Arsenal flagged up the early heavyweight confrontation with Premier League champions Liverpool at Anfield with the social media message: “Make a press release.”
The sport was billed as a gathering between the membership that wears the crown and the pretenders whose current makes an attempt to win the title have ended within the bitter disappointment of falling brief.
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After Dominik Szoboszlai’s sensible 83rd-minute free-kick , it’s robust to flee the suspicion that the cloak of warning Arteta draped over Arsenal makes this a major missed alternative to safe a landmark – albeit very uncommon – Anfield victory.
Arsenal, on this ultra-conservative proof, did not learn the pre-match memo.
No-one expects supervisor Arteta to order his gamers to throw the kitchen sink at Liverpool of their Anfield fortress, however this was a Gunners’ show that appeared designed to get a degree however ended with nothing.
Arteta has been handed the weapons to treatment that shortfall as the most important web spenders of the switch window up to now, with offers totalling £248m.
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Chief amongst them was, lastly, the acquisition of a recognised striker in Viktor Gyokeres – signed from Portuguese giants Sporting for £64m – then, most eye-catching of all, the coup that noticed Arsenal snatch Eberechi Eze away from Tottenham Hotspur in a £60m transfer from Crystal Palace.
The stress is on Arteta to lastly finish a barren period of 5 years with no trophy after that backing – and this implies the large prizes of the Premier League or Champions League.
Arsenal ended up shedding a dour, largely colourless, encounter – two groups displaying one another enormous respect till Szoboszlai curved an impressive direct free-kick previous David Raya from 30 yards.
They hardly ever troubled a Liverpool defence that has seemed weak even in victory of their first two league video games in opposition to Bournemouth and Newcastle United.
Arsenal’s new £64m striker Viktor Gyokeres was pissed off within the defeat by Liverpool at Anfield [PA Media]
Ultimately, it was Liverpool who made the large early title assertion in opposition to Arsenal, the facet anticipated to be their closest challengers, by making it a most 9 from 9 with out reaching wherever close to the requirements that noticed them stroll to the Premier League final season.
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Arsenal couldn’t shift the storyline of distress that accompanies them in Liverpool because the hosts struck an early psychological blow.
The Gunners are winless of their previous 13 Premier League video games at Anfield, shedding eight and drawing 5, since a 2-0 win in September 2012. And that 2012 win can also be their solely clear sheet of their previous 27 league visits to Anfield.
Arteta will understandably supply the mitigating circumstances of the damage that price him Bukayo Saka, the shoulder damage that restricted captain Martin Odegaard to the bench, and the issue sustained by key defender William Saliba that noticed him go away the motion after solely 5 minutes.
It’s, after all, a nonsense to counsel the third Premier League recreation of the season is any kind of defining second, however it’s cheap to say an Arsenal win would have underpinned all their aspirations this season and despatched a surge of self-belief by Arteta’s crew.
Liverpool’s Dominik Szoboszlai settled a good encounter in opposition to Arsenal with an excellent late free-kick [Getty Images]
Arsenal changed Odegaard with Mikel Merino within the quantity 10 place whereas Eze was surprisingly saved again till the ultimate 20 minutes, when he confirmed in flashes what he’ll supply sooner or later – in addition to what he might need provided had he been launched earlier, and even from the beginning.
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Merino was the secure, skilled choice.
The Gunners merely need to discover a option to bridge the hole that has been past them in recent times, and the way through which they misplaced late on right here – for all of the solidity and organisation they confirmed – could give Arteta pause for thought that it may need a bolder strategy to cease Liverpool retaining their title.
Arteta stated: “It was going to be determined by a person error or a second of magic. You can not dominate right here for 90 minutes, it’s inconceivable. On the finish of the sport, I stated we have now to discover a option to win these large matches.
“It’s important to put the ball at the back of the online when you could have it. We had been significantly better than final 12 months, significantly better. Now we have to place the ball at the back of the online if you wish to win the sport.”
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He added: “It’s important to take a number of positives from the sport. I have not seen Liverpool at dwelling struggling like they did in opposition to us.”
Liverpool weren’t at their finest, struggling for fluency and pissed off, however “struggling” is actually a glass-half-full exaggeration of proceedings from the overwhelmed Arsenal supervisor.
Arsenal solely had the shackles launched once they went behind, too late to make a distinction in opposition to a Liverpool rearguard that carried out with probably the most resistance it has mustered this season.
Arteta’s facet had been too passive for too lengthy, new striker Gyokeres starved of service however was brushed apart by Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate when he did get possession.
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Arsenal didn’t play badly, however they performed inside themselves in opposition to a Liverpool crew that has provided encouragement this season to these groups keen to take the battle to them.
Early days, however Liverpool have already got an ominous look – and benefit.
When Arsenal loved that final win at Anfield again in 2012, Arteta was taking part in.
He was not capable of change the narrative prowling his technical space. The wait goes on.