Arsenal
Arsenal Player Ratings vs Liverpool (FA Cup) + Wenger Interview
As they say, revenge is sweet. Arsenal ensured they put to bed the 5-1 humiliation at Anfield by knocking the Reds from Merseyside out by a 2-1 margin in what was a cracking FA Cup tie. The Gunners will now face the blues from Merseyside, Everton in the quarter finals. It was Oxlade- Chamberlain opened the scoring for the Gunners before he fed Lukas Podolski who doubled the lead for the home side. Liverpool however gave Arsenal quite a scare and fought back with a goal of their own thanks to Steven Gerrard penalty after Podolski brought down Suarez in the penalty box. Controversy erupted when referee Howard Webb denied the Reds a clear penalty yet again, but the home side managed to hold on to secure a famous win at the chilly and glittering Emirates. Here are Arsenal’s player ratings from he encounter.
Arsenal
Arsenal Player Ratings vs Liverpool
Lukasz Fabianski: A brilliant performance from the Pole and whenever he is called into action, he never disappoints. Made a string of saves from Suarez to prevent Liverpool from scoring but could do hardly anything to save Gerrard’s penalty late on. Magnificent performance otherwise.
Rating: 3.5/5
Carl Jenkinson: Decent game from the young full back, did his best to keep Raheem Sterling quiet for most of the encounter. Made some crunching tackles
Rating: 2.5/5
Laurent Koscielny: Superb match in my opinion for the Frenchman yet gain, was pivotal in keeping Suarez and Sturridge quiet for the match. Always willing to put his body on the line and using his pace and aggression to protect his team’s lead.
Rating: 3/5
Per Mertesacker: The tall and lanky German like his defensive partner , Koscielny did not allow Liverpool’s front line to get on top of the Gunners defence. Great outing for the Arsenal big man once again, who leadered the defence throughout the ninety minutes.
Rating: 3/5
Nacho Monreal: He more than made up for his disastrous performance at Anfield, playing very well and defending solidly on the left flank, hardly allowed Coutinho and Flanagan to overlap him and deliver crosses into the box. Was equally good going forward.
Rating: 3/5
Mathieu Flamini: Just showed what Gunners missed in last few games, the Frenchman did time and again broke down Liverpool’s attacks in the middle of the pitch. Flamini perhaps covered every blade of grass on the pitch and put in a great shift in, even though he earned a yellow card from Howard Webb.
Rating: 3.5/5
Mikel Arteta: The Spaniard too significantly had a average game but given his standards he has to improve for the coming tough encounters. He found his passing range and was good at distributing the ball all over the pitch but he has to improve his defensive display.
Rating: 2/5
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain: Player of the match for me, scored the opener and blitzed past Agger as if he Dane wasn’t there using his devastating pace to feed up Podolski for Arsenal’s second of the night. Was lucky not to concede a penalty when he blatantly brought down Suarez in the box, which Howard Webb inexplicably waved play on.
Rating: 4/5
Mesut Ozil: Much improved performance from the German, showed more desire and made some good runs. Kept Arsenal ticking.
Rating: 3/5
Lukas Podolski: Scored through a brilliant move to double Arsenal’s lead, but gave away a needless penalty as he brought down Suarez in the penalty box, through which Steven Gerrard calmly converted.
Rating: 3/5
Yaya Sanogo: The young Frenchman was a constant menace for the Liverpool back four with his holding ability giving Skrtel and Agger lot to think about in the first half. Will improve with more game time.
Rating: 3/5
Wenger post match interview on next page>>>>>>>>
Arsenal Women host Manchester United on Saturday in a crucial six pointer for Champions League qualification. The Gunners sit just one point above United in the WSL table and victory at Emirates Stadium would give them a strong buffer, while defeat leaves them playing catch up in the race for Europe.
The match marks Arsenal’s return from the winter break following a busy week that saw Renee Slegers sign a new contract and Jodie Taylor promoted to Technical Director. However, the immediate focus is on securing three points against Marc Skinner’s side in what promises to be a tense encounter.
Kick-off: 12:30 GMT, Saturday, January 11, 2026
Venue: Emirates Stadium, London
TV: Sky Sports (UK)
Cooney Cross Absent For Personal Reasons
Arsenal will be without Kyra Cooney Cross who has returned to Australia for personal reasons. Daphne van Domselaar is not quite ready to return from a quad injury while Chloe Kelly remains out with a knee problem. Jenna Nighswonger will not be in the matchday squad as she negotiates a loan move.
New signing Smilla Holmberg from Hammarby will be in the squad alongside recalled goalkeeper Naomi Williams. Manu Zinsberger and Katie Reid are out with ACL injuries. The absence of Cooney Cross means Mariona will likely drop into the deeper midfield role she has occupied for much of the last year.
