Arsenal suffered their heaviest defeat of the season at Anfield
Monday 31 December 2018 11:56, UK
Arsenal's defensive shortcomings were brutally exposed in their 5-1 thrashing by Liverpool on Saturday, but it had been coming all season. The numbers make grim reading for Unai Emery's side...
It is a new era for Arsenal but the same old problems remain. Unai Emery said Saturday's trip to Anfield would be a "good test" of his side's progress this season, but it is safe to say they failed it. The Gunners have now conceded 22 goals in their last six visits to the famous old stadium. The latest defeat was the most disheartening of them all.
As well as highlighting the gulf that still exists between Arsenal and the elite, the result threw their debilitating defensive issues into sharp focus. Arsenal have shipped more goals after 20 games (30) than in any previous Premier League campaign. They occupy fifth place in the table but only seven Premier League sides have worse defensive records.
Liverpool were clinical, demonstrating the fearsome traits which have made them Premier League title favourites, but every one of their five goals featured at least one defensive mistake on the part of the visitors. The first two, which came just 90 seconds apart in a capitulation reminiscent of Arsene Wenger's latter years in charge, were perhaps the worst.
Arsenal's efforts to stop Liverpool were calamitous, their defensive performance typified by the comical sight of Shkodran Mustafi, Sokratis Papastathopoulos and Lucas Torreira sprawled on the turf as Firmino dispatched his second. By the end, the visitors had been run ragged, losing simple balls in midfield and conceding two needless penalties.
Emery has not been helped by injuries - he was without Hector Bellerin, Rob Holding and Nacho Monreal on Saturday - nor by the ill-disciplined defensive unit his predecessor left behind, but what is most troubling is that so many of the errors on Saturday were committed by players he brought in himself during the summer.
Sokratis could not get near Salah or Firmino for the first two goals and conceded the penalty for the fourth in clumsy fashion, while Stephan Lichtsteiner botched his clearance for the equaliser and switched off altogether for the third, leaving Salah free to set up Mane and providing further evidence that, at 34, he is well past his peak. Bernd Leno was a panicky presence in goal, while even Torreira floundered in midfield.
Arsenal's defensive malaise is infectious and the basic errors in their performance against Liverpool were nothing new. Emery has leaned heavily on his attack since his appointment - the Gunners have averaged more than two per game in the Premier League - but the issues at the other end have been apparent all season and the statistics prove it.
According to Opta, Arsenal have made more errors leading directly to opposition shots (17) than any other Premier League side this season. Unsurprisingly, they also rank top for errors leading to opposition goals, with six. They have conceded the most penalties in the division (five) and only kept three clean sheets in 20 games.
The hope was that Emery would introduce some defensive discipline to a back line which looked lost under Wenger, but instead the situation has worsened. If they continue at their current rate, Arsenal will concede 57 goals this season - six more than under Wenger last season and their highest total in any campaign since 1983/84.
Their defensive struggles on Saturday were a jarring contrast to the assured performance of their opponents. There were some early jitters from Klopp's men, not least in the build-up to Arsenal's goal, but it was only the eighth they have conceded all season and from then on, they had little trouble keeping Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and company at bay.
Arsenal can take comfort from the fact that it took Jurgen Klopp two seasons to sort out Liverpool's defence, but they will also be aware that it required unprecedented financial backing. The £75m Virgil van Dijk has had a transformative effect on the Reds, but that kind of expenditure is surely beyond the Gunners, who now risk a third consecutive season outside the Champions League places.
And besides, even with such investment there would be no guarantees. Arsenal's defensive problems are not just down to individuals but to the collective. The team lacks structure and organisation and at Anfield they were finally punished. Emery must find solutions sooner rather than later. Until then, the same old problems will continue to hold Arsenal back.
