Arsenal Have Only Themselves To Blame For Underwhelming Display
Arsenal put in a nonexistent performance at Anfield

4 goals scored. 8 conceded. Zero clean sheets. Zero goals in their last two games. Players played out of position. Players refusing to sign new contracts. The list of issues Arsenal are battling is endless. If their last match against Stoke City was termed ‘unlucky’, this was a new low.
Terrible. Disappointing. Ridiculous. Toothless. Call it anyone you want, but Arsenal’s performance against Liverpool was nothing short of these adjectives. The Gunners were soundly beaten 4–0 by another title rival in a match that revealed the gulf in class between the two sides. A point separated the two sides as the fight for the last Champions League spot went down to week 38, but a lot has happened since. The gulf in class between the two teams now can be summed up by their European assertions. Arsenal are in the Europa League, the first time they’ll be missing out of the Champions League places in more than two decades, while Liverpool just navigated a tricky two-legged play off tie with German side Hoffenheim and are now in the Champions League. A point gap now seems a distant memory.

Liverpool had it too easy against Arsenal that one would wonder if it was actually two top clubs playing. Arsenal did not have a single shot on target throughout the whole match, looked disillusioned and completely unaware of what they were doing, or what to do. Their best chance came in the opening stages and it fell to Welbeck, who decided to shoot the ball high and wide. That was the only near-meaningful thing they did apart from watching as they were picked apart time after time by a majestic and commanding Liverpool display.

Liverpool have brought in Dominic Solanke, Mohamed Salah (who scored the third goal) and Andrew Robertson. The team might not be perfect as they sometimes looked susceptible in defence, but at least they have their free-flowing attack to bail them out. Arsenal have no such luxury.
Alexandre Lacazette arrived from French side Lyon to lead Arsenal’s attack and Sead Kolasinac joined from Schalke on a free. Both of them did not start the game on Sunday, with Wenger selecting almost the same side that finished a disappointing fifth last season. The Frenchman has not shown faith in his new signings, with Lacazette substituted in his first two competitive matches and Kolasinac shoehorned in an unfamiliar centre-back role.
Gary Neville, in his scathing co-commentary said, “When you’re at a football club you all take the blame. I can’t personally look any further than the players.”
“I don’t think the team is correct. setting up with [Granit] Xhaka and [Aaron] Ramsey in central midfield at Anfield, with Sanchez and Ozil just outside them is never going to be enough with Liverpool the way they are. I’ve never understood the lack of attention to the opposition.
“The issue today I had in the first 15 or 20 minutes — and why I was as scathing I was — is because Ozil, Sanchez, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Xhaka, Ramsey, they didn’t do most basic things I think every fan, manager, and player knows — when the ball goes past you and it goes towards your goal and your team-mates are struggling, you run back as quickly as you can.
He is right — almost, with the decision not to pour any blame at the feet of the manager quite perplexing. Every outfield player was woeful on Sunday. The only player who could be spared the anger of the fans is goalkeeper Petr Cech, which is ironic given he picked the ball out of the net four times. The defence was woeful — Holding coming up short and left alone to deal with the speed and trickery of Sadio Mane, Koscielny visibly rusty and he lost Firmino for the opening goal, Monreal unable to cope with Salah. The midfield was nonexistent — Ramsey’s positional indiscipline ruthlessly leaving the midfield — and Xhaka exposed. Xhaka did not cover himself in glory either, with the Swiss international giving the ball away in the build up to the second goal — the third time he’s been guilty of such this season. He didn’t complete a single tackle, a worrying statistic given he’s the holding/defensive midfielder. The forwards and wingbacks were abject too, with Chamberlain and Bellerin both poor and Wenger’s decision to put square pegs in round holes this season is laughably baffling. Bellerin, a right-back by trade, is being played as a left wing-back and was at fault for Salah’s goal while Chamberlain,a winger plays in the opposite position. Alexis Sanchez, Arsenal’s saviour last season and contract rebel, started on the left flank but he was very rusty and did not make a meaningful contribution. He was pictured smirking when he was substituted on the hour mark and more questions will be raised regarding his future as Wenger appears resigned to lose him for free next season.

Arsenal could not cope with the Reds mentally, technically or physically. The depressing fact is that it’s just three weeks into the new season. They are sinking without trace, with the lack of a natural leader not helping matters also. The season is still very long and if nothing is done as soon as possible, there may be more disappointments. Thankfully, the international break couldn’t have come at a better time. If nothing is done quickly, then they can only blame themselves.
