Liverpool continued their strong start to the season as they put in an excellent performance to earn a 0-0 draw away at Arsenal on Monday evening.
Despite a briefly nervy start, Brendan Rodgers' side grew into the game quickly and were soon the side on top - with Philippe Coutinho striking the underside of the crossbar inside just four minutes.
The Reds enjoyed the remainder of the first-half and Christian Benteke spurned the next major opportunity as they would go on to rue being wasteful in front of goal.
With Roberto Firmino rolling a delightful cross across the face of goal, Benteke attempted to place his effort from two-yards out past Petr Cech - but he was thwarted by the goalkeeper, who was sublime all night against the Reds.
It was he who again denied Coutinho shortly before half-time, after the Brazilian bamboozled Hector Bellerin inside the box before cutting onto his right foot and curling a shot destined for the bottom corner, but Cech got his fingertips to tip the shot onto the post.
Half-time came at exactly the wrong time for the away side, as Arsene Wenger's Arsenal regrouped and grew into the game.
They tested Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet a number of times, but the Belgian was on hand to deny Olivier Giroud from close-range, before saving from Aaron Ramsey's shot from distance - whilst the post denied Alexis Sanchez.
The visitors had chances of their own in the second-half, but they were unable to profit from any of them and both sides were forced to share the spoils, leaving Liverpool in third with three clean sheets and seven points from nine, but how did Rodgers' side fare at the Emirates Stadium?
Goalkeeper
Simon Mignolet: The Belgian was relatively untroubled in the first-half, despite being rather fortunate not to concede - with Ramsey's effort flagged for offside. After the break, as the hosts rallied, Mignolet was forced into more action - doing well to keep out Giroud from very close-range, as well as denying Ramsey's strike - which could have caught him out after taking a slight deflection. He frustrated the home fans by seeming to waste time from goal-kicks and free-kicks, for which he was eventually booked, but that was the only downside from what was a solid performance. Rating: 7/10.
Defenders
Nathaniel Clyne: Again, the right-back continued to impress with another balanced performance. The Englishman's acquisition, at just £12.5 million including add-ons, is looking shrewder every single day. Up against Sanchez, Clyne's impact in getting forward and providing a threat down the flank was largely limited - though he got forward on a few occasions, as he had a first-half shot deflected wide and got a few crosses in towards Benteke. He was beaten a few times as Arsenal turned on the pressure in the second-half, but he did exceptionally to ensure Sanchez didn't have his usual impact on the game. Getting tight and denying him any freedom or time on the ball, the 24-year-old can only get better and better as time goes on. Rating: 7.5/10.
Martin Skrtel: After a shaky start, in which a lack of communication led to a mix-up between himself and the Reds' captain on the night, James Milner - Skrtel put in a dependable display. He was perhaps lucky to be let off by the linesman for keeping Ramsey onside for his goal, which was contentiously disallowed - but kept Giroud quiet for most of the game, dominating aerially, and also quelled the threat of Theo Walcott well late on. He also made some vital tackles and interceptions, the most notable of which was to put Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's cross out for a corner kick when Walcott, beyond him, would surely have scored. Rating: 7/10.
Dejan Lovren: Despite two fairly solid performances, there were still some question marks over the Croatian - who had a few unsettling moments against Stoke City and Bournemouth. But he responded with another compelling outing as he came up against Arsenal for the first time in his career. His leadership was evident, as he pushed up his team-mates and kept them compact on a number of vital occasions, whilst he was generally calmer than he has been this season. He's still susceptible to a few rash moments, but he's improved tenfold from the nervous wreck he was last season. The more solid of the two centre-backs and a vital part of the defence which has kept three straight clean sheets. Rating: 8/10.
Joe Gomez: The stand-out performer on the day, it was difficult to believe 18-year-old Gomez was making just his third league start for Liverpool and only his 27th professional appearance. Confidence and composure barely comes close to summing the centre-back, who was again played down the left, who plays beyond his years and as if he's been in the side for years. Both-footed and consistent defensively, whilst also offering a threat in getting forward - as he put on the afterburners to give some much-needed relief to the Reds' back-line in the second-half, an unfazed Gomez absolutely shone. He performed well against Sanchez, and Ramsey, as Arsenal attempted to interchange to get the better of Liverpool's stubborn defence. Winning five tackles and five interceptions, as well as coming out on top in a number of individual duels, Gomez was easy on the eye and had the statistics to back it up - though he was guilty of making a number of avoidable fouls, which saw him pick up a third yellow card of the season already. At just £3.5 million, his purchase looks more astute each and every day. Rating: 8.5/10.
Midfielders
Emre Can: Playing in his favoured central midfield role, Can was stationed just ahead of Lucas and alongside Milner - and despite giving the ball away a few too many times, the 21-year-old rewarded Rodgers with a very good performance. Just as a number of his team-mates did, he led by example with his impressive running and pressing of the Arsenal midfield and forwards. He picked up an unnecessary yellow card and suffered a couple of times from overcomplicating things and particularly fatigue, late on. Nevertheless, he added direct pace and power in the middle of the field and perhaps against lesser opposition, could have a more significant impact in the final third. Plenty of reasons to believe he can nail down a regular place in midfield for years to come. Rating: 7/10.
