Arsenal were in need of something special to appease the fans following last weekend’s 1-0 defeat away at Stoke.
However, what came their way was hardly the tonic Arsene Wenger had hoped for as they were forced to watch their side get picked apart by a rampant Liverpool.
The Reds took just a quarter of an hour to get themselves ahead courtesy of a deft, flicked header by Roberto Firmino.
And after the first went in, the floodgates opened as Jurgen Klopp’s attacking players showcased their talents.
Said Mane double the home side’s advantage just before the break before Man of the Match Mohamed Salah got a well-deserved goal after the restart
And there was even time for substitute Daniel Sturridge to get on the scoresheet, with Salah turning provider to cap off an emphatic 4-0 win.
For Klopp it was the perfect icing on the cake to a week which had already seen the Reds qualify for the Champions League proper.
However, for Wenger it must have felt like groundhog day as the familiar cries of ‘Wenger Out’ and booing came from the away end.
When asked about his side’s performance, the Frenchman could muster no positives in his post-match interview and insisted “everything” had gone wrong.
“From the first to the last minute, technically, psychically we were punished,” he said.
“The performance was not at the requested level. It’s very difficult to answer. It’s not acceptable. We were an easy opponent.”
When asked for his thoughts on the reaction from the travelling fans, the Frenchman said: “I don’t want to answer that.
“That’s part of the crowd’s feelings.
“If I am the problem, I am sorry, but I believe all together we lose.
“The only thing we can do is come back and give them a better level of performance.”
And they will have to do exactly that after the international break with a home tie against fellow strugglers Bournemouth on Saturday, September 9.
Eddie Howe’s men are yet to pick up a point this season and were denied a draw against Manchester City as Raheem Sterling snatched a late winner at Dean Court.
Three games in and the Gunners are already floundering and sit 16th in the table, four points adrift of the top four.
And if they want to avoid a repeat of last season, Wenger will have to act swiftly to stop the rot.