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Liverpool returned to winning ways in the 2020-21 Premier League with an emphatic 3-0 victory at Arsenal, thanks to goals from Diogo Jota and Mohamed Salah.
Three second-half goals were enough to see off Mikel Arteta's men, as the home side barely managed to breach Liverpool's defence, struggling to leave their own half for the majority of the game. Despite a frustrating first half, Liverpool never looked like they were losing control of the game, which helped them secure all three points.
The game turned in Liverpool's favour following the substitution of Andrew Robertson, which saw Diogo Jota coming the pitch, while James Milner covered at left-back. Within minutes of coming on, the Portuguese got on the end of an inch-perfect cross from Trent Alexander-Arnold, heading the ball home in the 64th minute to put Liverpool ahead.
Arsenal struggled to retain possession throughout the game, and after Liverpool's opener, it was all one-way traffic at the Emirates. Mohamed Salah did the honours for the second goal, as he beat Gabriel in a 1v1 while nutmegging Bernd Leno from a tight angle. Diogo Jota then got Liverpool's third of the night in the 82nd minute, smashing the ball into the net from close range.
One would argue Mikel Arteta's stubbornness to not shift things up after the first half played a massive part in Arsenal's defeat. Jurgen Klopp seemed to hold all the aces in this game, while the Gunners failed to grasp their chances to move up the table.
On that note, let's take a look at the player ratings of both teams.
Arsenal Player Ratings against Liverpool
Bernd Leno - 6/10
Bernd Leno was not directly at fault for the goals he conceded. But considering the high standards he sets for himself, maybe the German international could've done a bit better in two of those situations. The Arsenal goalkeeper did make a few saves, but overall it was an average performance from him.
Kieran Tierney - 5/10
Kieran Tierney couldn't make an impact at either end of the pitch against Liverpool. Arsenal were caught too deep in their own half whenever they looked to attack, which made life difficult for Tierney and co. to build attacks.
Gabriel Magalhaes - 6/10
The Brazilian centre-back was Arsenal's best player for a good 60 minutes of the game. But the 23-year-old played a huge part in Liverpool's second goal, committing to a loose ball and totally missing it. Salah capitalised on the opportunity to score his first of the night. After that, it was all downhill for Gabrel Magalhaes. as he never really recovered from his mistake.
Rob Holding - 5/10
A 6' 2" centre-back is not supposed to lose aerials from crosses that are delivered from the sideline, let alone losing an aerial battle to a 5' 10" striker. Rob Holding completely switched off for Liverpool's opener, as Jota managed to lose him inside the 18-yard box before heading home.
Calum Chambers - 5/10
Calum Chambers has been Arteta's preferred right-back for the past few games, but he put out one of his worse performances against Liverpool on Saturday. Despite a good first 45 minutes, the Englishman had a dismal second half. Chambers lost a whopping 12 ground and aerial duels while losing possession of the ball 19 times in the game, the most by any player on the pitch.
Thomas Partey - 6/10
One of Arsenal's better players, Thomas Partey, seemed like the only one trying to make things happen against Liverpool. But the Ghanaian had too much to do on his own, which often led to him misplacing passes and losing possession cheaply. Buying a quality midfielder to partner Partey for the next season should be a priority for Arsenal.
Dani Ceballos - 5/10
It was a horror show yet again for Dani Ceballos, who seems to have completely lost the plot after his mistakes in the Europa League games. This was a match that could have played to his strengths, as the Spanish midfielder has the ability to evade pressure and pick passes behind a high line. But Dani Ceballos showed no quality on the ball and without it against Liverpool.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang - 5/10
Arsenal's forwards collectively had a highly underwhelming performance, and it was no different for their captain. The gameplan set by Arteta was to soak up pressure and hit on the counter, something Arsenal aren't used to do. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was caught in his own half for most of the 90 minutes, as he failed to make any sort of difference against Liverpool.
Martin Odegaard - 6/10
Another player who was rarely able to enjoy possession of the ball was Martin Odegaard. The Real Madrid playmaker has the quality of breaking apart defences, but only if he has time and space with the ball, something Liverpool offered at a premium. It was a poor outing for the Real Madrid loanee.
Nicolas Pepe - 6/10
Arsenal's most expensive player seemed to lack any sort of intensity or guile in his movements against Liverpool. While it is true that the team's gameplan did not help Arsenal's front four, there was a clear lack of intent from the Gunners, especially Nicolas Pepe. He is low on confidence and looks like a shadow of his illustrious self.
Alexandre Lacazette - 7/10
Alexandre Lacazette has a good record against Liverpool, scoring against the Reds in his last two games. But lack of chances and close to no support on Saturday made it near impossible for the Frenchman to test Alisson Becker. He barely had a shot on goal, but his overall gameplay was better than that of his teammates'.
