High, high, high up in the Kop grandstand Granit Xhaka’s volley landed, bouncing depressingly into one of the central gangways before it was retrieved.

Arsenal had been behind for 20 minutes by then and the game was half an hour old. Xhaka twitched with his shorts, fixed his socks – as if he’d prefer people to believe the shot had been someone else’s responsibility, but Anfield was already whistling. It was Arsenal’s first effort on Simon Mignolet’s goal and their only one of the first half.

A couple of moments later, Francis Coquelin, one of Arsenal’s more competitive players usually, deemed it necessary to pull on Adam Lallana’s shirt and for that he was booked. It was about as aggressive as Arsenal got in that opening period: a midfielder whose pocket had been picked not for the first time by Lallana – who was excellent for Liverpool – reacting not by chopping him down in frustration but by grabbing him instead. Either way it was going to earn him a booking.

Liverpool vs Arsenal player ratings Show all 22 1 /22 Liverpool vs Arsenal player ratings Liverpool vs Arsenal player ratings Brad Jones Let Giroud’s shot through his legs too easily and perhaps could have done better with Debuchy’s opener, too. 3 GETTY IMAGES Liverpool vs Arsenal player ratings Kolo Toure Too easily beaten for Giroud’s goal, he looked slow and cumbersome throughout but nevertheless found time for some of his typical buccaneering runs forward. 4 GETTY IMAGES Liverpool vs Arsenal player ratings Martin Skrtel At fault for Arsenal’s equaliser when he allowed Debuchy to steal in at the back post but made up for that error with the equaliser, a howitzer off an injured forehead. 6 GETTY IMAGES Liverpool vs Arsenal player ratings Mamadou Sakho There is a good player waiting to break out – but Sakho still looks shaky when pressurised by fast attackers. 6 GETTY IMAGES Liverpool vs Arsenal player ratings Jordan Henderson Neat and tidy at points, but in this remodelled, strikerless Liverpool system he appears less able to cut defences open with passes and driving runs. 6 GETTY IMAGES Liverpool vs Arsenal player ratings Lucas Leiva How Coutinho benefits from having a player of his defensive responsibility mopping up behind him. Almost scored too, with a late run into the box. 8 GETTY IMAGES Liverpool vs Arsenal player ratings Steven Gerrard Willed his team on in the last ten minutes as is his wont. Less influential than before but still such a massive influence on this team. 6 GETTY IMAGES Liverpool vs Arsenal player ratings Lazar Markovic Far, far better than he has been so far in a left wing-back role. Missed two good opportunities to put Liverpool in front but Rodgers may yet have found a gem in the 20-year-old. 7 GETTY IMAGES Liverpool vs Arsenal player ratings Philippe Coutinho Livelier than he has been since last season, the Brazilian looks far more comfortable with Lucas behind him. Perfectly-placed shot found the corner to put his side ahead but guilty of missed opportunities thereafter. 8 GETTY IMAGES Liverpool vs Arsenal player ratings Raheem Sterling Left Debuchy for dead midway through the second half in a reminder of his luminous skill and, along with Coutinho, was Liverpool’s biggest threat throughout. 7 GETTY IMAGES Liverpool vs Arsenal player ratings Adam Lallana Does not and indeed has never looked worth £25m. Flitted in and out of the game with sporadic touches of skill. 5 GETTY IMAGES Liverpool vs Arsenal player ratings Wojciech Szczesny Could do nothing about either Coutinho’s well-placed shot or Skrtel’s bullet header. 7 GETTY IMAGES Liverpool vs Arsenal player ratings Calum Chambers He will be a fine player, but he looked overawed by Coutinho and Lallana’s movement. 6 GETTY IMAGES Liverpool vs Arsenal player ratings Mathieu Debuchy Struggled defensively but contributed meaningfully at the other end of the pitch, popping up with a crucial equaliser right on half time. 7 GETTY IMAGES Liverpool vs Arsenal player ratings Per Mertesacker A mistake waiting to happen. Looked rickety early on as Sterling and Coutinho drove at him and should have at least attempted to stop Skrtel powering past him for the equalising header. 4 GETTY IMAGES Liverpool vs Arsenal player ratings Kieran Gibbs Was fortunate that most of Liverpool’s threat was confined to the left wing. Got forward well as is his custom. 6 GETTY IMAGES Liverpool vs Arsenal player ratings Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain Quieter than the bullocking figure of recent weeks, he struggled to impose himself on the game. 6 GETTY IMAGES Liverpool vs Arsenal player ratings Mathieu Flamini Struggled early to track Coutinho and received a yellow for hauling him down. Could have been sent off after clashing with Lallana. 5 GETTY IMAGES Liverpool vs Arsenal player ratings Alexis Sanchez A peripheral presence but won the free kick from Gerrard that led to Debuchy’s goal. Oddly quiet thereafter and eventually departed the field. 5 GETTY IMAGES Liverpool vs Arsenal player ratings Santi Cazorla An effervescent display. Allowed further forward in the second half, he responded with a serving shot that travelled narrowly wide and the delicious cutback from which Giroud put Arsenal ahead. 8 GETTY IMAGES Liverpool vs Arsenal player ratings Danny Welbeck Quiet before he was hurt in a clash with Sakho midway through the second half, and limped on ineffectually thereafter. 7 GETTY IMAGES Liverpool vs Arsenal player ratings Olivier Giroud Hit a snapshot over on 62 minutes, and was often played wide in the first half. But he made the crucial intervention by slotting home Cazorla’s cross. 7 GETTY IMAGES

Soon enough when a header was to be won, Liverpool’s players decided to leave it because Xhaka and Coquelin had gone to meet it together like two idiots. In the messy aftermath, Anfield cheered at the sight. Arsenal were sleep walking towards defeat. Liverpool’s lead at the break was by two because for a second time, a full-back had disappeared from the position he was supposed to be in.

Liverpool were pretty good here – as they have been against the Premier League’s other top six clubs this season. They are now unbeaten in 10 games against the top seven teams but that impressive statistic is counter-balanced by the fact they have lost five of thirteen fixtures against the bottom nine.

Arsenal’s record is the reverse. Since defeating Chelsea so convincingly in September, they have drawn with Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United, losing to Manchester City, Chelsea and now Liverpool for a second time this season and this explains why they are now two points behind Liverpool with a game in hand.

The respective patterns suggest that Liverpool have decent players, capable of raising performance levels against top class opponents, though they do not fall into the elite category themselves because elite category players produce consistency against all opponents, no matter their standing.

Arsenal’s cycle is almost a tradition now and there is an assumption their players simply aren’t mentally tough enough to get across the line when it matters most. It does not help Mesut Ozil’s reputation as a flake when he misses important games such as this one because of flu.

Wenger opted for a more direct approach and dropped Sanchez for Giroud (Getty)

Arsène Wenger had said that he wanted Arsenal to be “proactive” and until the introduction at half time of Alexis Sánchez for Coquelin, it was as though his players had not been listening to the message. Sánchez transformed Arsenal’s play, even though he was stationed to the left of their attack when he’s spent the whole season scoring goals from the middle. He was a strutting, brooding presence and the sight of him giving Nathaniel Clyne so many problems is a reminder not only of where Clyne is at but where Sánchez, Arsenal and Liverpool are really at.