Imperious Liverpool extended their Premier League home winning streak against Arsenal to six on Saturday with an easy 4-0 victory that lifted them to second in the table.
Sadio Mane met a free kick from Trent Alexander-Arnold to plant a header across Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale for Liverpool’s opening goal in the 39th minute.
Ramsdale produced a string of spectacular saves to keep Jurgen Klopp’s strikers at bay but he could do nothing to stop Diogo Jota skipping past him in the 52nd minute after a dreadful misplaced pass from Arsenal defender Nuno Tavares.
Inevitably, Mohamed Salah got in on the act with a close-range volley from a Mane cross in the 73rd minute, before Takumi Minamino came off the bench to turn in a cross from Alexander-Arnold with his first touch in the 77th.
Sportsmail’s Ian Whittell rated the players.
Liverpool forward Diogo Jota showed his composure for the beautifully-taken second goal
Liverpool (4-3-3
Alisson 7
Little to worry about in the first half, apart from a long-range Lokonga shot, and saved well with his legs from Aubameyang in the second.
Trent Alexander-Arnold 7
Was only denied a goal by a brilliant Ramsdale tip over but his delivery for the Mane goal was a thing of great beauty. Assisted for the fourth.
Joel Matip 6
Ciontinues to form a rock solid pairing at the back with van Dijk and had no trouble keeping Aubameyang under wraps.
Virgil van Dijk 7
His timing and positional play was faultless and carried his usual threat from set-pieces. Another of his weekly reminders of how much Liverpool missed him last season.
Konstantinos Tsimikas 6
Doing a very passable impression of Andy Robertson, particularly in defence. Lacks the galloping attacking play of the first choice left-back but nice deliveries from set-pieces.
Liverpool midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain impressed against his former club
Thiago Alcantara 7
Wily old veteran consistently got the better of some Arsenal youngsters, picking Tomiyasu’s pocket and creating a chance for himself in the second half.
Fabinho 7
Booked for a foul on Smith Rowe but that was one of the few errors he made. Time and time again cropped up in the right place to break up Arsenal possession.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain 8
Looked fired up against his old club and did lots of good work, with and without the ball. Clearly fancied a goal and threatened with a couple of shots.
Mohamed Salah 7
As ever, buzzed around and created constant concern for the Gunners’ defence. One on-target effort was well saved in the first half and the right place at the right time for his goal.
Diogo Jota 9
Looked sharp in and around the area and certainly showed with with his composure for the beautifully-taken second goal. Also had a hand in the third.
Sadio Mane 7
Brilliantly taken goal and a couple of other very lively moments but was in inexplicably feisty mood and might have been sent off in the first half. Lucky not to her booked for the foul that started the touchline row.
Substitutes
Takumi Minamino for Jota 75mins – 7
Jordan Henderson for Oxlade-Chamberlain 76mins – 6
Tyler Morton for Thiago 84mins
Substitutes (not used): Kelleher, Konate, Phillips, Gordon, Beck, Bradley.
Nuno Tavares looked the least comfortable of the Arsenal defenders on the ball
Arsenal (4-4-1-1)
Aaron Ramsdale 8
Simply stunning in both halves, particularly when he tipped over a vicious Alexander-Arnold effort and Jota blast. No chance with the goals.
Takehiro Tomiyasu 5
Good battle with Mane down Arsenal’s right and was fouled by the Liverpool man in the flashpoint that sparked the touchline row between Klopp and Arteta.
Ben White 6
Caught in possession early but lived to tell the tale and the victim of a bad foul by Mane. The pick of Arsenal’s defenders.
Gabriel 5
Had no chance of tackling Jota for the second goal but had looked uncomfortable before that with the front trio’s pace and mobility unsettling him.
Nuno Tavares 4
Looked the least comfortable of the Arsenal defenders on the ball and proved it with his ghastly mistake gifting Jota Liverpool’s second.
Goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale produced a series of stunning saves to keep the score down
Bukayo Saka 6
Couple of lively early runs were promising but as Arsenal were increasingly penned in their own half saw less of the ball.
Thomas Partey 5
Midfielder was simply over-run by Fabinho and Thiago bossing the engine room. Kept working hard but in a badly beaten cause.
Albert Sambi Lokonga 6
Forced Alisson into his only meaningful first half save with a long-range shot and made some important defensive contributions. Sacrificed as Arteta chased the game.
Emile Smith Rowe 5
In-form England man was kept quiet by a combination of good defence and his team not having enough possession.
Alexandre Lacazette 5
Saw every little of the ball, though laid on a nice chance of Aubameyang, and did not look too impressed when he was brought off after 66 minutes.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang 6
Only had one chance of note, after 64 minutes, and might have done more with only Alisson to beat. Saw little of the ball apart from that although at least kept battling.
Substitutes
Ainsley Maitland-Niles for Lokonga 53mins – 5
Martin Odegaard for Lacazette 66mins – 5
Mohamed Elneny for Partey 84mind
Substitutes (not used): Leno, Tierney, Holding, Soares, Pepe, Martinelli.
Referee: M Oliver