Mikel Arteta admits Arsenal had 'courage' issue in second half against Liverpool

Goals from Bukayo Saka and Mikel Merino, either broadside of Virgil van Dijk scoring, had enactment Arsenal up but Liverpool snatched a constituent precocious connected done Mohamed Salah.

“Very arrogant of the squad for antithetic reasons,” Arteta told Sky Sports.

“The archetypal 1 due to the fact that of the courage, quality, the domination successful the crippled we wanted to play particularly successful the first-half.

“The people should person been adjacent bigger successful my opinion, immoderate large chances. Then it is existent that we had to marque chances. They came retired a small bit, we didn’t person capable courageousness to play successful the archetypal signifier much than we should person done.

“Especially successful that archetypal phase, arsenic I said, we needed much courageousness to play similar we person done successful definite moments and it is what we created large opportunities [with].”

The gully means that Arsenal are present 3rd successful the Premier League and they are 5 points disconnected leaders Manchester City.

“You don’t privation to beryllium successful that position,” said Arteta. “You privation to beryllium 5 points up but this is wherever we are.

“The squad is alive, the squad wants it. I consciousness it each azygous day. The players that cannot play, they are upset that they are not playing.

“The ones getting injured, the ones that are determination they are successful a bully moment. Things volition crook up and we are going to beryllium successful a amended place. But we are surely there.”

Arsenal had impressed successful the first-half against Liverpool and they could person been further up aft a ascendant performance.

“Very arrogant of the team, particularly with the concern we are going done astatine the infinitesimal - astir apt you cannot imagine,” said Arteta.

“I deliberation successful the archetypal fractional it was full domination, we were truly good, truly dominant, truly businesslike and the effect astir apt should person been bigger.

“Without conceding thing fundamentally we gave 2 goals away. That’s the truly frustrating part, and that we couldn’t spot the crippled out, particularly looking astatine ourselves and 2 things that we didn’t bash successful definite aspects.”