The good news is that it was better for Arsenal than last season. The bad news is that their run of successive wins was ended at four and they spurned an opportunity to apply pressure to the leaders Liverpool. And worse, they were denied an 89th‑minute winner by a tight – but correct – VAR offside call.
“Emotionally that was tough,” Mikel Arteta said of the decision. He maintained his recent policy, though, of stressing the need for Arsenal to improve and take responsibility rather than looking for excuses, even if this was the eighth different back four he has named this season.
