Arsenal 2-0 Liverpool: Gunners profit from 58% shot accuracy and go 5 points clear

Arsenal vs Liverpool – Aaron Ramsey’s brilliant goal

Arsenal 2-0 Liverpool

Aaron Ramsey’s thunderous strike helped Arsenal to a hard-fought 2-0 win over early title rivals Liverpool in a tense clash at the Emirates Stadium.

Santi Cazorla’s volleyed effort gave the Gunners the lead in the first half before Brendan Rodgers’ men rallied back after the break, but Ramsey intervened to claim all three points and extend their lead at the top of the Premier League to five points.

Key Stats:

It was a match short of quality as both teams looked to hit the other on the counter-attack, leading to lots of turnovers in possession courtesy of a fair few misplaced passes.

Arsenal edged it in terms of statistics as they recorded more attempts on goal and controlled the majority of possession, but Liverpool always threatened on the break and some poor decision-making and finishing proved to be their undoing.

Performance Score:

The Squawka performance scores for both teams reflects the course the match took, with Arsenal holding the advantage from start to finish.

The Gunners enjoyed a better start as their opponents struggled to find their feet in the early stages and never looked back after Cazorla’s early strike. Ramsey’s long-range effort only served to widen the chasm between the two sides.

Man-of-the-Match:

Ramsey’s superb display in the centre of the park and sensational strike earns the Welshman our man-of-the-match award courtesy of a Squawka performance score of 57. The Gunners star never stopped from start to finish and, alongside Mikel Arteta, was a vital cog in the Arsenal midfield as they dominated a poor Reds side.

The 22-year-old out-passed and out-thought his more illustrious opponents in Steven Gerrard and Lucas Leiva in a display that serves as a reminder that his early season form isn’t just a mere blip. The Wales international was involved in plenty of intricate midfield play, completing 81 per cent of his 86 passes, and helped out his defenders by winning all five of his tackles and two of three headed duels.

Arsenal may have been missing two first-teamers in Mathieu Flamini and Jack Wilshere, but Ramsey ensured that they weren’t missed with another typically industrious performance.

Key Observations:

The battle was won and lost in midfield, as Arsenal’s duo of Ramsey and Arteta dominated their opposite numbers in the middle of the park. The pair completed 170 of 192 attempted passes, more than Gerrard and Lucas’ combined total of 132, to control the game and in truth, they never once looked like losing that grip.

In contrast, Liverpool’s much-discussed 3-5-2 failed to achieve the midfield dominance they needed and, as a consequence, were always on the back foot throughout. Glen Johnson’s illness was a blow to their plans as deputy wing-backs Jon Flanagan and Aly Cissokho failed to provide the support the centre-midfielders needed to push up the field and support the two strikers.

Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge were isolated in the first half, making it easy for Arsenal to take advantage of the space between the two banks to control the tempo and supply their own forwards. Rodgers’ tactical switch to a back four and the introduction of Philippe Coutinho in the second half gave the Reds some momentum, but they took a sucker punch in form of Ramsey’s stunner, and with that the game was effectively over.