Mikel Arteta has claimed that while his Arsenal side tried, it was Liverpool’s belief that made the difference.
Our team was second-best for much of the match, but the team was setup to allow our opponents to come at us while we looked to take advantage of mistakes, much like we have done in previous big games.
This setup is a clear inclination that our manager understands that our options are squad options are inferior to our rivals, and that midfield area is definitely one that needs addressing before the window closes next week.
While Arteta told his players to believe in what they were doing, it was the Liverpool players who had that belief, and the manager was full of praise for the victors.
“They were awesome [in the second half],” the manager said after the match (via Arsenal.com). “The effort they put in, the way they were pressing the front three, the way they went, the midfield players were tracking back every time. They hit the perfect ball, the second ball… We tried and they believed.
“That’s what I asked of them before the game, to believe. To play here with character and to play our way and now we just accept that they were better and that they are better at the moment and that we have to improve. This is the level that we have to reach. We will come back on Thursday and try to win again.”
The game showed a gulf in our sides, and hopefully the board will take note and step up their efforts to bring in the players we need.
Would both Aouar and Partey in our midfield have brought a whole different game to Liverpool? Would we still setup the same with those two additions?
Patrick
