Game plan: Mikel Arteta
Arsenal Football Newsletter
Mikel Arteta has defended Arsenal’s game plan at Anfield - and insisted they went for the win against Liverpool.
The Gunners were beaten 1-0 by Liverpool on Sunday night after Dominik Szoboszlai scored a stunning free-kick in the 83rd minute.
Other than that, both sides created very few chances in what was a tight game and Arsenal had just one shot on target.
But Arteta has defended the way his side set up and insisted they were trying to claim all three points at Anfield.
“We didn’t do our game plan to frustrate them, we did it to win it,” said Arteta.
“I think we elevated the game and the dominance to a point that they have to raise it, they did, especially from the 60th to 78th minute, when then you could see that there were no margins in the game.
“And then when that happens, the game is going to be decided in two ways. One, with an individual error and two, with a magic moment. So they created a moment that was incredible, that has won the game and that was the difference, nothing else.”
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Arteta went with a midfield trio of Declan Rice, Martin Zubimendi and Mikel Merino for the clash with Liverpool.
It meant he had three playmakers on the bench in Eberechi Eze, Ethan Nwaneri and Martin Odegaard - who was struggling this week with a shoulder injury.
But asked if his midfield was too conservative, Arteta said: “Well, that’s what we had.
“Martin Odegaard was injured, Kai [Havertz] cannot play, Merino is a player that is incredible arriving from there.
“We played with three attacking players, two attacking full-backs. After the game, I think it’s too easy to say that.”