Although Mikel Arteta was frustrated that Arsenal failed to beat Liverpool given the amount of chances they had, they were certainly still positives on offer in N5.
Especially in the first half, Arsenal dominated Liverpool, a reassuring performance given the visitors were almost full strength and the hosts beleaguered by injuries.
Gabriel Magalhaes’ knee injury changed the complexion of the second half in truth – Arsenal were then forced to sit back and defend once again.
But confidence should be taken from the first 45 minutes, when Arsenal looked an attacking threat once again, mostly because of the return of Bukayo Saka.
If anyone at the Emirates Stadium needed it, Saka provided a reminder of just how crucial he is to this Arsenal project.
Bukayo Saka destroys Liverpool’s Andy Robertson after Arsenal injury return
Speaking on ‘The Rest is Football’ podcast, Gary Lineker led the praise for Saka along with Alan Shearer and Micah Richards.
The trio almost felt as if they were akin to a broken record praising the England international again, but it’s hard to ignore such a strong performance from a player who wasn’t even fully fit.
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Lineker initially said: “I thought Saka was sensational.”
Shearer added: “Oh, he was unbelievable.”
Lineker: “Yeah, he’s such a good player, he really is. We’ve said it a million times, but I think it warrants mentioning it again. I mean, he’s so talented, so he can go both ways.
“He’s like incredibly strong as well as intelligent. So it’s a hell of a mix, isn’t it?”
Shearer: “He gave Robertson a torrid time didn’t he, particularly [in the] first half.”
Richards: “I think it’s just his consistency as well, guys. We talk about wingers, and normally winners can be very frustrating.
“I mentioned a couple of weeks ago about the defensive work he does for the team, but then when he gets the ball, he’s always looking to create something.
“He really is a top winger now. He’s got to be the best winger in the league along with Salah, surely?”
Thomas Partey delivers understated peformance against Liverpool
Of course, Saka had a relatively unfamiliar partner behind him on the right-hand side against Liverpool, Thomas Partey.
Partey was excellent throughout, managing to completely nullify the threat of Luis Diaz on the right.
Virgil van Dijk made an odd claim about Partey after scoring his goal, but all in all it was a performance to celebrate.
And perhaps Arsenal are increasingly considering offering the 31-year-old one-year extension to his contract, given his much improved fitness record this season too.
Neither Arteta or Edu will be in a rush to make a decision, but it certainly seems like the correct call right now.
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