3 positives & negatives from Arsenal’s 3-2 victory over Liverpool

Positive #3: Performances of wide players

There were stellar individual performances across the board on Sunday, but the displays of Arsenal’s two full-backs and wingers were exceptional.

Ben White was sound defensively and useful in attack once more, while Takehiro Tomiaysu, a surprise inclusion in the XI, vindicated Arteta’s faith by locking down Mo Salah.

The superstars on Sunday, however, were Saka and Martinelli. It’s been hard for the pair to outshine the brilliant Gabriel Jesus this season, but the wide tandem did exactly that against Liverpool as they combined to score all three goals. Saka’s threat was menacing throughout, but it was Martinelli who was rightly named MOTM.

This was a coming-of-age display from the Brazilian, who was able to justify Klopp’s lofty praise by terrorising Liverpool’s right-hand side for 90 minutes. His relentlessness, directness, and savvy in the final third proved to be the Reds’ undoing on Sunday. They had no answer.

Negative #3: Final third inefficiency

Arsenal’s efficiency in the final third handed them a half-time lead, but they should’ve been out of sight before Saka gave them their third lead of the game with 15 minutes remaining.

While the Gunners’ eclipsed their total xG on Sunday, they underperformed in front of goal after half-time. Despite sustaining pressure for long periods, Arsenal’s only goal came courtesy of a pretty soft penalty decision. Had Michael Oliver not deemed the contact on Jesus to be sufficient for the awarding of a spot-kick, Liverpool may well have clung on for a point.

Nevertheless, there are far worse problems Arteta could contend with than not beating Liverpool by a greater margin.