Arsenal show maturity and quality
Good defending is the mark of champions. At Anfield, where Arsenal had not won in the past 13 visits, Mikel Arteta followed the orthodoxy of locking down once his team took the lead. This time around, it proved successful. Arsenal did not allow the occasion or the stadium to get to them as they have on previous occasions. In April 2023, Granit Xhaka entangling with Trent Alexander-Arnold energised home fans previously despondent that Arsenal were 2-0 up. It finished 2-2. On Sunday, Liverpool zipped around zestfully, as Andoni Iraola requests, though the final-ball quality was lacking. That owed a great deal to the organisation of the Arsenal defence. Ahead of the last international break, Brighton set a blueprint for getting the better of Arsenal in winning 3-0. Liverpool’s squad profile might have made a similar strategy possible though Iraola’s outfit is struggling to create chances in the same volume as Brighton or his Bournemouth team. John Brewin
