Liverpool show the difference again as Arsenal title credentials tested and found wanting

Liverpool still lead Arsenal in knowing how to win matches when they are not at their best, finding a way to turn one-point into three.

Liverpool's Dominik Szoboszlai celebrates scoring the winner against Arsenal. Pic: Peter Byrne/PA Wire.

TOO EARLY in the season to call this a must-win for either side in the title race, but fair to say it felt like the outcome meant more to Arsenal. They needed to make a winning statement. Liverpool, despite their eye-wateringly expensive summer signings, had already proven themselves last season and defeat for them would not have felt so impactful.

Arsenal have, of course, spent record sums too in an attempt to close the gap on last season’s runaway champions and prove they now have a squad to take the final step to glory after three impressive consecutive seasons in which they have finished runners-up. Unbeaten in their last six against Liverpool, they had not won here in 13 years, when Mikel Arteta was a hard-working Arsenal midfielder and not an even harder-working Arsenal manager. So, this was the perfect stage to announce, albeit in only the third match, their starry signings could bridge the gap.

And that was why, even after talismanic defender William Saliba joined a clutch of key players on the injury list after only four minutes of this match, there was a sense this could still be Arsenal’s day. That feeling felt justified as Arteta’s side had the better of the first 60 minutes and the ability to change the game with attacking substitutes such as new signing Eberechi Eze.

Liverpool, as they did so often last season and in every match this season, still lead Arsenal in knowing how to win matches when they are not at their best, finding a way to turn a potential one-point match into a significant three.

There can be little consolation for Arteta and his players that they were ahead on the stats for expected goals and shots on goal when the only statistic that matters is who scores the most. Neither keeper had a save to make, so those numbers prove little. And when Liverpool did finally hit the target, it was a one-in-a-million shot from Dominic Szoboszlai, a one-time Arsenal transfer target. No shame there for the vanquished.

What Arteta might want to address, if he has many players to coach during the international break, is how to create more from his impressive attacking armoury in matches as tight as this.

With Arne Slot likely to make his title winners even stronger and shinier before the transfer window closes on Monday evening (moves for Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi and Newcastle striker Alexander Isak remain active), the worry for Arsenal is that they will find it hard to shake the thought this match will represent their best chance to take a chunk out of Liverpool’s morale all season.

That might be proved right if Liverpool grow from this victory and Arsenal shrink. There were too many positives for Arsenal to feel totally desolate, however bad the defeat tasted. And Arteta and Slot will rightly argue that experience tells us that this is too early in the season to make definitive statements, but it is patently obvious Liverpool still run this league.

Arsenal looked better than they did when drawing here last season, even though they came away with less. Ignoring any tactical or statistical deep dives, what Liverpool do is win when they need to, and Arsenal do not do the same enough of the time to dislodge them. Not when they go away to Anfield or Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium, anyway.

In Arteta and Arsenal’s defence, they did not look like conceding from anything other than a wonder goal such as Szoboszlai’s freak free-kick and they looked more like scoring themselves with Eze, Martin Odegaard and Max Dowman all on as substitutes.

They will probably not lose many more matches this season, but nor will Liverpool and therein lies the problem for the Arsenal manager. He has the players to do it but they not only need to believe they can, they ultimately just have to do it. While Arsenal remain Liverpool’s most likely title challengers this season, they have been put back in their place after this match and aside from the chance to get a few players nearer to fitness, the break comes at a bad time for them.

Would Arsenal have been stronger with a fit Bukayo Saka, Odegaard, Kai Havertz, Ben White and Christian Norgaard available to select from? Undoubtedly, yes. The thing is their new recruits were bought to prove they can still win when key players are missing. Slot will demand better performances from Liverpool, but what a lovely position he finds himself again so early into his title defence having seen off Arsenal as the only team in the top flight with a 100% start.