Why IMPOTENT Arteta couldn’t FINISH OFF Liverpool

When Jurgen Klopp stood in the Anfield dugout and went toe-to-toe with Manchester City year after year, he referred to his Liverpool team as ‘mentality monsters’.

It was an appropriate term that Klopp loved to use for a team that would, week after week, find a way to win. With late winners from unlikely sources despite being a goal down and grinding out the last 20 minutes to get the victory, the mentality of these Liverpool teams was unquestionably elite.

But what has been seen from Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal over the past few seasons has been anything but. They have now, twice, thrown away good chances to beat Manchester City to the title.

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They have thrown away big leads in the table. They got demolished when playing City late on in the 2022-23 season and then played for a 0-0 draw late on last season at the Etihad, resulting in runners-up medals both times.

This season they have started erratically. They have the most red cards in the league, all due to stupid, needless acts like kicking the ball away when committing fouls. It has led to them already being five points off the pace and, if history is anything to go by, they may as well concede now.

Impotent Arsenal

Yesterday’s performance against Liverpool was another example of a side that does not have the mentality to substantially contend for the title.

Arsenal’s first half was fine. They exploited a Liverpool side that, let’s be honest, didn’t play very well. They got Bukayo Saka one-on-one with Andy Robertson and capitalised on repeated poor positioning from set pieces.

They had one of their title contenders looking the worst they have looked all season and had the lead on them. And, instead of going for their throat, they created exactly one chance and ended up conceding.

That Kai Havertz chance was worth 0.05 expected goals and was comfortably blocked by Curtis Jones at the back post.

Instead, Liverpool displayed the mentality that it takes to remain title contenders. As mentioned before, the team didn’t play well. They were indecisive and uncreative on the ball, they were sloppy in possession and they made the game easy for Arsenal’s defence.

Yet, when the opportunity presented itself, their lightning-quick ability to exploit a transition meant that they remain four points ahead of Arsenal in the Premier League.

Trent Alexander-Arnold could barely make one of his trademark passes all day. Darwin Nuñez was close to becoming a non-factor in the game. Mo Salah was trying to do too much and constantly wasted it.

Yet, when it was needed, Darwin made a cutting run and Trent found him. Salah read the space perfectly, Nuñez dropped it straight into his path and Liverpool salvaged a point.

Liverpool will be able to learn from this performance. They will also be able to take resolve in the fact that they, as always, found a way to get a result. Arsenal had a golden opportunity staring them in the face and couldn’t take it.

There is only one true contender to Manchester City’s crown this year - and it is not Arsenal.

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