Mikel Arteta will have been left frustrated as his side fell to their first defeat of the season, as Arsenal lost to Liverpool at Anfield.
After a perfect start to the campaign, earning a win over Manchester United before the thrashing of Leeds United, it was a cagey afternoon at Anfield that brought that record to an end.
Dominik Szoboszlai’s moment of magic from a free-kick was the deciding factor, but Arsenal could have, and perhaps should have, done more.
There were fine margins that have proved costly, some of which Mikel Arteta could’ve made an impact on himself.
So, with that said, here’s a look at three mistakes the Arsenal manager made in the clash.
Starting William Saliba when he was injured
William Saliba’s injury, just five minutes into the match, came as quite a big blow to Arsenal in the end.
Arteta revealed that the French defender hurt his ankle in the warm-up before the match, but was told that he was fine to start.
While it’s clear just how important the star is at the back, the decision not to change him after that injury proved costly in terms of the changes that could be made later in the game.
There will be some hope that the injury isn’t serious and certainly hasn’t worsened through playing those opening minutes.
Denying Eberechi Eze’s full Arsenal debut
Eberechi Eze’s transfer to Arsenal came with the promise of adding a little more creativity to the forward ranks.
There was always going to be some uncertainty as to whether he would be thrown straight into a game as big as the Liverpool one.
Arteta opted for Gabriel Martinelli instead, who struggled to do anything of note during the match.
The Brazilian often failed to find his teammates or create much, while Eze looked like a bright spark from the bench.
Perhaps things would’ve been different if the new signing had been drafted straight into the action.
Relying on Max Dowman’s impact
With Arsenal chasing the game, Arteta brought on youngster Max Dowman in hopes of finding a late goal.
While the 15-year-old has plenty of potential, asking him to step up in that sort of way at Anfield against a side like Liverpool may be a premature ask.
Ethan Nwaneri, another Arsenal academy graduate, was snubbed in the process, despite having more experience in these situations.
It brings up a question for the youngster and the other forward options who were ignored when a goal was needed.
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