Mikel Arteta, Manager of Arsenal, applauds the fans following the team's defeat during the Premier League match between Liverpool and Arsenal at Anfield on August 31, 2025 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)placeholder image
Mikel Arteta, Manager of Arsenal, applauds the fans following the team's defeat during the Premier League match between Liverpool and Arsenal at Anfield on August 31, 2025 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Liverpool earned a 1-0 victory over Arsenal in the Premier League at Anfield with Dominik Szoboszlai netting the winner.
Mikel Arteta admitted that he knew Arsenal would not be able to dominate Liverpool for 90 minutes because of the power of Anfield.
The Gunners suffered an early blow in their bid to end their 22-year wait for a Premier League title after losing 1-0 to the reigning champions. The encounter between last season’s winners and runners-up was uneventful for the most part in terms of goalmouth action but was decided by a moment of magic.
In the 83rd minute, Dominik Szoboszlai found the top corner with a sublime free-kick to ensure Liverpool’s perfect start to their title defence continued. Arsenal dropped points for the first time, while they remain winless at Anfield since 2012.
Although Arsenal probably shaded the first half, they had only one shot on target and were unable to sustain the pressure after the interval. Asked why that was the case, Gunners boss Arteta replied: “Because this is Anfield and at some point, it's going to change. You cannot dominate Anfield for 95 minutes and it changed in various ways, especially because we didn't make the right decision when our keeper got the ball in their hands, we started to rush it, the turnovers, we didn't manage them so well so we could never glide as a team. They are going to create those moments without really creating any situations of danger.”
Arteta added: “We didn't do our gameplan to frustrate them; we did it to win it. I think we elevated the game and the dominance to a point that they had to raise it. They did, especially from the 60-78th minute, when then you could see that there were no margins in the game. When that happens, the game is going to be decided in two ways. One, with an individual error, and two, with a magic moment. Szoboszlai created a moment that was incredible, that has won the game, and that was the difference, nothing else.”
Saliba injury update
Arsenal suffered a blow within five minutes of the clash, with key defender William Saliba forced off injured. The France international sustained his issue during the warm-up and losing him for a prolonged period will be a hammer blow. Arteta admitted he is worried about Saliba’s fitness.
He twisted his ankle during the warm-up, and he came in and he said he believed that he could carry on and play, but straight away in the first two actions. I could see that he couldn't cope, and we had to get him out unfortunately. But thank God we had Mosquera, which we put in for the first time in the Premier League. His debut, not expecting it at Anfield, and I think he was really, really good.
“I am (worried) because you cannot play a game of that stature. After you tried [to], that means that there is something wrong.”
Continue Reading