Arsenal have been warned about the quality of their defence following last night’s 3-1 Premier League defeat against Liverpool.
The Gunners took the lead at Anfield but were ultimately well beaten by Jurgen Klopp’s side, with pundit Roy Keane raising concerns after the game about three players in particular.
MORE: Ian Wright names the signing Arsenal need after 3-1 defeat to Liverpool
The former Manchester United captain has suggested that David Luiz, Kieran Tierney and Rob Holding may be a concern for Arsenal, and most fans would probably agree with that assessment.
Speaking on Sky Sports’ coverage of the game, as quoted by the Metro, Keane said: “There’s no getting away from that but he (Mikel Arteta) will still want some improvement.
“His hands are tied which is a big problem because he still needs a couple more players in.
“We saw again tonight that defensively – I still think David Luiz, Kieran Tierney and Rob Holding, there’s big question marks over them. Luiz still has that mistake in him.”
It was a surprise not to see summer signing Gabriel Magalhaes start this big game after his strong start to life at Arsenal, with Luiz and Holding certainly not looking like players who should be starting week in, week out, especially in the most important matches.
It’s a little harsh on Tierney, perhaps, with the Scotland international generally doing well since his move to the Emirates Stadium, even if injuries have disrupted his progress slightly.
Keane just named the back 3 that Arteta played as part of his 3-4-3 en bloc. I doubt that he was singling Tierney out, more saying that the unit didn’t work – which it undeniably didn’t. Gabriel should have started IMHO and I’d like to see what Saliba can do. I’d also like to see us go back to more of a 4-3-3, but I think that we need a bit more steel in central midfield before that works. This is why I’d prioritise Partey (or similar) over Aouar. Creativity at the other end’s a problem, but shipping goals is more likely to cost us games. Both Partey and Aouar would be ideal.
If Arteta can’t take our concerns and direct cry, his position may be HOT.