Mikel Arteta defended after Arsenal's 'play not to lose' approach to Liverpool defeat

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Joleon Lescott has come to Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta's defence(Image: All Out Football)

Ex-Premier League defender Joleon Lescott thinks Mikel Arteta was right to approach Arsenal's clash against Liverpool with a 'don't lose' attitude.

The Gunners were ultimately defeated 1-0 by their title rivals on Merseyside.

A moment of magic came from Liverpool midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai, and first blood went Arne Slot's way in the race for the Premier League title.



The Spaniard was criticised for this move after the clash, and Gary Neville was particularly irked by their lack of cutting-edge, especially as new signing Eberechi Eze was on the bench.

READ MORE:Viktor Gyokeres has awkward response to new Arsenal chant about his ex-girlfriendREAD MORE:Paul Scholes and Jamie Carragher tear Mikel Arteta to pieces over Liverpool loss

Yet, former Manchester City and England star Lescott doesn't think Arteta and Arsenal should be shunned for how they tackled the Liverpool clash, claiming their stance was the right one to take when visiting a title rival.

"I don't agree with the negative approach talk, I think that was the way that you should go to Anfield," began Lescott, speaking on In The Mixer, brought to you by Sky Bet.

"You don't go to Anfield and think, 'I'm just going to win the way we want to play.' If Arsenal played like that at the Emirates, playing not to lose, then it's different.

Away, against your title rivals, you go to their stadium and you think, 'Let's not lose first,' rather than thinking that you're going to win."

Arsenal were blasted for their lack of ambition against Liverpool(Image: Getty)

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We didn't do our game plan to frustrate them, we did it to win it.

Arteta was questioned about how he laid out his Arsenal side(Image: Getty)

"I think we elevated the game and the dominance to a point that they have to raise it, they did, especially from the 60-78, when then you could see that there were no margins in the game.

"When that happens, the game is going to be decided in two ways.

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