Liverpool put the sword to Arsenal on Saturday, thrashing the hapless Gunners to the tune of 5-1 at Anfield.
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It was a banner day for the Reds’ free-flowing attacking quartet; not so much for the porous Arsenal defense.
Liverpool
Alisson: 6 - Only asked to make two saves, he made one of them.
Trent Alexander-Arnold: 7 - Salah is brilliant on his own, no doubt, but TAA’s overlapping runs give him the freedom to roam the entire field, making him even more dangerous.
Dejan Lovren: 6 -
Virgil Van Dijk: 8 - An imperious mountain of a man, Van Dijk walked the field with Aubameyang tucked into his back pocket for 71 minutes.
Andrew Robertson: 6 - Completely lost track of his man on the game’s opening goal. Fortunately, it mattered very little in the end.
Georginio Wijnaldum: 7 - As solid as ever in midfield, Wijnaldum keeps the Liverpool clock ticking over minute after minute.
Fabinho: 8 - Quickly growing into his role as the midfield engine.
Mohamed Salah: 8 - One of the best, and simultaneously coolest, assists you’ll see all season (WATCH HERE). Affecting the game in so many ways beyond scoring goals.
Xherdan Shaqiri: 6 - Given the contributions of his running mates, someone had to have the “quiet” game.
Sadio Mane: 7 - Scored goal no. 3 and wasn’t required to be brilliant.
Roberto Firmino: 9 - Genuinely unplayable in the first half, and that goal. Oh, this goal. Got his hat trick, albeit from the penalty spot, and deservedly so.
Arsenal
Bernd Leno: 4 - Despite giving up five goals, still made five saves.
Stephan Lichtsteiner: 3 - On a day of terrible defensive performances, Lichtsteiner made a strong case for the worst.
Shkodran Mustafi: 4 - Subbed off at halftime. In fairness, it was a tough game to return after three weeks out injured.
Sokratis: 3 - Gave away a penalty on a half-hearted challenge after being wildly out of position.
Sead Kolasinac: 4 - Arsenal’s best defender for 60 minutes, until he gave away a silly penalty of his own.
Lucas Torreira: 4 - Far and away his worst performance in an Arsenal shirt.
Granit Xhaka: 5 - Along with Torreira, completely and helplessly overrun by Liverpool’s attacking quartet.
Ainsley Maitland-Niles: 6 - Scored the game’s opening goal before disappearing, through little fault of his own.
Aaron Ramsey: 6 - Arsenal’s best player going forward should have scored early in the second half to make it 4-2.
Alex Iwobi: 5 - Assisted the opening goal and nearly scored one of his own.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang: 5 - Thoroughly uninvolved, through little fault of his own.