Arsenal are exactly who we thought they were

Arsenal traveled to Anfield in high spirits after resetting the course of their season following a disastrous start. Unbeaten in ten games heading into the clash against Liverpool, there was optimism surrounding what the team could achieve at one of the hardest grounds to play at in the world.

For the majority of the first half, Arsenal coped well with the Liverpool pressure and kept them at arm’s length. However, a lapse in concentration saw Sadio Mane slip between Gabriel and Takehiro Tomiyasu to give the home side the lead. They never looked back.

So what do we make of the result overall?

Depending on who you talk to, the answer will be vastly different. Some were expecting a result while others were simply looking for the performance rather than what the final scoreline showed.

Arsenal are exactly who we thought they were with no surprises as the Premier League unbeaten run came to a crashing halt at Anfield

In the end, a 4-0 loss is never ideal, however, when a couple of things are taken into account it adds up to a valuable learning experience for the Premier League’s youngest team.

First of all, if we are being completely honest, Arsenal was never really going to come away with three points even if fans were optimistic, myself included. Even the most hardened supporter would have had their doubts over the team’s ability to match up with one of the finest outfits in Europe on their home deck.

Liverpool is a well-drilled, seasoned football team and has played together for years under Jurgen Klopp. Mikel Arteta is two years into his tenure, and his current batch of players not to hit double figures of matches together.

The first half did give us some indications that progress had been made, but with such a young team, there were bound to be instances where they ultimately fluffed their lines. Nuno Tavares, who has been in supreme form, picked a poor day to have his worst performance in an Arsenal shirt. Albert Samib Lokonga falls into a similar category as well.

He is a super talented and raw 20-year-old defender but he was out of his depth. His dreadful second hald led to many suggesting Kieran Tierney should have started. In all honesty, Tavares had earned the right to start on Saturday night.

Tierney has not completed a full game in what feels like forever and throwing him in the deep end might not necessarily have worked. Besides, Tavares will be better for the experience even if it does not seem like it right now.

The Liverpool result tells us what the majority already know: Arsenal have made progress since the poor opening to the season but there is still a huge gap between them and the top of the league. There is no shame going to Anfield and losing, especially with such an inexperienced side.

This has been lost by many supporters who took to social media to vent their frustrations over the team’s performance. However, this shouldn’t have been too much of a surprise.

Yes, the 4-0 scoreline is not what you want for a developing team, but the simple truth is that Arsenal are not in a position to compete toe-to-toe with a team like Liverpool. That’s fine. It is all about experience, growing pains, and learning as a result.

Arsenal is going to go through waves of good form as we have seen recently, just as they will be prone to horror shows like that second half against Liverpool. Granted, it does feel like two steps forward and one step back for Arsenal, which is what annoys fans the most.

After the Tavares mistake that allowed Diogo Jota to weave through the defense and put Liverpool 2-0 up, the game was done. How the team caved in the second half is not what you want to see but it all points to a team that is developing and trying to figure itself out.

When it is all said and done, Arsenal is still exactly who we thought they were: a team that has shown signs of progression, but is on a path that is not linear.

Saturday night was a classic example of that. In the long run, the club and its players will be better for it.