Arsenal’s draw with Liverpool brought about plenty of different questions, most important of those being whether it was a good point for either team in the race for the Premier League title.
The person it was a good point for was Pep Guardiola, who would’ve been watching along at home with a smile on his face as Manchester City went top of the table.
Either team may draw different conclusions from the tie though, with the Gunners potentially missing out after leading twice in the game, but also doing so with a make-shift back four.
Arne Slot’s side came back from trailing twice to earn a point at the Emirates Stadium, which hasn’t been a happy hunting ground for the side, though there was a potential missed opportunity in beating an Arsenal side with an unsettled backline.
In all, the true value of that point can’t be assessed properly until the Premier League title picture becomes clearer.
However, some of the analysis aimed at Mikel Arteta in particular may not have been completely fair after the game.
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Jamie Carragher likens Mikel Arteta to Jose Mourinho
An ongoing comparison associated with Arsenal and Mikel Arteta as of late has been with Jose Mourinho and his old title-winning teams.
The former Chelsea boss has won trophies with a tough style that would often be criticised for being too defensive.
With the Gunners having a solid base at the back and occasionally retreating in winning game states, that comparison has been more and more apparent.
Speaking on Sky Sports after the game, former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher said: “Because Mikel Arteta worked with Pep Guardiola, we’re almost thinking this is a Pep Guardiola disciple.
“And if you look at the most successful managers let’s say in the last 10-15 years, you’ve got Pep Guardiola here with a certain style of football and you’ve got Jose Mourinho, almost equally as successful at the other end.
“Mikel Arteta is slowly morphing into a Jose Mourinho type of manager and no one really thought that would happen.
“I just think it’s really interesting how they’ve got there. So you see today, 2-1 up, pressing Liverpool, on top of Liverpool, playing really well, they retreat second half.
“Now, I know they had a couple of injuries at the back, but they’ve still got the midfield players playing, you’ve got some attacking players playing who you think ‘Can you get on the ball? Can you go forward and try and sort of take the sting out of the pressure you’re under?’
“That’s coming from the manager but it happens too often now, we see it with ten men. I get what happened at [Manchester] City, I thought what they did at City was brilliant.
“Commentating on the game, I enjoyed watching it, but what they did here against Brighton, what they were doing against Bournemouth last week, top teams I’ve seen before down to ten men, and I go back to my own experience as well, yeah you’re under pressure but you relieve it and keep the ball a bit more and still have a threat going forward.”
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Jamie Carragher comparison misses the mark
While Carragher’s comments weren’t too far-fetched a point to make, they don’t quite address the shift in top teams that has happened over the past few years.
Arteta hasn’t moved any closer to Mourinho, who was a great manager, than Guardiola has in his time at Manchester City.
The champions aren’t playing this swashbuckling, tiki-taka style that is commonly linked with the head coach from over the years.
They, just like Arsenal, have looked to recruit for a defence-first approach as they spend big money on their backline.
Both the Gunners and City have built more physical teams capable of grinding out those fine margins over a title that is simply decided on them now.
The top of the Premier League has become something of a cup competition in itself, where one defeat could end any hope of a title push.
Liverpool’s own frantic nature last season cost them dearly in the race before Arsenal, running on the fumes of an emotional rollercoaster that saw them cling on through last-minute goals aplenty.
Their own shift under Arne Slot has seen more of a controlled approach, conceding just five goals in nine games.
Four of their nine games have been decided in one-goal swings, which has worked but will only work until it doesn’t, then people may question why Liverpool haven’t thrown the kitchen sink more in games against lower opposition.
Arteta isn’t alone in wanting control and ensuring that happens, but it doesn’t shift him towards Mourinho more than it does any other manager.
If his players could keep hold of the ball and attack more, I’m sure they would, but that argument in itself perhaps takes away some credit from Liverpool.
The Reds changed the game after the halfway mark, making it tough for Arsenal to get out and play their game.
That said, their most joy came from lofted balls behind the Gunners’ high defensive line, one of which led to the equaliser.
It isn’t something that would be commonly associated with a Mourinho-style team in itself, who would perhaps drop back even more.
In all, it’s a narrative that has shades of truth in it but doesn’t reflect the whole story as part of the larger game at play.
Arsenal aren’t this team that simply sit back after taking the lead, the same way their rivals aren’t the purest form of football imaginable.
The Gunners may have reasons for their difficulties at times this season, but Arteta certainly hasn’t been making excuses for a side who have some catching up to do.
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