‘Too reliant on set-pieces’, ‘can’t create in open play’ – Arteta grilled after Liverpool beat ‘robotic’ Arsenal

Jamie Carragher and Roy Keane have criticised Arsenal for their lack of invention in attack after their 1-0 defeat at Liverpool on Sunday.

The Premier League champions got one over their title rivals thanks to a wonderful long-range free kick from Dominik Szoboszlai.

Both teams showed a huge amount of respect for each other with their approach, with Liverpool willing to plug away without the ball, and Arsenal unwilling to take risks in attack.

Ultimately, the result proves that Arsenal’s cautious approach cost them, while Liverpool did what champions do: find a way to win.

The two styles on show meant the game would be decided by an individual error or moment of magic, and it ultimately came down to the latter.

F365 SAYS: Arsenal too respectful of Liverpool as Szoboszlai stunner, uninventive Arteta decide title clash

Gunners manager Mikel Arteta has been criticised for his cautious mentality and lack of creativity in the final third, with Sky Sports pundits Carragher and Keane expressing their disappointment.

Ex-Liverpool defender Carragher says Arsenal never had a goalscoring issue to solve this summer, but more of a creativity issue, claiming that they are “heavily reliant on set-pieces” and “don’t create anything in open play”, in a scathing assessment.

He told Sky Sports: “I’ve never believed Arsenal’s problem was finishing. Arsenal’s problem is creating. That was the problem for them last season, they don’t create enough.

“You look at the goals they score, the xG, the numbers are all there in black and white. And I felt from last season, Arsenal needed to shift slightly, become more proactive with the ball.

“You bring [Martin] Zubimendi in on the ball, you bring in the guy up front, [Ebere] Eze’s come in. It’s only three games, but in the two away games that we’ve seen Arsenal this season, nothing has changed.

“Heavily reliant on set pieces, don’t create anything in open play, and are the best team in Europe for me, defensively.”

Former Manchester United captain Keane added that the Gunners need to do things “off the cuff” to become more unpredictable.

“I think it’s great when you have a defensive record like they have, and they’re already good at set pieces. We’ve got to give Arsenal a thumbs up for that,” he began.

“But if you’re just dependent on that all the time, and then you come to Liverpool, where you go to set-pieces, Liverpool are defending well, obviously, it’s hard to score at Liverpool.

“Do something a little bit different. [Declan] Rice is taking corners and they’re taking ages, they’re slowing the game down and that’s part of the tactics. Get people in position. But you’re looking at Arsenal going, ‘Do something off the cuff, do something quickly, do something, whatever.’

“Yeah, there was a bit of rushing their play towards the end when they were chasing a goal, but in general play, you’re thinking, ‘Do something quickly, do something off the cuff.’

“They’re still going forward, a bit robotic. But not now with the set-pieces, their defensive record, you give thumbs up, but you have to find something else.

“Theo [Walcott] mentioned about deserving…sometimes you don’t get what you deserve in this game. It’s about finding a way to win football matches and Liverpool so far this season, we can analyse, we have been really critical, but after the game, they must be thinking, ‘Well, you’re winning,’ and that’s what really good teams (do).

“You find a way to win. At half-time, the manager says something, you make substitutions, and that’s a sign of a really top team.”

READ NEXT: Potter pressure cools, Nuno on brink as tactical changes, impact players decide Forest v West Ham