Ben White, who decked Curtis Jones during Arsenal’s FA Cup loss to Liverpool, was fortunate to avoid receiving a card.

The defender was ‘Merked,’ as Rio Ferdinand could have said in 2006, when Jones deftly sidestepped him and popped the ball past him close to the byline. In retaliation, White grabbed hold of the Liverpool midfield player and threw him to the ground. The referee, in an odd move, kept his cards in his pocket even though a free-kick was given.

“That is top class defending right there. His ability is unmatched… clearly works on that in training,” one fan on social media joked. Another, however, didn’t think it was funny, fuming: “How has he got away with that? It’s a deliberate foul. No intention to play the ball. Stonewall booking.”

A third raged: “The ref needs his head screwing on. How has he not booked White for that?” A fourth added: “White clearly more than happy to play pantomime villain and I’m all for it lol.”

It was a tough old day at the office for Arsenal, who had 18 shots at goal without rippling the net. They dominated the ball for the most of the game and had the lion’s share of the chances, but were made to rue several big missed opportunities as Jurgen Klopp’s side struck twice late on to seal a 2-0 win, and passage to the fourth round of the cup.

With just ten minutes remaining, Trent Alexander-Arnold’s free kick was headed into his own net by Jakub Kiwior. As Arsenal sent players forward in an attempt to equalize, Luis Diaz scored a second goal past Aaron Ramsdale at the end of a sweeping counterattack that continued deep into stoppage time.

As a result, Mikel Arteta’s club has only triumphed in one of their previous seven games across all competitions. Liverpool, on the other hand, is still winning in all four categories. They are leading the Premier League, advanced to the round of 16 in the Champions League, and this month they will play Fulham twice in an attempt to get to the EFL Cup final.