Arsenal 0-3 Liverpool: Jurgen Klopp's side in Champions League mix again

Liverpool have struggled to find high points this season as their Premier League title defence disintegrated spectacularly and their Anfield form has made history of the wrong sort - but could this traumatic campaign yet have a satisfactory ending?

But manager Jurgen Klopp's beaming smile was back after Liverpool took Arsenal to the cleaners at Emirates Stadium in a 3-0 win that was not close to being an accurate reflection of their total domination.

It was less than a month ago that struggling Fulham inflicted Liverpool's sixth successive home league defeat, the worst run in the club's history, to leave Klopp's champions shrouded in misery and their season threatening meltdown.

Fortunes can change quickly, though, and Liverpool will have left north London late on Saturday night to prepare for Tuesday's Champions League quarter-final first leg away to Real Madrid with hope they could yet emerge from the dark clouds of this season into sunlight.

• Liverpool brush aside Arsenal to boost top-four hopes

• Arsenal boss Arteta angry after defeat to Liverpool

Let's get it straight - last season's runaway champions landing in a dogfight for a place in the top four can never be painted as a success, but things are now looking a lot brighter as Liverpool enter the sharp end of the season.

The top four, a bare minimum requirement at the start of this campaign, is now a serious possibility and while hardly the ideal target it would be a lot better than what Liverpool looked to be contemplating after Fulham took all three points at Anfield on 7 March.

This was a convincing win and then some, with awful Arsenal swept aside when Liverpool finally found the end product to complement their superiority in possession.

Real Madrid, old hands at this stage of the Champions League irrespective of any La Liga struggles, will present a huge test, but Liverpool look to have renewed threat and stability. This is a 50-50 tie and Klopp's team will approach it with optimism.

Liverpool were presented with a chance to leave their top-four rivals looking in the rear view mirror as Chelsea were stunned by relegation-threatened West Brom at Stamford Bridge hours before kick-off at Emirates Stadium. They will loom larger now, sitting just two points behind Thomas Tuchel's side.

Significantly, Klopp has been able to put some of his most important Liverpool pieces back in their proper place - and how it shows.

Fabinho's restoration to midfield - released into his best position as Klopp shows increased faith in inexperienced centre-backs Nathaniel Phillips and Ozan Kabak - has had a transformative impact.

The tall Brazil player delivered a masterclass at Arsenal, dictating the game from the base of midfield. He broke up the minimal attacks Arsenal had and kept Liverpool ticking over in possession in a display capped off by the through-ball for Mohamed Salah's goal.

Fabinho gives Liverpool a sense of assurance back. Thiago Alcantara is still not arguably hitting the heights his many admirers expected from such a class act but there is no doubt he is better for the Brazil anchor's presence alongside him in midfield.

Diogo Jota has scored 12 goals in 22 games in all competitions for Liverpool this season

Then, in attack, there is Diogo Jota, who has been a revelation since his £45m summer move from Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Jota punished his former club with the winner at Molineux before the international break and wasted no time in making an impact here, heading the opening goal in the 64th minute moments after coming on as substitute.

The 24-year-old Portugal forward was badly missed when he was out with a knee injury and has emphasised his huge importance to the side since his return.

Jota not only complements Liverpool's well-established attacking trio of Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane and Salah, he also offers manager Klopp the sort of options any club in Europe would envy.

He has now scored 12 goals in 22 games - including 13 starts - for Liverpool and he demonstrated his single-minded mentality and clinical finishing to head the opener and break Arsenal's resistance.

It came from the sort of brilliant cross from Trent Alexander-Arnold that has become this high-class right-back's trademark - which leads us on to another hot topic that will occupy minds between now and the summer.

Alexander-Arnold sends message to Southgate

Trent Alexander-Arnold now has four assists in the Premier League this season

The absence of Alexander-Arnold was the major talking point in England manager Gareth Southgate's squad for the 2022 World Cup qualifiers against San Marino, Albania and Poland.

Southgate's reasoning was the 22-year-old had not hit the high levels of recent seasons, although he did not write him off and said he was close to getting back to those standards.

It is an ominous sign for any player, however, when they are left out of a squad completely with no fitness questions and a major tournament so close.

Klopp, shocked and mystified by the decision, pointed out Alexander-Arnold had been ill with Covid-19 and also suffered an injury as contributory factors in some mixed form earlier in the season.

Alexander-Arnold is not the sort to issue a message to Southgate or try to prove points - but make no mistake, this display suggested it will be a very big call to leave him out of England's squad for Euro 2020.

He was irresistible in attack, playing a key role in both of Jota's goals, and while it is his defensive ability that attracts questions, Alexander-Arnold is such a potent attacking weapon that it would be a noteworthy decision if England went into the tournament without him in the squad.

Southgate currently appears to regard Chelsea's Reece James as the better all-round right-back, the full defensive and attacking package, while the experienced Kyle Walker is right in the frame having played his full part in Manchester City's stroll to the Premier League.

Atletico Madrid's Kieran Trippier has also produced performances to gain Southgate's trust.

England are unquestionably well blessed at right-back - but blessed enough to ignore Alexander-Arnold's claims completely?

If Alexander-Arnold wanted to give Southgate food for thought, he certainly served up a huge helping at Arsenal.

• Dragons' Den returns: A new series of eager entrepreneurs hoping to strike the deal of a lifetime

• Your film night sorted: Epic films for you to choose from this Easter weekend