Liverpool's Champions League hopes were dealt a major blow this afternoon as Arsenal ran out 4-1 winners over the Reds at the Emirates Stadium to move into second place in the Premier League.

Goals from Hector Bellerin, Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez in an eight-minute spell before half time put the hosts in control of proceedings going into the break.

Jordan Henderson pulled one back from the penalty spot, but a late red card for Emre Can and an Olivier Giroud strike in stoppage time ended any hopes of a recovery.

Here, Sports Mole looks at who stood out during an entertaining clash in North London.

ARSENAL

Goal

David Ospina: May have felt that he should have kept Henderson's penalty out having got plenty on the spot kick. Little else to do all game, with a routine save from Can the only other shot on target that he had to deal with. (6/10)

Defence

Hector Bellerin: The unlikely source of the opening goal as he cut inside and curled a fine finish into the bottom corner. Enjoyed himself going forward all game, but put a blot on his copybook by conceding the penalty and was very fortunate not to be shown a second yellow card as a result. (7/10)

Per Mertesacker: Looked susceptible to the pace of Sterling and Sturridge once or twice, but, all in all, marshalled the defence well and kept Liverpool's attackers quiet. (7/10)

Laurent Koscielny: Forced off with a suspected groin injury, although that is likely to have been a precautionary measure with the game already won. (6/10)

Nacho Monreal: Had less joy going forward than Bellerin on the opposite flank, particularly up against Henderson in the first half. Solid at the back, though. (6/10)

Midfield

Francis Coquelin: Another strong performance sitting in front of the back four. Kept Coutinho on the periphery of the game throughout and afforded his defence some good protection. (7/10)

Santi Cazorla: Again deployed in a deeper role and as a result did not have too much impact in the final third. Was able to keep things ticking over in the heart of midfield, however, and contributed to a good team performance. (7/10)

Aaron Ramsey: Brought an early save from Mignolet and continued to pose an attacking threat down the right, linking well with Bellerin. Ended the match with two assists to cap off a good performance. (8/10)

Mesut Ozil: Got his name on the scoresheet with a good free kick, although Mignolet probably should have done better with it. That seemed to be the catalyst for him to start enjoying himself, and he went on to put in a very good performance. (8/10)

Alexis Sanchez: Set the early tempo with his usual all-action style. A bundle of energy throughout and got the killer third goal with a thumping effort on the stroke of half time. (8/10)

Attack

Olivier Giroud: Was quieter for much of the match than he has been in recent weeks, but made it 10 goals in 10 games for Arsenal with a fine finish late on. (7/10)

Substitutes

Gabriel Paulista: Replaced the injured Koscielny early in the second half and did a good job in preventing Liverpool from creating many clear chances. (7/10)

Mathieu Flamini: Brought on to add further insurance to Arsenal's lead and helped to plug any gaps that appeared in the midfield. (6/10)

Danny Welbeck: Had a little over 15 minutes, but could not make a huge impact in that time. Did have a couple of sights of goal, but no clear chances. (6/10)

LIVERPOOL

Goal

Simon Mignolet: Very much a mixed bag. Made a couple of fine saves in the opening minutes and added some more in the second half, but may feel that he should have done better with the second and third goals. (7/10)

Defence

Emre Can: Made a few trademark runs forward from defence in the first half before being switched to a more advanced role after the break. Picked up a silly red card for a needless sliding challenge. (5/10)

Kolo Toure: Was nervy in possession more often than not, giving the ball away in dangerous areas on a few occasions. Showed how much Liverpool miss Skrtel. (4/10)

Mamadou Sakho: Was not too much better on the ball than Toure, but was at least more commanding and assured than his centre-back partner. (5/10)

Midfield

Jordan Henderson: Started the match at right wing-back and had little impact other than maintaining Sanchez well. Squeezed a penalty in, but otherwise struggled to get into the match. (6/10)

Joe Allen: Went about his business quietly in the heart of midfield for Liverpool. Usually tidy in possession, with one or two exceptions. (6/10)

Lucas Leiva: Back in the side following injury but did not give his defence enough protection, particularly in the opening exchanges. (5/10)

Lazar Markovic: Wasted a glorious chance in the first half when he put too much on a pass to Sterling while through on goal. Taken off at half time as Rodgers introduced Sturridge. (5/10)

Philippe Coutinho: Created that chance for Markovic but was otherwise a passenger for long spells of the match as he failed to ever really get involved. (5/10)

Alberto Moreno: Was at fault for the opening goal as he let Bellerin past him far too easily. Struggled against his compatriot throughout, at both ends of the field. (4/10)

Attack

Raheem Sterling: His pace caused problems for the Arsenal defence, but there was a lack of service for him today. Won the penalty for his side but could do little else to really threaten Ospina's goal. (6/10)

Substitutes

Daniel Sturridge: Brought on at half time with Liverpool already three down and could do nothing to change the course of the match. (6/10)