Lacking: Mikel Arteta
Arsenal Football Newsletter
Gary Neville believes Arsenal lack the winning mentality required to bridge the gap to the summit of the Premier League.
The Gunners’ title charge took an early knock on Sunday as they were narrowly beaten 1-0 by Liverpool at Anfield. It was a tight contest, but was ultimately decided by Dominik Szoboszlai’s rocket of a free-kick, which confounded David Raya.
Neville felt Arsenal looked as though they would have been happy to settle for a draw rather than push for the win, as their hosts did.
After finishing second in each of the last three Premier League campaigns, the former Premier League champion thinks they might have lost their hunger.
"Liverpool have got what Arteta and Arsenal haven’t got right now,” he explained. “That edge, that something, that mentality to go and win big matches at big away grounds.
“Liverpool believe they should be winning these matches and I’m not sure Arsenal do. They’re happy not to lose and it’s costing them."
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Roy Keane concurred, pointing out the difference in the two sides’ reactions after half-time.
The match was deadlocked at the break, but Arne Slot’s men came out firing while the Gunners were largely unchanged.
He argued: "We said at half-time that Arsenal were comfortable and would there be a reaction from Liverpool? You bet your life there would be because that’s what champions too.
"They deserved it based on their second-half performance."
The international break comes next, and Arsenal will look to get back to winning ways as they host Nottingham Forest in two weeks’ time. Liverpool, meanwhile, visit Burnley.