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

CM: Lucas Torreira (8/10)

Lucas Torreira was, yet again, phenomenal in this match. He was a real menace for the Liverpool players to deal with because he never gave them a moment’s rest.

The young Uruguayan was always looking to win back possession for his side, and more often than not, he did just that. He was key to Arsenal’s performance because whenever he did win possession back, he was looking to get his side on the front foot by driving forward with the ball.

There was an opportunity for him to score in the second half, after some fine work on the ball. However, his shot let him down in the end.

CM: Granit Xhaka (8/10)

Xhaka looks like a changed player under Unai Emery. Last night, he showed the world that he can defend, and he used his time at left-back well. He found himself defending against Mohamed Salah at one point, which is never easy, but he tracked back well to deny the Egyptian a sniff of the goal.

CM: Henrikh Mkhitaryan (6.5/10)

Mkhitaryan wasn’t the best last night. Too many times he lost possession, which was a real downer for his teammates. He had the opportunity to open the scoring in the first half, but his header drifted just wide of Liverpool’s net.

There were a few positives the Armenian can take from his performance, including some fine flicks of the ball. However, overall, it wasn’t his best game. Still, there’s no need to be negative!