Arsenal were left reeling after a blistering first 20 minutes at Anfield as Liverpool hit 4 goals.

Martin Sktrel opened the scoring after just 2 minutes when he got on to the end of a Steven Gerrard cross to awkwardly send the ball past Szczesny in the Arsenal goal.

It was Skrtel again on 10 minutes with the second. Meeting a corner while moving away from goal the centre half steered the ball back expertly into the top corner.

Luis Suarez came close to adding a third on 13 minutes but his blistering volley from outside the area rebounded off the post. Kolo Toure couldn’t steer the ball into the gaping open goal and Arsenal appeared to have been granted a reprieve.

It was only 4 minutes later when Suarez sent an inch perfect cross between Szczesny and his defence for Raheem Sterling to poke the ball home and make it 3-0.

Daniel Sturridge broke through the Arsenal defence on 19 minutes and coolly finished past Szczesny to make it 4 in the opening 20 minutes.

The Liverpool pressure eased in the aftermath of Sturridge’s goal and the game took on the feel of the formality it had become.

Sterling added the fifth, and his second, on 52 minutes as he finished his own rebound over the sprawled Szczesny.

Arsenal got a consolation in the form of a 69th minute penalty, as Steven Gerrard brought down Alex Oxlade Chamberlain. Mikel Arteta finished from the spot.

Liverpool move to within 5 points of league leaders Arsenal with the win, while Manchester City and Chelsea now have the chance to go top if they can win their respective games in hand over the Gunners.