In the 80th minute of a tight encounter that had seen the woodwork struck three times, a Jakub Kiwior own goal – as he tried to defend Trent Alexander-Arnold’s curled free-kick – put the Reds in front.
And Luis Diaz sealed the result deep into stoppage time at Emirates Stadium, sending Jürgen Klopp’s team into the next round, to be played later this month.
Team news
Klopp made four changes in north London, with Harvey Elliott, Cody Gakpo, Alexis Mac Allister and Jarell Quansah brought in to the XI.
Reds captain Virgil van Dijk was absent due to illness.
Liverpool: Alisson, Gomez, Konate, Diaz, Nunez, Mac Allister (Gravenberch, 58), Jones (Bradley, 75), Gakpo (Jota, 58), Elliott (Clark, 75), Alexander-Arnold, Quansah.
Unused subs: Kelleher, Chambers, Gordon, McConnell, Nyoni.
First half
Arsenal enjoyed the early chances on a cold day at Emirates Stadium, with Reiss Nelson finding only the side-netting after carrying Aaron Ramsdale’s long pass into the area and partially around Alisson Becker.
Kai Havertz saw a curler from the edge of the area dealt with by Alisson, before a big reprieve for the visitors in minute 11.
Bukayo Saka stole possession from Joe Gomez high up the pitch and Havertz rolled a pass into the middle, where Ibrahima Konate intervened with a sliding challenge. Martin Odegaard lashed the loose ball against the crossbar, and the Reds cleared.
As the game settled into a more even rhythm, Liverpool’s response included a headed chance for Darwin Nunez, glanced wide of the right post from Elliott’s corner kick.
Alisson had to react quickly to tip over a fierce strike from Ben White just inside the box – and from the resulting corner, Havertz nodded off target from close range.
And the Reds’ No.1 had to get in the way of another Havertz effort, this one a low hit on the angle that nicked off Konate – late in a half in which there was one more key moment.
Klopp’s men moved play nicely into Arsenal territory and ultimately teed up Alexander-Arnold in the right channel. His rising drive bounced off the bar.
Second half
In the fledgling exchanges of the second half, Gomez blocked out Saka at one end and then swiped a shot over the goalframe from distance at the other.
Nunez was not too far away with a vicious blast from the left edge of the area moments later, before Saka hooked a volley too high after an Arsenal set-piece routine.
On the hour mark, Havertz’s cross from the left took a heavy deflection and threatened to loop beyond Alisson – but the Brazilian repositioned well to tip the ball away.
Nunez’s attempt to square for Diaz failed in a counter-attack that had sprung the former in behind down the left, and Liverpool next went close twice in quick succession.
Diogo Jota’s reverse pass into the area allowed Diaz to guide a low effort at goal that Ramsdale gloved away excellently, and from the deep corner that followed, substitute Jota leapt superbly to get in a header that nudged off the crossbar.
The Reds’ pressure had been consistently growing, and it reaped rewards in the closing stages.
Alexander-Arnold drifted in a free-kick from high on the left flank and Kiwior could only divert it into his own net, and, in the fifth minute of added time, Diaz took in a pass from Jota and walloped a finish high into the net, ensuring Liverpool are in Monday’s FA Cup fourth-round draw.
