Declan Rice earned Arsenal’s highest rating after playing a decisive role in the victory over Liverpool at Anfield. The midfielder created the opening goal for Kai Havertz and was praised for his energy and influence in midfield.
Havertz scored the only goal of the match, responding after a difficult run of games with a composed display that also included effective link-up play. Arsenal’s central defenders, Ezri Konsa and Gabriel Magalhaes, were also among the team’s strongest performers as they dealt with Alexander Isak and helped protect the lead.
David Raya and Jurrien Timber produced assured performances, while Riccardo Calafiori was solid defensively despite having fewer opportunities to attack than usual. Myles Lewis-Skelly helped Arsenal manage the closing stages after replacing Bruno Guimaraes shortly after the hour mark.
Rice’s assist came during a move that also involved Martin Odegaard, who won the ball back to begin Arsenal’s attack. Bruno Guimaraes delivered an energetic performance before being substituted, while Noni Madueke made a significant contribution to the goal after recovering from a knock. Christos Tzolis, making his first start since September following injury, posed a threat from the left and forced an excellent save from Alisson.
Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson was marked down after a poor pass out allowed Arsenal to take the lead. He later made a fine stop to deny Tzolis, but the early error proved costly.
Bradley Barcola was Liverpool’s highest-rated outfield player. Starting on the left, he created problems for Arsenal, although he is still waiting for his first Premier League goal. Trey Nyoni, making his first Premier League start at 19, looked nervous initially before improving as the match progressed.
Florian Wirtz struck the crossbar with an impressive first-half free-kick, but his overall performance was considered insufficient for a player of his price tag in a major match. Alexis Mac Allister was involved frequently early on but missed a good chance when Milos Kerkez found him with a cross.
Liverpool’s defence battled through a demanding game, with Ronald Araujo tested by Tzolis and Jeremy Jacquet producing an important second-half tackle after slipping. Virgil van Dijk was dependable overall but was left disappointed by how easily Arsenal were allowed to score.
Cody Gakpo initially looked lively but was well handled by Calafiori. He appealed for a penalty, though referee Andy Madley waved away the claim. Isak found promising positions but could not score and was also unsuccessful in an appeal after Timber appeared to pull his shirt.
Liverpool introduced Dominik Szoboszlai in the 59th minute, with the midfielder returning after a spell out of the team. The later substitutions of Amara Nallo, Micky Moore and Kostas Tsimikas did not change the outcome as Arsenal held on to their lead.
Sources: BBC Sport.