Mikel Arteta has said he was proud of the performance from Arsenal despite the disappointment of a 1-0 defeat at Liverpool.
Arsenal’s perfect start to the season ended at Anfield after a narrow defeat to the Premier League champions. Dominik Szboszlai’s stunning free-kick decided the contest, with the Hungarian blasting home from distance after 83 minutes.
Arsenal edged the first-half for possession and chances, though failed to truly test Alisson in the home goal. After the break, Liverpool took control, with Szoboszlai the hero with a set-piece special.
At full-time, Arteta praised the disciplined defensive performance of his team but admitted Arsenal needed to improve in the final third.
“I am very disappointed with the result. I’m very proud of my players. 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,” Arteta said, speaking to Sky Sports.
Not the result your support deserved.
Safe trip home, Gooners ❤️ pic.twitter.com/3641v2v71X
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) August 31, 2025
“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.
“We lost Martin [Odegaard], we lost Kai [Havertz] and then we lost Bukayo [Saka]. In the warm up we lost Saliba.”
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