Mikel Arteta: ‘Arsenal must put the ball in the net’ after narrow Anfield loss | OneFootball

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta admitted his side paid the price for failing to take their chances as Liverpool edged a 1-0 win at Anfield in the opening heavyweight clash of the Premier League season.

A single strike proved decisive between the two title favourites, with Arteta left frustrated at his team’s inability to turn dominance into goals.

“I am very disappointed with the result. I’m very proud of my players,” Arteta said. “Both sets of players had to dig in to a level where there was nothing between the two. It was going to be decided by an individual error or a moment of magic.”

The Spaniard highlighted his side’s progress compared to last year’s visits to Merseyside, but underlined the harsh reality of top-level football: “You cannot dominate here for 90 minutes, it is impossible. At the end of the game, I said we have to find a way to win these big matches.

“You have to put the ball in the back of the net when you have it. We were much better than last year, much better. We have to put the ball in the back of the net if you want to win the game.”

Arsenal’s preparations were hit by a string of injury setbacks, losing Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka, before William Saliba also dropped out after only four minutes, having sustained an injury in the warm-up. Captain Martin Odegaard was only fit enough to come on as a late  substitute. But Arteta refused to lean on excuses.

“We lost Martin, we lost Kai and then we lost Bukayo. In the warm up we lost Saliba,” he revealed. “Still, the players that came in gave everything.”

There was at least a glimpse of encouragement for Arsenal fans in the debut of summer signing Eberechi Eze, who came on in the second half.

“He’s been with us for four or five days, that is all,” Arteta explained. “We fully believe in the players that played. You have to take a lot of positives from the game. I haven’t seen Liverpool at home suffering like they did against us.”

For Arteta, the message was simple: Arsenal must turn performance into goals if they are to go one better in this year’s title race.