LONDON: Liverpool put down an early marker as Premier League title contenders by scoring four times in 17 minutes to win 4-3 at Arsenal in a thrilling match on Sunday.

They had fallen behind to last season's runners-up when Theo Walcott, having just had a penalty saved by Simon Mignolet, scored in the home team's next attack.

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Arsenal, with three central defenders missing, then fell apart in conceding to Philippe Coutinho (twice), Adam Lallana and debutant Sadio Mane between the 45th and 62nd minutes.

Substitute Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain immediately pulled one goal back and Calum Chambers added another but that was not enough to prevent only a second Liverpool win away to the London side in 21 visits.

It was greeted by boos from the home crowd, many Arsenal supporters again being dissatisfied with the lack of new players Arsene Wenger has recruited in the close-season.

They did not look it in the crucial period of the game on Sunday.

"We paid for a lack of experience at the back," Wenger said, adding that he was "working very hard to get one or two players in".

Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp was understandably buoyant, despite admitting "We can defend much better."