post where Saka flew off balance.
Alisson was soon forced to deny a Havertz cross that had received a damaging deflection, but Saka cut off the rebound.
Arteta sent Gabriel Martinelli for Nelson, while Klopp brought in Diogo Jota and Ryan Gravenberch.
Liverpool posed a risk on the counter-attack, but when Nunez and Luis Diaz were sent into a two-on-one, the Uruguayan missed his pass to his unmarked Colombian teammate.
Klopp then signed midfielder Bobby Clark, the teenage son of former Newcastle midfielder Lee, and Northern Ireland right-back Conor Bradley.
Ramsdale had to wait until the 77th minute before asking him to make a remarkable save, but denied Diaz with a brilliant save off the post.
From the resulting corner, Jota headed against the crossbar and Núñez squandered a presentable opportunity.
For the first time in the match, Liverpool were in the lead, and when Odegaard fouled Gravenberch on the left wing, Alexander-Arnold unleashed a nasty free-kick that Kiwior headed past his own goalkeeper.
And in the dying seconds, Liverpool momentarily broke down and, with the Gunners’ defence tense, Jota gave a pass to Diaz that crashed into the roof of the net.
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