Liverpool player ratings, winners and losers vs Arsenal as 6 good but Luis Diaz stands out

ANFIELD, LIVERPOOL // Premier League champion Liverpool looked set to open up an 18-point lead over Arsenal in the standings only for the Gunners to fight back to 2-2 in an entertaining game.

Cody Gakpo and then Luis Diaz both found the back of the net inside three first half minutes around midway through the opening 45. At that point, it was looking like being a hefty victory for Liverpool.

But Gabriel Martinelli headed past fellow Brazilian Alisson Becker just a few minutes into the second half, and from the moment Trent Alexander-Arnold was booed on, it was a strange game. Mikel Merino made it 2-2 and was then sent off and while the result didn’t really matter, it was more of a contest than a week ago at Stamford Bridge.

Winners

Luis Diaz and Cody Gakpo both got on the scoresheet and both impressed, at least in the first half. Dominik Szoboszlai, so often a man whose contribution goes unnoticed until he isn’t there, was good as well.

Those three made the difference to get Liverpool into a 2-0 half-time lead and Szoboszlai showed the exact kind of energy and running power that makes him undroppable in the second. They have been three key pillars of the title win.

Losers

Harvey Elliott would have been disappointed not to get another go from the start but Federico Chiesa didn’t even make the bench with Darwin Nunez and Diogo Jota preferred as attacking options. For the pair, you have to wonder what comes next.

Trent Alexander-Arnold received a mixed reception on the Liverpool bench when his name was reaqd out ahead of kick-off. He might have wondered what was going to happen, now with just two games left in his career with his boyhood club. Now he knows, with the reception having been much worse when the jeers rang out most of the times he touched the ball.

Player ratings

Alisson Becker (6). Got away with one kick being charged down but was hardly called into action. Slipped on a long kick but could do nothing with the Martinelli goal.

Conor Bradley (6). In for Trent Alexander-Arnold in what was — kind of — a mini-audition for the right-back berth when the number 66 moves on and joins Real Madrid, Bradley rammed into a tackle within the first minute on Martinelli. He largely did well but was beaten too easily a couple of times and got a booking for a late tackle on Myles Lewis-Skelly.

Ibrahima Konate (6). He didn’t have much to do in the first half but left Martinelli unmarked minutes into the second to allow Arsenal back into the game. A couple of times, he was at least slightly out of position. His late foul cost Robertson a winner.

Virgil van Dijk (6). Up against Leandro Trossard, he was always likely to win the physical battle. Van Dijk did fine and dealt with what he would have expected to deal with. Sloppy in possession a couple of times.

Andy Robertson (7). Up against Bukayo Saka, the Liverpool left-back did well. He got his first Premier League assist of the season to create the opener and then dealt pretty well with the Arsenal threat down that side of the pitch.

Ryan Gravenberch (7). He did what he needed to do in the center of the field for Liverpool. Neat and tidy, and sometimes he needed to put his foot in, which he did well but didn’t need to do often.

Curtis Jones (7). Playing the Alexis Mac Allister role, as it were, Jones started like a man with a point to prove. He showed brilliant footwork early on and was very lively. Quieter after the interval.

Dominik Szoboszlai (7). With Harvey Elliott having made very little in the way of an impact last week at Chelsea, the Hungarian was back in the starting XI here. He was typically driving forward and showing plenty of energy and picked up a first-half assist too.

Mohamed Salah (7). Played a brilliant ball into Szoboszlai for the second Liverpool goal and was always a threat down the right. Made Myles Lewis-Skelly work hard to keep him at bay.

Luis Diaz (8). In the first half, he scored and looked lively in the Liverpool attack, enjoying himself as he dropped into pockets of space all over the field. He linked the play well, dropped back in and helped defend, and didn’t give Arsenal a second to think. In the second half, he was much quieter and slightly less involved until the point he was taken off.

Cody Gakpo (7). Should probably have netted just before he did find the back of the net and open the scoring. Direct, willing runner and caused Ben White a few problems. Defensively diligent and got himself on the scoresheet.

Substitutes

Trent Alexander-Arnold (6). Booed on the field before Conor Bradley’s song was sung. Not an afternoon that he would have enjoyed. One free-kick effort went narrowly wide; what narrative that would have been had it gone in.

Darwin Nunez (6). Made himself a nuisance up front but little else. Ended up on the left wing when Diogo Jota entered the field. Caught offside, because, well, of course he was…

Alexis Mac Allister (6). Clattered into his man on one occasion and that was just about the most memorable thing he did. Kept things tidy in the middle.

Diogo Jota (6). He likes playing against Arsenal but wasn’t too involved here. One shot went tamely wide of the target.

Harvey Elliott (6). Linked up well with Salah a couple of times. Would have wanted more time to show what he can do.

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