Arsenal vs Liverpool LIVE: FA Cup result and final score as Luis Diaz goal wraps up away win

At a time when Arsenal just can’t seem to score, it is of course one of their own players that inadvertently sends Liverpool through to the fourth round of the FA Cup. Luis Diaz then showed them how to do it with a thumping finish and that without Mohamed Salah.

When it’s going against you, it’s going against you. That might not bother Mikel Arteta too much with this specific 2-0 third-round defeat given this is the one trophy he has already won at the club, but there are now growing greater concerns over whether their season might be derailing. This was a third successive defeat in all competitions.

Their attackers are certainly sending the ball anywhere but the back of the net, on the basis of this. There’s also the issue of whether this will further propel a burgeoning Liverpool side, who could well supersede Arsenal to again become Manchester City’s closest challengers.

Eventually, Liverpool found their match-winners — even if the first goal came from a player in white. Without Mohamed Salah for the first time this month, it was a touch off Arsenal defender Jakub Kiwior that ensured the Reds advanced into the FA Cup fourth round and avoided a replay against their title rivals, whose winless run extended to a fourth game.

It would have hardly been Jurgen Klopp’s plan — but as Luis Diaz rifled in a late second, it meant Liverpool can now enter a crucial phase of their season without their talisman bolstered by a big win.

And here are the all-important ball numbers for tomorrow night. Maidstone United will surely be eyeing a glamour game after shocking Stevenage yesterday.

1. Luton Town or Bolton Wanderers (replay)

2. Wrexham

3. Liverpool

4. Brighton & Hove Albion

5. Norwich City or Bristol Rovers (replay)

6. West Ham United or Bristol City (replay)

7. Tottenham Hotspur

8. Fulham

9. West Bromwich Albion

10. Southampton

11. Ipswich Town

12. Leeds United

13. Leicester City

14. Watford

15. Newcastle United

16. Sheffield Wednesday

17. Crystal Palace or Everton (replay)

18. Aston Villa

19. Nottingham Forest or Blackpool (replay)

20. Wigan Athletic or Manchester United (Monday)

21. Manchester City

22. Blackburn Rovers

23. Sheffield United

24. Swansea City

25. Chelsea

26. AFC Bournemouth

27. Coventry City

28. Brentford or Wolverhampton Wanderers (replay)

29. Plymouth Argyle

30. Maidstone United

31. Newport County or Eastleigh (replay)

32. Hull City or Birmingham City (replay)

Just one third round tie to be played this weekend, then, with Wigan hosting Manchester United in a tasty bit of Monday night business tomorrow. Liverpool - who take on Fulham in the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup on Wednesday - will be pleased to have avoided a replay, which would have taken place next week.

They go into the draw for the fourth round, which will be held ahead of that game at the DW Stadium tomorrow evening.

Arsenal will surely feel that is a game they should have won. To create the number of big chances they did and still come away scoreless again evidences their problems in front of goal - there were opportunities of all different kinds during the 90 minutes but Alisson’s goal remained unbreached. Is a high-price centre forward the answer?

“It’s a huge win. We’ve got a lot of players missing, and a lot of injuries. We came here with one objective which was to get into the hat for the next round, and we did that with two late goals. We changed things around at half time, came out and played football and created chances. Those changes really made an impact for us.

“There were times in the first half where we were a little bit naive. They had chances from our mistakes. They are a high pressing team and are bound to do that. But we have an identity and want to play football. We wanted to get Harvey on the ball and get Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez in behind with their speed. We mixed it up and that really made a difference, using Darwin’s speed one-on-one with their full-back.

“We hit the woodwork a couple of times, so we did have chances, and near the end we put them away.”

A seriously good win for Liverpool, away from home without a handful of key figures but able to withstand a siege and strike twice late on. That half-time switch of his forward line worked wonders for Jurgen Klopp, adding extra threat, but word too must go to Conor Bradley and Bobby Clark, both impressive off the bench to help out the heist.

Here’s what winning skipper Trent Alexander-Arnold thought of it all...

That certainly will!

Liverpool are going through! Luis Diaz makes totally certain of victory, finishing off a counter attack after excellent work from Darwin Nunez and Diogo Jota. Jota holds off Declan Rice and finds Diaz on the right, and the Colombian lashes past Aaron Ramsdale.

Claimed by Alisson! Authoratative goalkeeping from the Brazilian. That might be enough.