United Strengthened in January
Manchester United have been busy in the transfer window, adding full back Hanna Lundkvist from San Diego Wave and centre forward Lea Schuller from Bayern Munich. Skinner was dealt a poor hand over the summer with a very small squad handling Champions League qualifiers and the group phase.
Predicted Lineup:
Arsenal (4-3-3): Borbe; Fox, Williamson, Catley, McCabe; Little, Mariona, Maanum; Mead, Russo, Smith
Manchester United (4-2-3-1): Tullis Joyce; Lundkvist, Le Tissier, Janssen, Sandberg; Miyazawa, Zigiotti; Park, Malard, Awujo; Schuller
Also read: Arsenal Women disable social media comments after sexist backlash to new signing
Arsenal confirmed on January 9, 2026 that Jodie Taylor has been appointed as the club’s first ever Technical Director.
The 39-year-old former England striker moves up from her existing role as Technical Services Manager, a position she has held since September 2023 following her retirement from professional football.
Taylor’s promotion comes on the same day Arsenal announced Renee Slegers’ new contract extension through 2029, creating a strategic restructuring of the women’s football department.
A Decade Long Arsenal Connection
Taylor’s relationship with Arsenal spans ten years since first joining as a player in 2016. She scored 10 goals in 17 appearances during her initial spell before returning on a short-term deal in March 2023. Taylor earned 50 plus England caps during her international career and won the Golden Boot at Euro 2017.
She represented her country at the 2015 Women’s World Cup finishing third and played for multiple elite clubs including Lyon, Orlando Pride, Portland Thorns and San Diego Wave throughout her career.
Strategic Structural Development
Taylor’s new role bridges critical areas of football operations including recruitment, analysis, coaching and performance support. She will work closely with Renee Slegers on a daily basis as the Technical Director, providing structural support for coaching decisions and squad development.
Director of Women’s Football Clare Wheatley praised Taylor’s appointment as integral to continued development of the program as Arsenal challenges for major trophies consistently. Wheatley will now focus on upward management across UEFA, FIFA and domestic boards while Taylor handles day to day operations.
Building a High Performance Environment
Taylor expressed immense pride stepping into her new position, emphasizing Arsenal’s remarkable growth over the past decade. She committed to nurturing a high-performance environment where players, coaching staff and support teams have the right tools to deliver at the highest level.
Her appointment represents investment in female leadership within Arsenal’s technical infrastructure, aligning with the club’s commitment to developing their women’s program systematically and strategically moving forward into their next phase.
Also read: Arsenal Women disable social media comments after sexist backlash to new signing
Arsenal confirmed on January 9, 2026 that head coach Renee Slegers has signed a new long-term contract extending through the summer of 2029.
The 36-year-old Dutch coach was previously due to exit at the end of the 2025-26 season but now commits three and a half additional years to the club. Her extension rewards an extraordinary debut season where she guided Arsenal to historic UEFA Women’s Champions League victory after beating Barcelona 1-0 in the Lisbon final.
From Academy Player to Champions League Winner
Renee Slegers’ connection to Arsenal dates back decades. She played in the club’s academy as a teenager and watched Arsenal claim their previous Champions League trophy in 2007 from the stands. Her return to the club came in summer 2023 as assistant coach following two years leading Swedish club Rosengard where she won back-to-back Damallsvenskan titles.
She stepped into the interim role in October 2024 when Jonas Eidevall departed and impressed immediately with an 11-match unbeaten run. That performance earned her permanent appointment in January 2025, and by May 2025 she had delivered historic Champions League glory.
Arsenal’s Long-Term Vision
Slegers told club media that her journey from academy player to Champions League winning head coach represents immense pride. She stated the club has much to achieve together in the coming seasons. Arsenal Director of Women’s Football Clare Wheatley described Slegers as an elite coach with capabilities to lead continued title challenges.
Chief Executive Richard Garlick praised her impact driving standards and progress toward consistent top-level competition.
Jodie Taylor Joins as Technical Director
The announcement accompanied confirmation that former England international Jodie Taylor has been appointed Arsenal’s first ever women’s technical director. Taylor, who retired in 2023 after two Arsenal playing spells, will work closely with Slegers on recruitment, analysis and specialisation. Her role bridges previously disconnected recruitment and technical departments creating stronger operational cohesion.
Arsenal continues their title defence facing Manchester United on January 11 with five trophies remaining in play this season.
Also read: Arsenal star Kyra Cooney-Cross returns to Australia after mother’s terminal cancer diagnosis
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