Gary Neville believes that Arsenal’s celebrations following their victory against Liverpool were immature and has decreased the team’s prospects of winning the Premier League this season.
After a brilliant first half on Sunday and taking the lead through Bukayo Saka, the Gunners were pushed back by a disastrous own goal by Gabriel Magalhaes just before the half ended.
After the interval, Liverpool played well, but Virgil van Dijk and Alisson’s mistake allowed Gabriel Martinelli to score. Leandro Trossard then sealed the 3-1 victory, with Ibrahima Konate being sent off.
Jamie Carragher criticized Arsenal for their crazy celebrations at full time, and Neville was as critical, but for quite different reasons.
The former Manchester United right-back believes that Arsenal’s lack of creativity would eventually be their undoing and that their players’ response revealed how little faith they had in their potential to win the title this season.
‘The celebrations at the end I don’t think were of a team that thought they were going to go on and win the title,’ said Neville on Sky Sports afterwards.
‘I think they were of a team that didn’t want to be out of a title race, and that was the relief that we saw at the end.
‘I agree with what Gael [Clichy] said about the word ruthless. I think Arsenal, when I watch them, are a better team than Liverpool but I think Liverpool are a more ruthless team, they’re more ruthless in the final third.
‘And I think that could just cost them in the end, and that’s me having said at the start of the season I thought Arsenal would win the league.
‘But there’s still so many signs today, so many examples, of Arsenal not having that killer instinct in the final part of the pitch that I think at some point in the last part of this season it’s going to hurt them.
‘So for me they’re a really well coached team, their system is good, their way of playing is good, but just that real important last bit [is missing].
‘Liverpool have got Jota, Salah, Gakpo, Diaz, they’ve got so much threat Liverpool. And I think that, in the end, will just be a problem.’
He added: ‘For me, with the celebrations, I’ve gone past the idea of having a go at teams for celebrating. I just still think there’s a little bit of immaturity in their celebrations.
‘Which means, to me, it felt like relief that they weren’t eight points behind.’
