William Gallas can't understand what Mikel Arteta did at Liverpool as 'really scary' point made

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Mikel Arteta, manager of Arsenal, reacts during his side's 1-0 defeat to Liverpool at Anfield(Image: Alex Pantling/Getty Imagess)

It is far too early in the season to say that any one game could have defined the Premier League title race.

But Liverpool's last outing did suggest why the defending champions are the favourites to retain their crown.

The visit of Arsenal will not go down as a classic and a bore draw long looked like being the final outcome.



But whereas Arsenal, not for the first time under manager Mikel Arteta, appeared to keep the handbrake on, Liverpool, roared on by the Anfield support, did manage to move through the gears.

And while far from at their best, Arne Slot's men were rewarded for their endeavor when Dominik Szoboszlai curled in a wondrous free-kick to secure a 1-0 victory.

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It moved the Reds to the top of the table and left them as the only team with a 100% winning record from the opening three rounds of matches.

It also led to further questions over Arteta and his Gunners side, who have finished second in the past three seasons, behind Liverpool in 2024-25 and behind Manchester City in the campaigns before that.

And former Arsenal defender William Gallas believes his old club missed a trick.

He said: "I think, especially at the start of the season, if your team is ready to fight for the Premier League, to win the title, and you have the players that Arsenal have, then you should do everything you can to win that game.

"This squad is meant to be ready to fight for the title this season.

But when you play against Liverpool at the start of the season, you have a chance to send a message by beating them because they are not quite ready yet.

"They’ve got all these new players, and some of them have yet to start performing.

"I was surprised by Liverpool’s performance against Arsenal.

They will start to look really scary when those new players adapt and they just went and signed (Alexander) Isak too!

"When Liverpool weren’t playing well, that was Arsenal’s chance to take advantage and for them to lay down an early season marker and build some momentum, because Liverpool were there for the taking."

The Reds followed the win over the Gunners by completing a £125m British transfer record move for Newcastle United superstar Isak, whose arrival adds to the array of attacking options available to head coach Slot.

After a huge summer of spending themselves, Arsenal also have plenty of options.

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Speaking to Gambling Zone, the ex-France international said: "Mikel Arteta has got the squad he wanted.