Thanks to Dominik Szoboszlai’s world-beating free-kick, Arne Slot’s Liverpool continued their winning run in the 2025/26 Premier League season with a 1-0 victory over Arsenal on Sunday afternoon. Amid criticism of Mikel Arteta, Slot’s post-match interview, where he touches on the Spaniard, has gone viral.
Anfield, which has a capacity of 61,276, is anything but a happy hunting ground for Arsenal boss Arteta, who has never managed to pick up on a win on the road to Liverpool. The last time he won there was in September 2012 when he was a player.
Partial to a howitzer, Liverpool’s makeshift right-back Szoboszlai, who is a central attacking midfielder by trade, was on hand to offer Slot’s men a breakthrough in what was a relatively lacklustre affair between two of the Premier League’s best teams.
Arteta Criticised by the Likes of Neville and Carragher for ‘Weak Mentality’
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Arsenal, who have finished behind the Premier League winners three seasons on the bounce, have been slammed by many pundits – Jamie Carragher and Peter Schmeichel included – for their performance against the reigning champions of England. Displeased with Arsenal’s ‘ugly brand of football’, Schmeichel – formerly of Manchester United, Aston Villa and Manchester City – spoke to Viaplay after Slot’s side’s 1-0 win. Per The Mirror, he said:
“I have never in my life ever wanted a team to win a game of football more than Liverpool today. Arsenal bring an ugly brand of football to our game! I don’t want to insult Arsenal but their brand of football is so annoying to watch, it’s designed to exploit opponents while waiting for set pieces.”
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Elsewhere, while responding to an Arsenal fan on X (formerly Twitter), Carragher slammed the mentality of Arteta, especially given that he started Mikel Merino instead of the likes of Martin Odegaard or Eberechi Eze. The ex-defender wrote:
“It’s not only about this game. It’s about the mentality of your manager (who I’m a fan of). Merino starting stells you straight away the mindset. You didn’t create one chance against a team who have been exposed by three teams with less ability than yours.”
Gary Neville, too, bemoaned Arteta’s weak mentality and compared it to that of Liverpool. He said: “Liverpool have got what Arteta and Arsenal haven't right now - 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.”
Slot’s Post-Match Comments Regarding Arteta Go Viral After Liverpool 1-0 Arsenal
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But Slot, whose side sits atop of the Premier League heading into the international break, is of a different opinion. Speaking in the aftermath of his side’s three-point haul, Slot – one of the best managers in world football – believes that it was, albeit uneventful, a fairly even game between the two.
“If we played this game ten times more, in the same fashion, then I think it’s eight times a draw, we [Liverpool] win it one time, and Arsenal win it one time because it was an uneventful game, which is sometimes positive as well because both teams were really good in rest defence and defending," he said.
“But, I think normally Arsenal and us are able to create more chances during a game – but that tells you something about the structure and the amount of discipline that both teams have without the ball. And then you need a moment of magic, which we got from Dominik [Szoboszlai].”
Arsenal fans, by virtue of being displeased about the remarks from Neville, Carragher and the like, are praising Liverpool chief Slot for his post-match take. Taking to X, one responded to the above footage to say they’ve got the utmost respect for the Dutchman.
“Why I respect Slot. He keeps it real – even after winning it all. He's still humble and analyses the game fairly neutral manner. Both Slot and Arteta came in with the same mindset - sadly for all of us to endure a fairly DULL match. Liverpool got all 3pts - fair play.”
“So much respect to Slot for saying this. He’s spot on. Congrats to Liverpool. A goal like that deserves to win any game of football,” another fan said as a third – and final – supporter wrote: “I respect Slot a lot....what an honest opinion of the game.”
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When players return to domestic action from the international break, Liverpool will visit Burnley in search of three points before kickstarting their Champions League campaign against Atletico Madrid. Arsenal host Nottingham Forest before travelling to Spain to lock horns with Athletic Club.