I confess I went into this game extremely worried. The FA Cup remains Arsenal's best chance of winning a trophy, and a weakened starting XI, combined with an in-form Liverpool, who gave us a hammering 8 days ago didn't bode well.

So it's to the extreme credit of the players that a dogged Arsenal won 2-1 to reach the FA Cup quarter-finals.

Lukasz Fabianski - 8 – While I don't advocate dropping Wojciech Szczesny, Fabianski showed how unlucky he is not to be a regular in the Arsenal team. One late error aside, he was outstanding, making key saves from both Daniel Sturridge and Luis Suarez. You can track Arsenal's second goal back to Fabianski's aforementioned save from Suarez.

Carl Jenkinson – 7 – Normally Jenkinson's strength is his attacking and crossing ability, while he can be suspect defensively. However, today Jenkinson barely got forward, and had a nip & tuck tussle with Raheem Sterling, which probably ended about even.

Per Mertesacker – 6 – The rating may be a touch harsh, but this was a display below Mertesacker's usual standards. The defence was cut open too easily in the match's early exchanges, with Sturridge finding space behind the German too often for comfort.

Laurent Koscielny – 8 – He allowed Sturridge to burst past him once in the first-half. But after that, Koscielny had a tremendous game, making 5 interceptions and 12 clearances (more than any other player). Arsenal's best defender on the day.

Nacho Monreal – 7 – This was a much improved display after being led a merry dance at Anfield last week. He made more interceptions than any player (7), often keeping Suarez relatively quiet, which necessitated the Uruguayan moving more central in the second-half.

Mathieu Flamini – 7 – There was a theory doing the rounds that Flamini was badly missed against Liverpool last week. That theory was put into practice, and seems to hold weight, as the Frenchman added greater solidity to the midfield, keeping a close watch on Philippe Coutinho.

Mikel Arteta – 7 – The captain was another to raise his level from last weekend. Aware that he's suspended from Wednesday's match against Bayern Munich, Arteta ran himself into the ground. His passing accuracy was below its normal standard (only 72%), but it was offset by his assiduous defensive work.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain – 8 – He may prove a key asset in the final third of the season. Arsenal mostly attacked on the counter, and Oxlade-Chamberlain was the key offensive force in that strategy. He took his goal well, and his assist for the second was an excellent piece of play. He made his cut-back for Lukas Poldolski look a lot easier than it was.

Mesut Ozil – 7 – This was more like the Ozil that Gooners want to see. As I've said before, Ozil was bought not to dominate games, but to make decisive contributions that can make the difference in a match. His cross for the first goal, and his sublime pass to Oxlade-Chamberlain for the second, showed his worth today.

Lukas Podolski – 7 – The German was a peripheral presence in the first-half, but his finishing ability makes him a valuable member of the squad. His clever run and unerring finish for the second goal proved to be the winner, although he slightly sullied his performance with a silly challenge that led to Liverpool's penalty, converted by Steven Gerrard.

Yaya Sanogo – 7 – This was a lot to ask of one so unproven at this level, so the young Frenchman deserves a lot of credit. His application was faultless, and while he looks a bit raw and clumsy, he has a rigorous muscularity in attack that made him a useful battering ram. He didn't give Martin Skrtel a moment's peace.

SUBS

Santi Cazorla –  N/A – Missed a great chance to make the game safe.

Kieran Gibbs – N/A – Gave the left-hand side much needed ballast.

Olivier Giroud – N/A – Was brought on to eat up the clock.

It will probably be forgotten, but many Gooners were ready to unleash vitriol given the team Arsene Wenger picked. I also thought he'd got the team selection wrong, so we should be able to give credit to Wenger for when he gets it right.

Arsenal didn't necessarily play better than Liverpool, but they showed greater concentration and ruthlessness.

It may not be enough against Bayern Munich on Wednesday night, but it's clear that this Arsenal team isn't as frail as some would think.

Latest: