Arsenal’s unbeaten start to the Premier League season came to an abrupt halt at Anfield on Sunday as Mikel Arteta’s side fell 1-0 to defending champions Liverpool.
But after the game, the Arsenal manager didn’t hold back in his criticism of record signing Eberechi Eze, while goalkeeper David Raya suggested the new match ball played its part in the defeat.
The game’s only goal came in the 83rd minute when Dominik Szoboszlai unleashed a stunning free-kick from over 30 yards, leaving Raya helpless. The strike maintained Liverpool’s perfect start to the campaign, with three wins from three keeping them top of the table.
For Arsenal, however, the narrative was different. They had opportunities to level the score, with Eze, who arrived from Crystal Palace this summer in a £67.5 million deal, missing a golden chance on his debut.
The 26-year-old England international came off the bench to replace Gabriel Martinelli on 70 minutes and was almost immediately presented with a chance to score.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Arteta expressed his frustration: “You have to put the ball in the back of the net. Today we have three, four, five situations inside the box one-vs-one. Eze is completely through just to finish the action. You have to put the ball in the net if you want to win.”
The defeat was Arsenal’s first of the season after winning their opening two games.
Meanwhile, goalkeeper David Raya shifted some of the focus onto the Premier League’s new Puma-manufactured ball, admitting he struggled to read Szoboszlai’s strike.
“I think it’s a hell of a strike. I remember the ball moving a lot and moving away from me,” Raya said. “With the new balls and everything, we still have to adapt. It’s going away from me so it’s harder to gauge and save it. It is different to the Nike ball so we have to adapt to it. The grip is different, the kick is different. We just have to adapt after playing with the Nike ball for many years. It’s the same for everybody.”
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