Ratings of Arsenal substitutes
Cedric Soares - 5/10
Cedric Soares replaced an injured Kieran Tierney in the 46th minute but failed to create any sort of difference, as Mohamed Salah enjoyed more freedom on the right flank. Soares was often caught high up on the pitch while the Egyptian exploited the spaces left behind.
Mohamed Elneny - 4/10
Mohamed Elneny replaced Dani Ceballos in the 58th minute as Arteta tried to add some legs into midfield but to no avail. The Egyptian international was non-existent during his brief stint against Liverpool.
Gabriel Martinelli - 6/10
Brought on a bit too late, Gabriel Martinelli had an uphill task of getting his team back into the game from a 2-goal deficit. The youngster won a few duels but was always going to struggle to make any sort of impact, playing alongside a depleted set of players.
Liverpool Player Ratings
Alisson Becker - 7/10
Liverpool's Brazilian goalkeeper had as much work to do as his back-up Adrian, who sat on the bench for 90 minutes. However, Alisson was impactful with his feet, often beating Arsenal's first line of press and finding his midfielders in between the lines with ease.
Andrew Robertson - 6/10
Andrew Robertson completed 61 minutes on the pitch in what was a rather above-average performance from one of the best left-backs in Europe. The Scottish international effectively overlapped but maybe could've made a few better decisions in the final third.
Ozan Kabak - 8/10
The Turkish centre-back had a comfortable outing against the Gunners, as the home side did little to trouble Liverpool's backline. The 21-year-old won 100% of his aerial duels and was barely put under pressure by the likes of Lacazette and Pepe.
Nathaniel Philips - 9/10
In an impressive outing by Nathaniel Philips, he was just as calm and collected as his partner while holding Liverpool's fort. With Arsenal sitting deep, the Liverpool centre-back duo had the responsibility of keeping things ticking; recycling the ball from one flank to another. Lacazette tried to target Philips but was beaten on every occasion as the young centre-back came out on top.
Trent Alexander-Arnold - 8/10
Gareth Southgate must be biting his nails watching Trent Alexander-Arnold on the same day when Reece James dropped a horror show. If a scintillating cross to find Diogo Jota deep in Arsenal's box wasn't enough, the 22-year-old had Aubameyang on the strings for a good 90 minutes. The Liverpool right-back looked in great shape and had the hunger to prove his critics wrong.
Thiago Alcantara - 7/10
Criticism for Thiago Alcantara has been massive since he has stepped foot in England. But based on his performance against Arsenal, he provided a glimpse of what he can provide to the team. The Spaniard picked passes in between the lines with absolute ease. The 29-year-old registered eight long balls on the night, completing 83 passes in 90 minutes.
Fabinho - 9/10
Jürgen Klopp was upset about the fact that a lack of fit centre-backs meant Fabinho had to play in defence because the Brazilian is one of the world's best when he is deployed in his natural position. Fabinho had Arsenal's midfield trio on lockdown, not allowing a single move to go through him.
James Milner - 7/10
James Milner, as usual, dropped a classic performance at the Emirates, albeit against a weak Arsenal side without their best players. The 35-year-old was accurate and decisive with his passes, positioning and awareness throughout the 90 minutes.
Sadio Mane - 6/10
Sadio Mane did not have the best of games for Liverpool, but he still did more than enough to make sure his team left London with the three points. The Senegalese winger bagged an assist and had Arsenal's right-back on the ropes, creating space for his full-back to charge into. It was a decent performance from the 28-year-old.
Roberto Firmino - 7/10
Roberto Firmino loves a goal against Arsenal but despite not getting it, the Brazilian was, as always, valuable to Liverpool's build-up and often dropped into pockets to allow Mane and Salah to come inside. It was an impactful performance from the centre-forward, although he was a tad unlucky to not find himself on the scoresheet.
Mohamed Salah - 8/10
This season's top scorer, Mohamed Salah was kept quiet in the first half by Tierney and Gabriel. But the Egyptian came into life in the second half, scoring a cheeky goal as he displayed his speed and composure. Gabriel had the winger under control for most of the game. But one chance was all Salah needed to alter the scoreline. He scored a brilliant solo goal and also played a fine through ball for Liverpool's third of the game.
Ratings of Liverpool substitutes
Diogo Jota - 9/10
Raw pace, elite movement inside the box, impressive composure and hunger to win every second ball has defined Diogo Jota's career at Liverpool.
It was no different on Saturday as the substitute turned the game on its head with his spectacular movement, finishing and speed. A world-class header followed by a fine 1-on-1 finish took Jota's tally for the season to eight league goals in 13 appearances.
Georginio Wijnaldum - 6/10
Georginio Wijnaldum replaced Firmino in the 78th minute as Klopp sent his midfielder to slow down the game and eventually kill it off. The Netherlands international did exactly that; kept the ball moving and frustrating Arsenal all game.
Rhys Williams - N/A
Rhys Williams replaced Kabak for the final six minutes of the game but didn't do enough to merit a rating.
