Arsenal Vs Liverpool: 5 things we learned

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 29: Sadio Mane of Liverpool celebrates with team mates after scoring his sides third goal during the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Arsenal FC at Anfield on December 29, 2018 in Liverpool, United Kingdom. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

Arsenal faced the daunting task of travelling to Anfield and play Jurgen Klopp’s undefeated Liverpool. Here are five things we learned from the 5-1 thrashing.

I said before the match that this would be a terrifying assignment. I am sad to say that I was absolutely spot on. Thanks to utterly dreadful defending on the part of almost every player in their ranks, Arsenal fell to unbeaten league-leaders Liverpool 5-1, and that came after Ainsley Maitland-Niles actually opened the scoring. This was utterly humiliating, and it proved that Liverpool are on a completely different to Unai Emery’s Gunners.

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Here are five things we learned from the 5-1 hammering.

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 29: Unai Emery, Manager of Arsenal reacts during the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Arsenal FC at Anfield on December 29, 2018 in Liverpool, United Kingdom. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

5. This isn’t Unai Emery’s fault

Did Unai Emery select the right team with the players that he had available to him? Probably. I would have liked to see Ainsley Maitland-Niles at right-back and Alexandre Lacazette introduced, Stephan Lichtsteiner dropping out of the line-up in the process, but when the XI was announced, no one could really hold any genuine qualms.

Quite simply, this damning defeat confirmed that these players simply are not good enough. When Arsene Wenger resigned last season, I spoke plentifully about how we would find out whether the calamitous defending was his doing or the players’ doing. I think we got our answer here.

This was not poor defensive structure. This was not lapse management and misplaced tactics. This was not the relative shapes of the two teams creating a painful disparity. This was simply down to the difference in the quality of the players. Until Emery is handed a new squad, this is not his fault.