Alessia Russo scored twice at Anfield to provide the under-pressure Arsenal head coach, Renée Slegers, with some brief respite but it was another unconvincing display from the north Londoners despite their much-needed 2-1 victory.

The in-form Russo’s double took her recent tally to seven goals in her past four appearances and 10 in her past seven games for club and country, but Liverpool posed plenty of problems for the visitors and were unhappy about a disallowed goal.

Arsenal began the game brightly and nearly went ahead early on when Lisa Baum’s effort deflected on to the crossbar and Olivia Smith fired over from a tight angle after initially being slipped through by Russo. Their purposeful start was rewarded when a good move down their right flank led to Emily Fox’s cross being angled into the net by Russo’s incisive first-time finish.

Liverpool were level just six minutes later, though, and from a defensive point of view it was a familiar story for Arsenal, who had similarly conceded from simple, long balls through the middle several times this term. They exerted very little pressure on the ball as Liverpool found Natalia Ramos in space and her direct ball picked out Beata Olsson up front, with the Arsenal centre-backs Steph Catley and Leah Williamson positioned so far apart that they were almost in different time zones, playing Olsson onside. Liverpool’s central striker did enough to keep the ball away from Williamson and lash her strike into the bottom corner.

Liverpool enjoyed a strong spell and a low cross from Vivien Endemann on the right left the Arsenal backline scampering but Williamson cleared it away, before a well-struck, curling Ramos free-kick was tipped on to the crossbar by the Arsenal goalkeeper Misa Rodríguez. Then came the game’s most contentious moment with Liverpool understandably feeling aggrieved not to have taken then lead.

Jenna Clark tucked the ball into the net at the far post after Arsenal failed to clear a corner, but the assistant referee disallowed the goal for offside against Endemann, despite the delivery towards the player having been inadvertently played off an Arsenal foot rather than being a deliberate forward pass from the home side, who looked baffled.

That seemed to wake Arsenal up from their slumber, however, and Caitlin Foord lashed a low effort narrowly wide, before a great block from Grace Fisk – who signed a new contract with Liverpool on Saturday – denied Smith from close range, after Foord had eased past Clark inside the box. Russo restored Arsenal’s lead in the final minute of the opening 45, as her downward header from Baum’s cross was too precise from Khiara Keating.

After what had been a very watchable first half for neutrals, the second was comparative less entertaining, but still tense, as Liverpool fought to try to force an equaliser. They almost found it in the 89th minute but Gareth Taylor had his head in his hands in disbelief after Cornelia Kapocs volleyed wide from a glorious, unmarked position in front of goal. Kapocs had a shot blocked moments later, as Taylor’s team began to apply heavy, late pressure, but Arsenal clung on.