For the second time this season, neither Liverpool nor Arsenal could claim victory as the two sides battled it out at Anfield. Despite another 2-2 draw with the Gunners, it’s clear that Liverpool has reigned supreme over Mikel Arteta’s side.
There’s no doubt about Liverpool’s deserving championship status. The 15-point lead over second-placed Arsenal speaks volumes after Arne Slot’s debut season in charge.
After a spirited comeback at a sun-soaked Anfield on Sunday, questions were raised about Arsenal’s performance in the first half and throughout much of the Premier League campaign.
However, the post-match narrative was largely dominated by the reaction to Trent Alexander-Arnold’s entrance as a second-half substitute for the Reds.
Manchester United goalkeeping legend Peter Schmeichel, however, was eager to discuss Arsenal and manager Arteta. Schmeichel, who won five English top-flight titles during his tenure at Old Trafford, didn’t hold back his thoughts on Arteta.
Having being recently eliminated from the Champions League, Arsenal seems destined to finish second in the Premier League for the third consecutive season, extending their silverware drought to five years.
Schmeichel, serving as a pundit for Viaplay, was critical of Arteta, who led Arsenal to FA Cup victory in 2020 in a final held behind closed doors at Wembley due to the coronavirus pandemic, but has since failed to win any trophies.
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Schmeichel critiqued Arteta’s approach, saying: “He was employed as head coach. He inherited a team, and that team is the only team that he’s won a trophy with. Then it’s his own team now.
“And in the process, he has now changed his job description, he’s now the manager. So everything is on him. It’s not recruitment, it’s not the board.” Then defending his perspective against analyst Jan-Aage Fjortoft, Schmeichel didn’t hold back: ‘No, no, no.
“Watch him in the technical area. Arteta is a control freak. He wants his players to play how he wants. He’s directing everything.
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“He’s always instructing, whether it’s in training or during the team talk. Arteta is still playing the game for the players and that would confuse the hell out of me as a football player.
Meanwhile, Liverpool’s head coach Slot has led his side to another league triumph, showing calmness and clarity in contrast to Arteta’s micromanagement tactics.
The Reds are set to finish off an impressive season with a game at Brighton and Hove Albion on Monday, May 19, before hosting Crystal Palace on Sunday, May 25, where they’ll celebrate lifting the league trophy.