Lucas Leiva: Coming in to help shield Liverpool's back-line and add an extra layer of protection, Lucas did as Lucas does, going about his job diligently and doing everything needed of him. Similarly to Francis Coquelin of his opponents, he helped the Reds look solid and sturdy at the back. He grew a little tired in the second-half, as more began asked of him and the Liverpool defence, and he was consequently replaced by Rossiter, but that was likely due to a lack of game-time so far this season. He left the pitch to a well deserved standing ovation and Brendan Rodgers would be ill-judged to let him go out on loan, as his performance clearly showed he is still more than capable of coming into the side and giving the Reds what they need. Rating: 7/10.
James Milner: Another summer signing who is looking incredibly smart business, Milner helped add energy and dynamism in the midfield - which usually would have been lacking with skipper Jordan Henderson out through injury. Taking the armband for the evening, Milner was a leading figure in the middle of the park - which could clearly be seen by how vocal he was with his team-mates. He had a well-hit strike from range saved by Cech in the first-half, but his major contribution was his never-ending pressing - as he won the ball high up the pitch numerous times. Already, the ex-Manchester City midfielder is a certain starter week-in, week-out. Rating: 7/10.
Forwards
Roberto Firmino: Having had restricted impacts in his first two games off of the bench, Firmino - who Liverpool spent £29 million on in the summer - had a much more telling impact after starting from the off. He showed a similar work ethic to Coutinho and never quit with his pressing, which helped Liverpool to win the ball high up the pitch numerous times against a shaky Arsenal in the first-half. Again, he showed some neat touches and his passing demonstrted the best of his impressive vision. He should have had an assist when he set up Benteke with a sublime delivery, but the striker couldn't finish. With more time to grow into his new team, Firmino should prove a real hit in the Premier League. Rating: 7/10.
Philippe Coutinho: There are fantastic players, then there are players who you run out of superlatives to describe. Coutinho, or the magician as he's known amongst the Liverpool squad, is fast becoming one of those players. The 23-year-old was at his scintillating best in the first-half, unluckily hitting the woodwork just four minutes in. Despite not possessing blistering pace, the way in which Coutinho manipulates and moves his body to deceive his marker is truly mesmerising - and he did just that as he left Bellerin twisting and turning inside the box, only for Cech to make a tremendous save to deny him a certain goal. He was the most threatening player for the away side and though he quietened a little after the break, he still played his part with his pressing and passing. After his heroics on the opening day and his form thus far, it's clear that Coutinho remains the main man which Liverpool's attack will run through. Rating: 8/10.
Christian Benteke: Slowly but surely, the big Belgian is dismissing all the doubts that surrounded him before he arrived. The £32.5 million striker was exceptional in the air yet again, winning 16 headers up against Gabriel Paulista and Calum Chambers - the latter of whom found it difficult to deal with Benteke. His first touch was again superb, as a number of times he plucked the ball out of the air, brought it down and found his team-mates with aplomb. His impact faded out after the break, as the Reds struggled to get the ball forward as often as in the first-half, but by then - the 24-year-old was already rueing missing the biggest chance of the game after Roberto Firmino's exquisite cross. But despite the costly miss, his general performance - as he offered a vital outlet ball - was very, very promising. More to come from Benteke, but the early signs are that he'll fit in just fine. Add Daniel Sturridge into the equation and things start to get even more exciting. Rating: 7/10.
Substitutes
Jordon Ibe (Firmino 63'): Having impressed in pre-season, Ibe's performances in Liverpool's first two games of the season were rather underwhelming. That trend continued at the Emirates, as Ibe failed to add any spark after coming on with little over 25 minutes to go. The 19-year-old winger struggled to do all the things he usually does so well, with his creativity and dribbling stifled, whilst he was disappointing off of the ball and failed to offer Clyne much extra protection. Rating: 5/10.
Jordan Rossiter (Lucas 76'): The 18-year-old midfielder's introduction came as a surprise with Lucas holding his own in front of the defence, but he more than coped after coming on - harrying, pressing, tackling and throwing himself into everything. A highly-rated Academy prospect, Rossiter seems set for a good season if Monday night's performance is anything to go by. Rating: 6.5/10.
Alberto Moreno (Coutinho 88'): Similarly to their clash against Bournemouth, the Spaniard was brought on late on in an advanced role to stretch the home side's defence. He was bright in his short cameo, but was wasteful in leading the charge in a lightning-quick counter-attack - trying to find an opening himself rather than passing to his right and finding an open Emre Can. Rating: 6/10.
Subs not used: Adam Bogdan, Mamadou Sakho, Danny Ings, Divock Origi.
Manager
Brendan Rodgers: Having talked up the threats and qualities his Liverpool side possess going forward before the game, the Northern Irishman will have been delighted to see how dangerous they were throughout the first 45 minutes. He got his set-up perfect, with the 4-3-3 - with Firmino, Lucas and Can coming in - working much better than the 4-2-3-1 they had deployed in the previous two games. The Reds were put under more pressure after the break, but Liverpool stood up well defensively to come away with a point. There were lots of positives to take away, and Rodgers' decisions were certainly some of them - though Ibe's introduction was less impactful than hoped. Rating: 8/10.