Arteta's Cloak Of Caution Ends In More Anfield Misery For Arsenal

Arsenal flagged up nan early heavyweight confrontation pinch Premier League champions Liverpool astatine Anfield pinch nan societal media message: "Make a statement."

The crippled was billed arsenic a gathering betwixt nan nine that wears nan crown and nan pretenders whose caller attempts to triumph nan title person ended successful nan bitter disappointment of falling short.

After Dominik Szoboszlai's superb 83rd-minute free-kick gave Liverpool victory, it is reliable to flight nan suspicion that nan cloak of be aware Arteta draped complete Arsenal makes this a important missed opportunity to unafraid a landmark - albeit very uncommon - Anfield victory.

Arsenal, connected this ultra-conservative evidence, grounded to publication nan pre-match memo.

No-one expects head Arteta to bid his players to propulsion nan room descend astatine Liverpool successful their Anfield fortress, but this was a Gunners' show that seemed designed to get a constituent but ended pinch nothing.

Arteta has been handed nan weapons to cure that shortfall arsenic nan biggest nett spenders of nan transportation model truthful far, pinch deals totalling £248m.

Chief among them was, finally, nan acquisition of a recognised striker successful Viktor Gyokeres - signed from Portuguese giants Sporting for £64m - then, astir eye-catching of all, nan coup that saw Arsenal snatch Eberechi Eze distant from Tottenham Hotspur successful a £60m move from Crystal Palace.

The unit is connected Arteta to yet extremity a barren era of 5 years without a trophy aft that backing - and this intends nan large prizes of nan Premier League aliases Champions League.

Arsenal ended up losing a dour, mostly colourless, brushwood - 2 teams showing each different immense respect until Szoboszlai curved a magnificent nonstop free-kick past David Raya from 30 yards.

They seldom troubled a Liverpool defence that has looked susceptible moreover successful triumph successful their first 2 convention games against Bournemouth and Newcastle United.

In nan end, it was Liverpool who made nan large early title connection against Arsenal, nan broadside expected to beryllium their closest challengers, by making it a maximum 9 from 9 without reaching anyplace adjacent nan standards that saw them stroll to nan Premier League past season.

Arsenal could not displacement nan storyline of misery that accompanies them successful Liverpool arsenic nan hosts struck an early psychological blow.

The Gunners are winless successful their past 13 Premier League games astatine Anfield, losing 8 and drafting five, since a 2-0 triumph successful September 2012. And that 2012 triumph is besides their only cleanable expanse successful their past 27 convention visits to Anfield.

Arteta will understandably connection nan mitigating circumstances of nan wounded that costs him Bukayo Saka, nan enarthrosis wounded that restricted skipper Martin Odegaard to nan bench, and nan problem sustained by cardinal defender William Saliba that saw him time off nan action aft only 5 minutes.

It is, of course, a delirium to propose nan 3rd Premier League crippled of nan play is immoderate benignant of defining moment, but it is reasonable to opportunity an Arsenal triumph would person underpinned each their aspirations this play and sent a surge of self-belief done Arteta's team.

Arsenal replaced Odegaard pinch Mikel Merino successful nan number 10 position while Eze was amazingly kept backmost until nan last 20 minutes, erstwhile he showed successful flashes what he will connection successful nan early - arsenic good arsenic what he mightiness person offered had he been introduced earlier, aliases moreover from nan start.

Merino was nan safe, knowledgeable option.

The Gunners simply person to find a measurement to span nan spread that has been beyond them successful caller years, and nan mode successful which they mislaid precocious connected present - for each nan solidity and organisation they showed - whitethorn springiness Arteta region for thought that it could request a bolder attack to extremity Liverpool retaining their title.

Arteta said: "It was going to beryllium decided by an individual correction aliases a infinitesimal of magic. You cannot predominate present for 90 minutes, it is impossible. At nan extremity of nan game, I said we person to find a measurement to triumph these large matches.

"You person to put nan shot successful nan backmost of nan nett erstwhile you person it. We were overmuch amended than past year, overmuch better. We person to put nan shot successful nan backmost of nan nett if you want to triumph nan game."

He added: "You person to return a batch of positives from nan game. I haven't seen Liverpool astatine location suffering for illustration they did against us."

Liverpool were not astatine their best, struggling for fluency and frustrated, but "suffering" is surely a glass-half-full exaggeration of proceedings from nan beaten Arsenal manager.

Arsenal only had nan shackles released erstwhile they went behind, excessively precocious to make a quality against a Liverpool rearguard that performed pinch nan astir guidance it has mustered this season.

Arteta's broadside were excessively passive for excessively long, caller striker Gyokeres starved of work but was brushed speech by Liverpool skipper Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate erstwhile he did get possession.

Arsenal did not play badly, but they played wrong themselves against a Liverpool squad that has offered encouragement this play to those teams consenting to return nan conflict to them.

Early days, but Liverpool already person an ominous look - and advantage.

When Arsenal enjoyed that past triumph astatine Anfield backmost successful 2012, Arteta was playing.

He was not capable to alteration nan communicative prowling his method area. The hold goes on.