PLAYER RATINGS: Virgil van Dijk and Alisson’s shocking errors gift Arsenal victory… as Jorginho shines under Emirates lights against Liverpool
Arsenal regained their place in what is now shaping up to be a treble Premier League title race after a thrilling 3-1 win over Liverpool on Sunday evening.
The Gunners came out on top with a strong start after Saka found the back of the net with ease before Alisson’s sloppy saves gave Arsenal the lead in the second half.
Despite a dominant performance from Liverpool, the visitors failed to make an impact on goal, with the absence of star man Mohamed Salah etched in the defeat.
With the only goal being a failed clearance from Gabriel and Saliba setting up an own goal, the Emirates were shown red at Arsenal in north London on Sunday.
Mail Sports Poppy Treadaway rates the player’s performance.
Arteta could not hide his joy as Arsenal came out on top in their clash with title rivals
Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka opened the scoring in the 14th minute at the Emirates
Van Dijk looked dejected after his blunder with Alisson gave Arsenal the lead
Jorginho rightly deserved the Player of the Match award for his composed performance in midfield
ARSENAL
David Raya-7
Aside from his one obvious flaw, Raya’s performance was composed. Strong distribution and overall solid display from the Spaniard.
Ben White-8
Fans enjoyed seeing their right-back back in top form. The defender won all his duels and seemed unbeatable at the back, despite his delays during throw-ins.
Willem Saliba-6
The favored centre-back put in another strong performance but lacked composure, leading to Gabriel’s own goal.
Gabriel – 7
Set up the back line after maintaining his centre-back partnership with Saliba throughout. A small mistake that was not deserved for his 90 minute performance.
Oleksandr Zinchenko – 7
A quiet night for the Ukrainian, although he retained good possession. His substitution in the second half allowed Kiwior to shine.
Martin Odegaard-8
Dominated in the middle with Rice and Jorginho, his constant pressure on Liverpool’s backline helped the Gunners to a comfortable victory.
Declan Rice – 8
Another calm face in midfield. He easily prevented a number of counters and also moved forward. The former Hammer continues to prove he is worth the £105 million price tag.
Jorginho-9
Maintained his composure throughout the match to dictate the pace and control play in a closely fought match. Rightly named Player of the Match.
Arsenal restored their place in the Premier League title race with a victory on Sunday evening
Gabriel Martinelli was gifted the second goal after a mix-up between Alisson and Virgil van Dijk
Bukayo Saka-8
Opened the scoring for the Gunners and showed clinical composure to convert Martinelli’s miss. He looked energetic in front of goal.
Gabriel Martinelli – 8
Despite Alisson’s goalkeeping error that allowed the Brazilian to burst through on goal, Martinelli’s impact was enormous. Constant threat to Liverpool’s shaky defence.
Kai Havertz-9
Strong interplay throughout and his awkward number nine role meant the centre-backs struggled to deal with him.
Substitutes at Arsenal:
Jakub Kiwior (45 minutes for Zinchenko) – 7.5
Leandro Trossard (74 minutes for Martinelli) – 7
Travel Nelson (79 minutes for Saka) – 7
Manager: Mikel Arteta – 8
The Spaniard led the Gunners to victory after a long game in a dominant first half. The boss is enjoying a fresh team after the winter break.
Saka fired in the rebound after goalkeeper Alisson saved Kai Havertz’s shot
The error proved a costly one as the Gunners went on to beat Liverpool 3-1 at the Emirates
Jürgen Klopp and his Liverpool team finished in second place after the exciting match
LIVERPOOL
Alisson-3
The shot-stopper fell out of his usual form and his error allowed Martinelli to capitalize. Still managed to deny Havertz and a strong effort from Gabriel. He lacked his usual calmness.
Trent Alexander-Arnold-4
Martinelli caused the right-back a number of problems as he failed to make his usual impact on the pitch.
Ibrahim Konate-3
His positioning throughout the match led to several Arsenal goals and successful counters. Lack of composure, which resulted in the defenders being sent away.
Virgil Van Dijk-3
Unusual for Van Dijk to make such a disastrous mistake in front of goal. The centre-back understandably looked dejected after failing to clear Martinelli’s quick counter.
Joe Gomez-4
Gomez struggled against a rejuvenated Saka, but offered no drive upfield or threat to the hosts.
Ryan Gravenberch-4
Dominik Szoboszlai’s absence was certainly felt in the former Bayern Munich star’s replacement. Lack of vision off the ball to dictate play.
Alexis MacAllister-5
The Argentinian stood out during a dismal match in Liverpool. Some clever ball movement, but nothing that threatened Arsenal’s backline.
William Saliba (R) tried to protect the ball from Luis Diaz, but eventually saw it stick away
Ibrahima Konate was sent off after receiving a second yellow card for a foul on Havertz
Gabriel turned the ball into his own net after a mix-up between David Raya and William Saliba
Curtis Jones-4
Not dominant enough in the middle, despite looking more promising in a more defensive role.
Cody Gakpo-4
Lack of press and aggression to control the ball. Darwin Nunez’s presence on the bench was palpable when the Dutchman missed.
Diogo Jota-5
Struggled to make an impact in the penalty area but was one of the most threatening players for Arsenal’s defence.
Luis Diaz-5
The Colombian powerhouse wasn’t his usual self in front of goal, but his pace forced Gabriel’s mistake.
Substitutes at Liverpool:
Andy Robertson (58 minutes for Alexander-Arnold) – 5
Harvey Elliott (58 minutes before Gravenberch) – 4
Darwin Nunez (58 minutes for Gakpo) – 5
Thiago Alcantara (85 minutes for Gomez) – 4
Manager: Jurgen Klopp – 5
The manager felt the absence of Mohamed Salah, Dominik Szoboszali and starlet Conor Bradley and was understandably dejected.