Arsene Wenger: 'We were too passive. We have to look at what we did today, myself included'

Published: 9 February, 2014
by RICHARD OSLEY

Premier League
LIVERPOOL 5, ARSENAL 1

UNDERSTANDABLY, much has been made of the fact that although Arsenal have led the league for long periods this season, these surprise pacesetters have a frightening February to navigate, bursting with fixtures against their strongest rivals.

To clatter into the first hurdle of this hectic period, a roadtrip to Liverpool, and in such spectacularly embarrassing style too, will only serve those told-you-so pundits waiting for the long-awaited fall.

Liverpool were like old-time Liverpool, looking almost invincible, a picturebook of pace and menace the like of which we haven’t seen from them since the 1980s. Arsenal did not help themselves with some school-team naivety but even their A-game might not have been enough against the resurgent reds.

With literally every attack in the first 20 minutes at Anfield, Liverpool looked like they would score. They could have picked any number, but settled for four, a figure that in itself was merciful to Arsenal.

Martin Skrtel helped himself to the first two. Barely a minute had been played when he diverted Steven Gerrard’s free-kick in. He then craned his neck perfectly to re-direct a corner into the top corner for his second.

The lead was the building block for an absolute stuffing. Luis Suarez swept a banana shot against the bar and Daniel Sturridge missed a one-on-one. It didn’t matter as far as Liverpool were concerned, Arsenal were all at sea already and then fell victim to a counter-attack of which they themselves would have been proud. Raheem Sterling had the easy job of converting on 16 minutes after his team’s sweeping passing move left Arsenal looking simply dazed. By 20 minutes, it was four and you wondered where it would end. Daniel Sturridge was too fast for everyone else, sprinting away from Mertesacker to roll his shot past Wojceich Szczesny. It was pace which did for Arsenal on the fifth too. This time Sterling bounded away and poked the ball in after his first effort had been repelled by the forlorn Szcesny.

“Everywhere we were beaten today and Liverpool took advantage,” said Wenger afterwards as he assessed the wreckage. “The focus was not at the level we wanted it to be for a match like this. We were too passive. We have to look at what we did today, myself included.”

Mikel Arteta, captain here but actually looking like one of the weaker links on days like this, scored a consolation penalty after Jack Wilshere had been cut down by Steven Gerrard. And Arsenal plugged away for the last 20 minutes creating a half-chance here and there, but both teams knew by then that chasing more goals would not change the outcome and energy will be needed for the coming barrage of matches.

And for Arsenal, that means Manchester United at home on Wednesday night, now a must-win match. Many teams have taken three points from David Moyes’ stumbling team this season, but there are few fixtures for which Rooney and Co enjoy raising their game for more. That frightening February might get quite bloody, very quickly,

ARSENAL: Szczesny, Monreal (Gibbs 61), Sagna, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Wilshere, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Ozil (Rosicky 61), Arteta, Cazorla, Giroud (Podolski 60).
Subs not used: Fabianski, Gnabry, Jenkinson, Bendtner
Attendance: 44,701