Arsenal lost 4-0 to Liverpool in the right way

Mirco analysing defeat away at one of the best sides in the world isn’t going to get Arsenal especially far. Better teams than them will be rolled over at Anfield.

For 40 minutes it was an interesting and hotly fought contest. It requires a brave, or foolish, side to go toe-to-toe with Jurgen Klopp’s outfit on their own patch, and how Mikel Arteta would set his side up would determine the confidence within the group.

Bukayo Saka was asked to press the central defenders with Takehiro Tomiyasu pushing right up on Kostas Tsimikas to try and force Liverpool to go long, with strike pair Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette also initiating the press high.

It was bold as it would also result in the concession of chances, but there is real faith in Aaron Ramsdale and that was vindicated in the series of impressive stop he made to keep the scores level for 39 minutes. The goal was obviously a killer coming from poor marking.

Mikel Arteta set Arsenal up in the right way despite their heavy 4-0 defeat to Liverpool in the Premier League

In the end Arsenal’s ambition may have proved their downfall, especially after the second goal when Liverpool could counter with ferocious pace to add gloss to the scoreline.

With an unbeaten run in the bag and a desire to maintain positivity within the camp, a more cautious and pragmatic approach would have been in most manager’s thinking: it is Liverpool, and it is Anfield.

On this occasion, Arsenal going out, playing their game and sticking to their principles was the right thing to do. A loss is still a loss, and a heavy one at that, but had Arteta taken his team to Merseyside and played Mohamed Elneny in midfield with the goal being to sit deep and frustrate Liverpool for as long as feasibly possible, what would anyone have learnt?

Nothing.

Two of the most inexperienced of the group suffered badly in the second half, something they will have to go through to further their development. Sambi and Nuno Tavares had strong first halves. While it all fell apart for them almost as soon as the second half whistle blew, they will take far more away from that chastising 45 minutes than they would have just pumping balls down field only for them to come straight back.

With the approach taken Arsenal could have secured something from the game. If those mistakes hadn’t have crept in then, who knows, it could have been a different story. Equally, what actually happened could have even been worse. Whatever the outcome, these players should be playing the way they and the manager wants without feeling the need to deviate from their form.

Liverpool’s group have been playing in their way together for years. These are players vastly more experienced with hundreds of games together as a unit. Arsenal and their young squad will only get closer to that if they build up their own collection of minutes together playing the football they aim to make the staple of the club.

The manner of the defeat, especially after the second goal, isn’t excused, but if Arsenal had to go out and lose 4-0 on Saturday then it’s a good thing they did it playing like that. Why lose with your tail between your legs when you can at least try and make a statement?

Take it on the chin, eyes on Newcastle in the Premier League.