Raheem Sterling impresses on an otherwise disappointing night at Anfield while Isco highlights the depth at Reals disposal

If Real Madrid really are casting covetous eyes at Raheem Sterling the 19-year-old will have impressed the Spanish club on first sight. He was comfortably Liverpools most dangerous attacker. Unfortunately on a disappointing night that was not saying a lot, although Sterling was distinctly unlucky in the fifth minute when Jordan Henderson found him with a wonderful crossfield ball. Álvaro Arbeloa took no chances and flattened him, and a lenient referee waved play on, possibly ducking out of the consideration of whether a clear goalscoring opportunity had been denied. Sterling received the ball on the edge of the area with no one in front of him. When Toni Kroos barged him over in almost identical fashion after 35 minutes and further down the pitch, he received the games first caution.

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The incumbent Ballon dOr winner gives Anfield a sense of event glamour as CR7 and Real Madrid show their true class
Ronaldos remarkable Real Madrid record in full

He came. He scored (of course). He wandered off to a round of applause. The visit of CR7 to L4 was always likely to bring with it a sense of event glamour, if only for the rarity value of an appearance by the winner of what is now called the Ballon dOr on English soil, and more specifically at Anfield itself. In 23 years since the creation of the Fifa world player gong, Cristiano Ronaldo was the first incumbent world No1 to play here.

He did not disappoint either, on a night that had started well enough for Liverpool, their high tempo, high-pressing game hurrying the European champions at times in the first 20 minutes, with Raheem Sterling looking potent in his drifting No10 role. At which point: enter Ronaldo.

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Arsenal were uncertain in possession and found themselves increasingly stretched, but mustered a remarkable turnaround

Arsenal are often criticised for their defending and sometimes for overplaying on the edge of the oppositions area but it is unusual for Arsène Wengers side to encounter problems with passing, traditionally their strongest suit. On a difficult night in Brussels, they struggled to control the midfield zone and rarely enjoyed significant spells of pressure.

Wenger fielded a relatively cautious side, with Mathieu Flamini at the base of midfield. The Frenchman is considered a superior player defensively to club captain Mikel Arteta, who is returning from injury and was only on the bench, but he struggles to match Artetas reliability in possession. Twice in the first half Flamini squandered possession in bizarre circumstances, mistakenly assuming a pass towards him was intended for a team-mate, underlining Arsenals uncertainty. Arteta lacks Flaminis battling qualities but he ensures Arsenal dominate matches against weaker opposition.

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• Wenger admits gamble paid off in late win

For Arsène Wenger, on the occasion of his 65th birthday, and everybody connected to Arsenal, the beauty was in the scale of the surprise. The clubs number had looked up as this contest ticked down towards the bitter end and no-one was under any illusions as to what a defeat would have meant. Arsenal have an incredible record of navigating their way out of Champions League groups but their escapology stood to face the acid test.

Everything changed inside the last two minutes and Wenger could go from feeling another worry line in his brow to creasing into broad smiles afterwards. He suggested that it had been all about making it into the last-chance saloon of those finals minutes while still within touching distance the dying embers of a top-level tie can play havoc with the nerves, he noted and, having narrowly done so, his players started swinging.

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• Balotelli shirt swap leaves Rodgers fuming

Sometimes in football there is nothing for it but to accept the other team are vastly superior. Liverpool inflicted that feeling on many opponents in the years when they earned the right to hoist a banner on the Kop with the words European Royalty, but it is a while since they wore that crown and this was a night when Real Madrid reminded them just how far back it is.

Real did it devastatingly and clinically with three first-half goals and so much refinement that when Cristiano Ronaldo was substituted a crowd who once regarded him as a sworn enemy applauded him off the pitch. It was a wonderful show of appreciation and the same followed shortly afterwards when Toni Kroos and Marcelo were withdrawn. Liverpool had been beaten in a manner that had left the crowd marvelling at the oppositions gifts with great sportsmanship.

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