Arsenal Vs Liverpool: 5 things we learned – Sell them all

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 29: Sadio Mane of Liverpool celebrates with team mates after scoring his sides third goal during the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Arsenal FC at Anfield on December 29, 2018 in Liverpool, United Kingdom. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 29: Sadio Mane of Liverpool celebrates with team mates after scoring his sides third goal during the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Arsenal FC at Anfield on December 29, 2018 in Liverpool, United Kingdom. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images) /
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LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 29: Roberto Firmino of Liverpool scores his sides second goal during the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Arsenal FC at Anfield on December 29, 2018 in Liverpool, United Kingdom. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 29: Roberto Firmino of Liverpool scores his sides second goal during the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Arsenal FC at Anfield on December 29, 2018 in Liverpool, United Kingdom. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images) /

2. Sell them all, just sell them all

There was hardly one player who played well. There was almost definitely no defensively minded player who played well. The whole of the back four was laughable, both protecting midfielders were utterly absent, and the collective result was a defensive display of truly epic, in the worst war possible, proportions.

I had noted in the summer that we would find out whether Arsene Wenger or the players were responsible for the repeated defensive meltdowns in recent years. Here, I believe that we got our answer. And that answer leads to one compulsory action: sell them all.

Of the defensive players that featured here, the only three I would keep are Lucas Torreira, Sokratis and Sead Kolasinac, and in the case of the latter two, it would only be in reserve roles. That means I would sell — or even just allow to leave for nothing — Granit Xhaka, Stephan Lichtsteiner, Laurent Koscielny, and Shkodran Mustafi. Quite frankly, these defenders — and players in general — simply are not good enough. It is time to blow it up and start again.