Arsene Wenger admits Arsenal were not ready for season opener against Liverpool

ARSENE WENGER admitted Arsenal were not ready to start the season after their opening day shocker against Liverpool.

By Paul Brown                    

OUT-GUNNED: Arsenal's defence was battered by Liverpool

The Gunners went 4-1 down in front of an increasingly angry Emirates and only briefly threatened a comeback.

They also lost Aaron Ramsey to a hamstring injury and Alex Iwobi with a thigh problem ahead of Saturday’s trip to champions Leicester.

Theo Walcott scored first but Philippe Coutinho then hit two with Adam Lallana and Sadio Mane also hitting the target before Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Calum Chambers scored for Arsenal.

Wenger said: “We are not ready physically. You are in a catch 22 situation with the Euros whether you give the players a rest who need it.

“They are not ready to play this sort of game and get injured like Ramsey or you give them a rest and not have them for the start.

“We lacked experience at the back and we were physically short. Liverpool did well and we were for 15 minutes completely shocked.

“It is an impossible situation to get players back from the Euros and prepare. We had many players who stayed very late at the Euros.”

Wenger was forced to play 21-year-olds Chambers and new signing Rob Holding at centre back with Per Mertesacker and Gabriel injured and Laurent Koscielny not yet fit after the Euros.

But he refused to blame the kids, added: “If you look at the goals it’s not necessarily the defence that cost us.

“We are not stupid. We prepare well the players we have.

“But we have been unlucky a well by losing Mertesacker and Gabriel with injuries. We have to be ready next week because we go to Leicester.”

Wenger is under pressure to make signings, with some Arsenal fans already turning on him during the game.

He said: “I am always under pressure! We are working very hard to get one or two players in.

“I don’t know what you call desperate. Any signings need to make sense and be of quality.”

 

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp warned his players not to get carried away with the win – and admitted he went too far by celebrating the fourth goal as if his side had already won.

He raced on to the field to celebrate with goalscorer Mane and said: “I made a big mistakes because I was involved in the celebrations too early in the game. “Then you look at the watch and there is half an hour to go or something. That’s not good.”

Lallana said: “The manager had a few words for us at half-time and we responded brilliantly.

“We got a bit complacent at 4-1. We have to be more disciplined as a unit. But we have great belief.”