Arsenal were never going to protect that 1-0 lead. Liverpool attacked with a speed and movement that denoted significant fine-tunings since Klopp's inconsistent debut campaign. They lined up in a 4-3-3, with Coutinho (left) and Sadio Mane (right) flanking Lallana, Georginio Wijnaldum and anchor man Jordan Henderson, behind false No. 9 Roberto Firmino.
The gameplan centred on the wingers drifting infield to combine with Firmino, who also undertook reverse runs out wide. Surging initiatives from Lallana and Wijnaldum were also common.
Liverpool thus created several chances centrally and got men forward in numbers; as Firmino finished off one attack, they had six players in the box. As such, it was not entirely surprising that Coutinho earned his decisive free kick having received a pass from Mane centrally. Coutinho then found the top corner from around 30 yards.
That goal seemed to sap Arsenal. In the second period, Liverpool pressed higher up and scored another inside four minutes; Coutinho was again involved centrally, producing a sweet first-time flick through to Wijnaldum whose cross was turned in by Lallana. The combination underlined the dangerous runs from midfield and Arsenal's inability to pick up Coutinho. Such observations were also relevant when Nathaniel Clyne cannoned in a low cross for the untracked Brazilian to make it 3-1.