Arsenal player ratings vs Liverpool: Granit Xhaka shines on the big stage

Unai Emery’s Arsenal proved worthy on the night, as they came back late on to draw with Liverpool.

Arsenal took on Liverpool last night in the Premier League. Both teams had a lot of pressure on them, considering their scintillating form heading into this match. It was a game of high magnitude, which is to be expected when these two heavyweights clash.

Arsenal started the game off well, although they failed to take advantage of their early dominance. Let’s face it, this was no surprise, as Arsenal aren’t accustomed to leading in the first half.

Liverpool kicked off the second half in a lively manner, when James Milner pounced on a Bernd Leno mistake. This goal could have easily seen Arsenal out, but signs of the positive changes Unai Emery has made began to show through.

Arsenal didn’t let this goal defeat them, as they kept probing. Eventually, right towards the end, substitute Alex Iwobi played a sumptuous ball through to Alexandre Lacazette, who teased Alisson in goal and curled a delightful shot into the far corner.

Anyway, enough of the recap. How did each individual fare in this match?

GK: Bernd Leno (6.5/10)

The German was largely at fault for Milner’s opener. He came out to try and clear a cross, but instead of catching or punching the ball, he played it into the path of the Englishman, who was never going to miss.

However, Leno did make some good saves in this match, too. For example, van Dijk found himself through on goal, but Leno made himself big to block the chance. So, overall, it was a pretty average performance from Leno’s point of view.