Mikel Arteta took his Arsenal side to Liverpool on the back of two wins against Jurgen Klopp. The Gunners were on a high after an unbeaten start to the season, but at Anfield, they were schooled by the better side.
Liverpool dominated the game from the first minute to the last and deservedly took all three points. The game showed the gap in quality between the two sides, but Arsenal had some positives to take home despite the defeat.
The Gunners stayed in the game until almost the end. If Alexandre Lacazette took his chance, Arsenal could well have nicked a point, but it wasn’t meant to be on Monday.
The North Londoners have another chance to get one over the Reds on Thursday. Arteta will likely stick with the system he tried in the league earlier this week, and Liverpool icon Michael Owen believes that’s the right way to beat Jurgen Klopp’s men.
He told Optus Sport: “Leeds showed it, if you’re brave enough to beat that press with good skill, good confidence on the ball, you can hurt this Liverpool team. It can be a cricket score but if you want to progress, that’s the next stage for Arsenal.”
“Don’t bottle it now. You’ve shown the way you want to play. It is really commendable from Arteta, he is being brave, playing the way he wants to play. They probably need one or two different players to get to the next level but the way they’re playing is the right way. Don’t give up now.”
Owen is right, Arteta should stick to his system
Owen has a point there. Arsenal were dominated by Liverpool in the two games before the one on Monday, but they still managed to beat them. Arteta employed the same system against Manchester City and managed to beat them as well.
Arsenal couldn’t get out of Liverpool’s press as much as they would have liked, but when they did, they looked threatening. The Gunners will likely try the same on Thursday, and against a weaker Reds side in the cup, they could seriously hurt them.
Someone like Houssem Aouar, who Arsenal have been heavily linked with, could help Arsenal carry the ball past Liverpool’s midfield much more than Granit Xhaka and Mohamed Elneny did. Arteta needs a player like the Frenchman, and if he can get him, the Gunners will be a much better match against Reds when they meet again.
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