Liverpool v Arsenal: Player Ratings from One sided Affair

In one of Sunday’s late kickoffs, Arsenal were handed a humiliating 4-0 thrashing at the hands of Liverpool. The Gunners were simply outclassed in every department and the defeat ranks amongst their worst losses in the Premier League. It was literally boys vs. men and the Reds outperformed Arsenal in every way.

Here’s how the players performed.

Loris Karius – 6.0

For the German, it was probably the most comfortable outing of the season and his easiest game as a Liverpool player. Besides coming out to collect a few crosses, the 24-year old was untested and unharmed as the Gunners didn’t have one single shot on target.

Joseph Gomez – 7.6

Up against a bullish Danny Welbeck and a rapid Hector Bellerín, Gomez was sturdy and comfortable at both ends of the pitch. The 20-year old made 4 interceptions, 1 clearance and 3 successful tackles against an uninspiring Arsenal side.

Joel Matip – 7.8

The Cameroonian barely broke a sweat all game. Despite being tasked with the movement of Alexis Sanchez, Matip simply bullied and man marked the Chilean out of the game.

Dejan Lovren – 7.3

The Croatian was a solid wall at the back for the Reds, he didn’t put a foot wrong all game. He covered passing lanes and marked runners coming into the box.

Alberto Moreno – 7.0

The Spaniard was saddled to the bench last season but he performed with purpose and a clear direction. He defended well against Arsenal’s wide formation and made 6 tackles.

Emre Can – 7.4

The German was simply outstanding for Liverpool, he drove through the heart of the midfield throughout the game. Liverpool decided to opt for the counter attack and the 23-year old created 2 chances from the middle.

Jordan Henderson – 7.5

The Liverpool captain marshalled the midfield to perfection. Not only did he dictate play with one or few touches, he also made 3 vital defensive tackles.

Georginio Wijnaldum – 8.5

Many were wondering when the Dutchman would come of age and justify his price tag, but he showed he was worth every penny against Arsenal. The Dutchman completed 8 successful dribbles, more than anyone else on the pitch.  He was toying with Granit Xhaka & Aaron Ramsey at times.

Mohamed Salah – 8.2

The Egyptian winger thrived in the acres of space Arsenal afforded him. In behind the defence, Salah made several lung-busting runs that stretched Arsenal’s porous back three to the limit. As a result, the Liverpool man bagged himself a goal and an assist as he terrorised the Arsenal defenders.

Roberto Firmino – 8.0

The Brazilian Bulldog hunted down and harassed Arsenal’s shaky back three. Firmino’s movement proved to be too much for Arsenal as they found it impossible to mark him at all times. The end result was the Brazilian bagging an assist and a calmly taken goal. Firmino was outstanding and he almost fills the void left by a certain other Brazilian.

Sadio Mane – 8.8

Electrifying, elusive and unstoppable, Sadio Mane is the perfect example of what a Premier League winger is today. The Senegalese star mesmerised Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain throughout the game as he exposed to the world why the Englishman shouldn’t be playing at RWB. Mane cut in from the left to bend a super strike around the outstretched Petr Cech.

Substitutes:

Mark Grujic – 6.0

The 21-year old was brought on just to get a taste of Premier League football.

Daniel Sturridge – 6.8

With one of his few touches, Sturridge did what he used to do so good, score clinically.

James Milner – 6.0

Besides a few crunching tackles, the Englishman didn’t have enough time to impact the game.

Petr Cech – 5.0

Shipping in four goals never looks good on a keeper’s CV but in the 35-year old’s defence, he had little to no cover in front of him.

Rob Holding – 5.2

Regardless of how old you are, if you start for Arsenal away at Anfield, you deserve to be marked as harshly as the others. Holding is a prospect, a prospect clearly not ready for the big time yet. His inexperience and youthful naivety shone through as the Reds targeted him time after time.

Laurent Koscielny – 4.6

Bosscielny? Pfft, please. This is the man Arsenal fans were crying out for to return, but the Frenchman responded by putting in one of his worst performances in an Arsenal shirt. Missing clearances and losing runners meant Arsenal’s organising CB destabilised the whole solidity of an already shambolic back three.

Nacho Monreal – 5.9

The Spaniard was perhaps the most competent of Arsenal’s defenders but the trickery and pace of Mohamed Salah did not allow him to breathe for one second.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain – 2.0

Nothing infuriates the fans more than seeing a player who doesn’t want to be at the club put in an awful performance. Chamberlain didn’t look like he cared and his body language shone through to those watching at home. If we never saw the Englishman in an Arsenal shirt again, it’d be too soon.

Aaron Ramsey – 3.0

Anonymous, irrelevant and ineffective, Aaron Ramsey didn’t do much against Liverpool to silence his millions of detractors. The Welshman neglected his defensive duties as well as adding minimally to Arsenal’s attacking play. What he was there for, I do not know.

Granit Xhaka – 3.0

With just a yellow card to show for his game, Granit Xhaka once again failed to live up to his price tag. He didn’t control the game like he was asked to and he didn’t shield the back three from Liverpool’s rampant Midfield 3.

Hector Bellerín – 2.0

The less said about the Spaniard, the better. All you need to know is that the 22-year old should never be seen at LWB ever again.

Mesut Özil – 4.3

Missing or misunderstood? Well at Anfield, the German certainly went missing. And when he did appear, he was either misplacing a pass or dragging a shot horrifically wide. For a man that’s demanding £200,000-a-week, the German certainly didn’t play like his future depended on it against Liverpool.

Alexis Sanchez – 6.1

The Chilean returned with spirit and hunger but unfortunately, Sanchez’s work rate wasn’t infectious enough. He was unable to inspire any kind of fightback from his lacklustre teammates. However, the lasting image of Alexis’ performance will be the picture of him sheepishly smiling from the bench, again.

Danny Welbeck – 5.9

The 26-year old ran his socks off all game but all work and no talent makes Arsenal’s attack very dull. Simply put, Welbeck wasn’t good enough to change the game on his own and it’s a wonder as to why Arsène Wenger persists to start him.

Substitutes:

Francis Coquelin – 6.0

The Frenchman was brought on at half time to sure up the midfield, instead, he ventured forward on many an occasion.

Olivier Giroud – 5.0

With limited service and hardly any time to impact the game, the Frenchman was rendered anonymous.

Alexandre Lacazette – 5.8

Shoved out on the wing in a losing situation, Lacazette provided only one glimpse of brilliance in his short cameo. Regardless, it wasn’t enough to combat the fact Arsenal couldn’t muster one shot on target against Liverpool.

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