Arsenal player ratings vs Liverpool: Salah & Jota net in awful defeat

Arsenal were comfortably beaten 3-0 by Liverpool in the Premier League on Saturday night as goals from Diogo Jota and Mohamed Salah handed the visitors a deserved win.

Following a two-week break from domestic action Mikel Arteta made four changes from the most recent 3-3 draw with West Ham as Rob Holding, Gabriel, Dani Ceballos and Nicolas Pepe came in to the starting lineup.

Eddie Nketiah and Reiss Nelson also had spots on the bench.

Starting okay, Arsenal released into their shells in quick time as Liverpool maintained their one way traffic. No outball was there for the Gunners and every duel was lost and every run picked up.

https://twitter.com/Arsenal/status/1378447411786448909

Arsenal player ratings vs Liverpool in the Premier League as Diogo Jota and Mohamed Salah punish woeful Gunners

With their stranglehold on proceedings, they carved open the only chances of the half and had poor finishing to blame for not putting their noses in front.

The second half came about and Arsenal appeared to have more bite about them, only for two minutes to pass and normal service resume. Liverpool continued to bully Arsenal, keep them pegged back and get the goals their dominance deserved.

Jota scored the opener having found the space in between Rob Holding and Calum Chambers to bullet a header through Bernd Leno, before Mohamed Salah wrapped up the points having evaded Gabriel and slotting through Leno’s legs. Jota then got his third.

It was horrfic. Utterly atrocious and one of the worst displays under Arteta.

Arsenal Goalkeeper & Defenders Ratings

Bernd Leno (GK) – 5/10 – Should he have done better with Jota’s header? It required quick reactions but having got a firm touch to it you feel it could have been pushed aside. Probably harsh, but then he got fully done for the second one.

Calum Chambers (RB) – 4/10 – Quite off the pace from the Englishman who you think would’ve been fit and firing. Offered nothing going forward but the reasons for that were down to superior opposition.

Rob Holding (CB) – 4/10 – Sloppy on the ball, and his clearances were more rash than measured, but at least he was there to make them. Let Jota peel off him and find the space for the header.

Gabriel (CB) – 4/10 – One the one hand, Gabriel did well to clear balls into the box and withstand the constant Liverpool pressure, but on the other, his distribution was miles off and lacked any confidence.

Nonetheless, his positioning was strong throughout, particularly during key moments in the second half, only to be outdone by the wizadry of Mohamed Salah with a weak tackle. Lazy mistake for the third.

Kieran Tierney (LB) – 5/10 – Had to essentially play as an extra central defender with Liverpool’s relentless pressing keeping Arsenal pegged back so deep into their half. Tried to find the outball down the left channel but there was nothing on.

Then the injury happened and if it’s bad, Arsenal are in deep….you know what.

Arsenal Midfielders Ratings

Thomas Partey (CM) – 4/10 – Arsenal’s ‘best’ player, not that it was hard, or indeed anything to be happy about. Partey was solid in the middle of the park making some vital interceptions in the first half as he covered for Ceballos’ non-existence.

On the ball he almost set up Aubameyang with a glorious piece of skill, and generally he was most up to par with the superior Liverpool outing. Looked as fit as he’s been since joining the club and it showed, even if the second half saw a large drop off with passes astray all over the place.

Dani Ceballos (CM) – 3/10 – He invited pressure throughout. Withholding possession for far too long sucked in Liverpool players and his lack of pace was horrendously exposed to cover.

Way off the pace he added nothing alongside Partey, giving the ball away at every opportunity. His decline is very apparent. He was so poor.

Martin Odegaard (AM) – 4/10 – Wasn’t able to have influence on the game and played as the furthest forward player in the team to try and instigate the press. He huffed and puffed in advanced areas trying to put pressure on the central defenders but a mismatched press coupled with a fear of over-excursion meant it came to nothing. Invisible.

Arsenal Forwards Ratings 

Nicolas Pepe (RW) – 4/10 – Little influence on the game with the majority of his contributions being in defensive positions. He helped Chambers out with the lively Sadio Mane causing trouble, but he was a bystander in a horrific team performance.

Alexandre Lacazette (ST) – 4/10 – Ended up dropping into the No. 10 role with Odegaard trying to press higher, where he could pick up the positions that he was so influential in against West Ham. However, with on runners in behind or bodies around, it became just a series of duels, few of which he actually won.

Battling, as ever.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (LW) – 3/10 – Essentially played left-back and made the same number of clearances as Holding and Chambers in the first half, which tells the story. Having to cover for Tierney who was dealing with Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold, his influence in advanced areas was non existent.

Should have got tighter to cross-master Alexander-Arnold for the goal. Not working in wide areas of late. At all.

https://twitter.com/Arsenal/status/1378441337289248768

Arsenal Substitutes Ratings

Cedric Soares – 3/10 – Did well after coming on for Tierney and looked to try and build with Aubameyang down the left flank on the occasions where he could. Showed invention and willingness, only for that to die down immediately as he gave Salah the freedom of the Emirates to run in behind him.

Mohamed Elneny – 4/10 – Brought on to add stability in the centre of the park but had the opposite effect and Liverpool continued to dominate the midfield.

Gabriel Martinelli – 5/10 – He ran. A lot. Hindsight is a wonderful thing but he should have started.