Old doubts re-surface as shot-shy Arsenal lose at Liverpool
LIVERPOOL, England :Arsenal had the perfect opportunity to show they are ready to shake off their nearly men tag but instead the old doubts re-surfaced as they were beaten 1-0 at Liverpool on Sunday.
Premier League runners-up for three successive seasons, Mikel Arteta has been handsomely backed in the transfer window with around 260 million pounds ($351 million) being spent.
But on a sunny afternoon at Anfield, Arsenal seemed almost content to take a point back to north London rather than strike an early blow in the title race.
They have now failed to win at either Liverpool or Manchester City, the two sides to deny them the title in the past three seasons, since Arteta became head coach in 2019.
In truth, Liverpool also offered little on a day in which defences were in control of expensive forward lines.
But champions have a knack of summoning moments of magic to settle such pivotal contests and Liverpool's Dominik Szoboszlai delivered one - a sumptuous 30-yard free kick in the 83rd minute to leave the champions top with nine points out of nine.
Arsenal managed only one shot on target - a decent strike by new signing Noni Madueke in the first half.
But new centre forward Viktor Gyokeres was a spectator for long periods while fellow new recruit Eberechi Eze's late cameo role for his first Arsenal minutes was uneventful.
"Liverpool have got what Arteta and Arsenal haven't got right now - that edge, that something, that mentality to go and win big matches at big away grounds," Sky Sports pundit and multiple Manchester United title winner Gary Neville said.
"Liverpool believe they should be winning these matches and I'm not sure Arsenal do. They're happy not to lose."
Arsenal were without the injured Bukayo Saka and Kai Havertz while Martin Odegaard started on the bench but even so they had ample attacking options to worry a Liverpool defence that had looked shaky in conceding four goals in their opening two games.
Their famed set-piece routines were cumbersome though and meat and drink to Liverpool's defence.
"You're looking at Arsenal going - do something off the cuff, do something quickly," Neville's fellow Sky Sports analyst Roy Keane said. "Going forward, they are a bit robotic.
"With the set pieces, you give them a thumbs up, but they have to find something else."
It was a frustrating afternoon for Arteta who described the result as very disappointing.
"I think we elevated the game to a point where we dominated them in parts of the game," Arteta, who played in the last Arsenal team to win a league game at Anfield, in 2012, said.
"That is very difficult to do here at Anfield. They produced an incredible magic moment to win the game. That is the edge and when it's not him (Szoboszlai), it's Salah or someone else.
"With the dominance and how we play the game, it's very clear we have to finish the moments to win the game."
($1 = 0.7402 pounds)
