Opinion
Arsenal humbled at Anfield, but one match shouldn't define their season
Liverpool's Diogo Jota clashes into Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale during the Premier League match at Anfield - Credit: PA
Arsenal suffered a humbling 4-0 defeat by Liverpool at Anfield on Saturday evening, ending a 10-match unbeaten run in all competitions.
It was a difficult night for the Gunners and a reminder of the stark difference between the top three – Chelsea, Manchester City and Liverpool – and the rest of the Premier League.
Aaron Ramsdale commented on the gulf in class on the night, saying: “I think that shows the quality that they have got and where we want to get to. This game is not going to define our season, it is possibly the toughest place to come in the Premier League.”
He later added: “No one will be moping around, no one will have heads down, we will come in on Monday and evaluate the game, we are an honest bunch of players."
Despite being top four challengers, Liverpool away was always going to be a tough fixture for Arsenal’s young squad, with Emile Smith Rowe, Albert Sambi Lokonga, Nuno Tavares, Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu experiencing the Anfield crowd for the first time.
Liverpool's Thiago Alcantara (left) and Arsenal's Alexandre Lacazette battle for the ball during the Premier League match at Anfield - Credit: PA
The Gunners started the game reasonably well, hanging on for the opening 40 minutes until the first goal was scored.
An altercation between Mikel Arteta and Jurgen Klopp, followed by the goal, bred life into the crowd, resulting in Arsenal’s heads dropping and mistakes being made.
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It is easy to both overreact and underreact to a 4-0 loss.
Arsenal were taught a lesson by one of the most intense teams in the world and they were chasing shadows for half the game.
However, as Aaron Ramsdale says, one game will not define Arsenal’s season and the context of the young players bears some weight.
What Arsenal need to do now is bounce back, both against Newcastle at the weekend, and the next time they travel to Anfield.
The team needs to continue to grow at every opportunity, and experiencing big defeats to Chelsea, Manchester City and Liverpool this season gives Arsenal an idea of where they want to get to.
Newcastle at home next weekend is a good opportunity to get back on track.
