Arteta and Arsenal brought down to earth as ruthless Liverpool smash Gunners at Anfield

Arsenal were on their longest unbeaten run in the Premier League this season before Saturday’s clash against Liverpool at Anfield.

The Gunners had not lost a game since late August when they were thrashed 5-0 by Manchester City. However, they were cut to size when they faced Jurgen Klopp’s side.

It’s not as if the North Londoners didn’t try their best. In fact, they started the game well but the gulf in class between the two teams was just too wide.

Once Liverpool assumed control of the game, they didn’t give Arsenal a sniff and ended up recording an emphatic 4-0 win against the Gunners.

Gunners embarrassed at Anfield

Matches between Arsenal and Liverpool have usually been high-scoring in recent years. But not many expected Mikel Arteta’s side to lose 4-0 this time.

This is because the Gunners were onto something good. Despite a poor start to the season, they recovered superbly and were playing some delightful football.

Their best efforts, though, were not enough against a ruthless Liverpool side. The attacking trio of Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah and Diogo Jota terrorized Arsenal’s defense, with all three players getting on the score sheet.

Trent Alexander-Arnold was also in superb form as he contributed two assists on the night. Bar the first 30 minutes, this wasn’t even a contest and Klopp’s side deserved to win after dominating their opponents.

Liverpool bring Arsenal down to earth

A win for Arsenal would’ve seen them leapfrog Liverpool on the Premier League table, and there was genuine hope that the Gunners could cause an upset due to their form.

A 10-match unbeaten run in all competitions fueled such ambition but Arteta and his side were brought down to earth after being completely outclassed in Merseyside.

"We were really compact and used the ball in the right way to create some situations. We had a goal disallowed and then we conceded a goal from a set-play," Arteta said after the game, as quoted by Sports Mole.

"In the second half, when we had to build some momentum and start to grow [into] the match, we threw it away in the first 15 to 20 minutes.

"We gave every ball away in very dangerous areas. We had [them under] no pressure. They punished us, we lost control of the game and they had all the momentum."

This damaging defeat is a reminder of Arsenal’s level: they are a good side but are still miles away from the likes of Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester City.