Arsenal Player Ratings vs Liverpool
Arsenal squandered yet another opportunity to establish themselves as title favourites as unlikely hero Joe Allen cancelled out their slender lead in the dying moments of the fixture that saw either team create enough chances to claim all three points only to ultimately share the spoils.
Roberto Firmino twice gave Liverpool the lead in the first half, but Aaron Ramsey and Olivier Giroud quickly equalised. The French striker appeared to have earned a historic victory for the Gunners with his second goal, but a resurgent Jurgen Klopp side managed to salvage a point.
Petr Cech – 6
The Czech Republic international could have punched the initial effort from Emre Can to a corner kick, but he only allowed Roberto Firmino to curl a wondrous effort past him. Although he was beaten thrice, he could not have done much about the goals.
Hector Bellerin – 7
The former Barcelona starlet had an uninspiring start, with Alberto Moreno cutting inside frequently, but he eventually grew into the game. Though he failed to emulate his performance against Sunderland, he had a brilliant game going forward, while also being defensively alert.
Laurent Koscielny – 6.5
The Arsenal skipper had an average game although he managed some timely clearances. Though he did not commit big mistakes, the London club may have emerged 2-3 victors, had he stepped up.
Per Mertesacker – 7
The World Cup winner put in a solid performance as he twice prevented Adam Lallana from having a crack at the goal. With 16 clearances, seven blocks and two interceptions, he had a rather commanding game, but he could have, at least, tried to close down Joe Allen.
Nacho Monreal – 7
The Spaniard had a brilliant display as he closed down spaces often single-handedly. As always, he read the game well and also managed to intercept in dangerous areas, besides helping out offensively.
Mathieu Flamini – 6.5
Even though he offered very little to the attack, his role in closing down the spaces created by his midfield partner Aaron Ramsey was decisive. With nine clearances and three blocks near and inside of the penalty box, he had an average game.
Aaron Ramsey – 6.5
The Welshman often seemed to have forgotten that he should aid the team defensively. He tried to offer an attacking edge but often handed Liverpool space with which they capitalised superbly.
Theo Walcott – 6
The England forward was nowhere to be seen for most parts of the game, and was clearly the weak link in the Arsenal buildup. He gave away possession on the edge of the penalty box for Liverpool to score their first goal in the six-goal thriller.
Mesut Ozil – 6.5
The former Real Madrid playmaker had a night to forget as he struggled to complete his trademark defense-splitting passes but occasionally looked threatening, albeit with no desired end product. However, he should be appreciated for trying as he previously used to disappear when things go wrong.
Joel Campbell – 8
The 24-year-old winger had yet another solid game that would see him keep his spot even after the return of Alexis Sanchez. He put in a shift as he regularly does by helping Hector Bellerin with his defensive duties. On a night Mesut Ozil failed to deliver, he took up the responsibility, and his hot-knife-through-butter pass to assist Aaron Ramsey bears testimony to his standout performance.
Olivier Giroud – 8
The towering Frenchman missed a glorious chance to make it 2-3 at the break but did make up for it in the second half. He had an outstanding game and also won over the fans as he kissed the crest.
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