Underprepared Arsenal Pay the Price for Poor Transfer Window Against Liverpool

The season has begun—and Arsenal are not ready. That much became clear across a painful 90 minutes as the Gunners succumbed to a 4-3 defeat to Liverpool. 

It could have been even worse: At one stage, Jurgen Klopp’s men led 4-1. Goals from Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Calum Chambers reduced the deficit, but they could not save the mood at the Emirates Stadium. Arsenal's season is off to a very disappointing start.

Any excitement about the start of the new campaign evaporated as Arsenal’s weakness was exposed by a Liverpool side brimming with confidence. The Gunners supporters must have looked on at the opposition with envy—energised by a raft of new signings and a manager bringing a fresh approach. 

Tim Ireland/Associated Press

An awkward start is becoming a horribly familiar theme for Arsenal. Arsene Wenger’s men have won on the opening day just once in the last seven years. They now face an uphill struggle to build some momentum, and all because they didn't get enough business done this summer.

It’s strange that a manager who insists that he would prefer the transfer window to close before the big kick-off does not ensure he secures his targets in time for the first fixture. Speaking in August 2015, Wenger told the Mirror's Tom Hopkinson: “Does it bother me the window is still open? Yes, because it creates uncertainties. At the start of the season everybody should be committed, not half in, half out.” 

Wenger is right. However, he has allowed those uncertainties to persist at Arsenal. Former Gunners great Thierry Henry soundsed exasperated at the lack of transfer activity when he told SkySports (h/t ESPN):

"

The thing I don't understand is: we've been told that Arsenal are wealthy, that we have money, that we can compete against anyone in the market, but when the season starts, we can't compete in the market. So which one is it? I just don't understand. 

Are Arsenal still the first choice in England? If a big player becomes available on the market, first of all, can you compete? Can you put the money on the table? Next, is the money stupid? We all know the money is stupid but you have to pay.

And finally does the player want to come to Arsenal? That's something we all need to take into consideration. So are we still the first choice in England? I don't think so. In general I think Arsenal need a centre-back and a striker. 

"

Henry is not alone in that view. In fact, it’s clear to anyone watching that Arsenal are badly lacking reinforcements at both extremes of the pitch.

Tim Ireland/Associated Press

The centre-back situation is bordering on absurd. Arsenal arguably needed a new centre-half from the moment the last campaign ended. The situation was exacerbated by injuries to Per Mertesacker and Gabriel Paulista, and yet, Wenger still chose to begin the campaign with youngsters Rob Holding and Calum Chambers as his only available central defenders.

Why was more not done to ensure Arsenal had experienced cover for this game? Arsenal may yet sign a new defender before the window closes, but no belated acquisition can get back the three points they lost against Liverpool. 

Michael Regan/Getty Images

Chambers and Holding didn’t disgrace themselves against Liverpool, but they should never have been in this position.

Wenger attempted to afford the callow youths some protection by fielding both Mohamed Elneny and Francis Coquelin in front of them, but Liverpool’s midfield runners seemed to bypass that pair with distressing ease.

Chambers and Holding were also let down by Hector Bellerin and Nacho Monreal—the latter was surprisingly poor given that he was one of Arsenal’s most consistent players in 2016/17.

Henry has also touched on Arsenal’s need for a striker. It’s incredible to think that they are still searching for a prolific goalscorer to replace Robin van Persie, who they lost back in 2012. Earlier this summer, the Gunners triggered Jamie Vardy’s release clause. Although that deal did not ultimately go through, there surely should have been a back-up plan in place.

Mike Hewitt/Getty Images

Against Liverpool, it was Alexis Sanchez who played at centre-forward. While he has many of the requisite technical attributes to develop in the role, he looked awkward and uncomfortable there. If Wenger planned to turn Alexis into a striker permanently, then he should surely have invested more time in playing him there prior to this point.

There’s also the issue of physical fitness. Arsenal looked much less sharp than Liverpool, and Wenger told arsenal.com that their fitness problems played a key part in their demise: 

"

Physically we are not capable of maintaining the level, because not all the players have the same level of preparation. Maybe we lacked a bit of experience but if you look well at the goals, I don’t think it was necessarily the inexperienced players that cost us the goals today. 

We prepared well the players we have in but I think you have to consider we have been a bit unlucky as well. We have lost Mertesacker and Gabriel in preparation, and Koscielny is not fit. You have to sometimes accept that you cannot control absolutely everything, even if you try to be as intelligent as possible. 

"

If Arsenal prepared well, then why were they second to so many balls against Liverpool? Concerns over the physical condition of the players were confirmed as well-founded when both Aaron Ramsey and Alex Iwobi pulled up with muscular injuries. A squad that already looked weak has become even weaker. 

Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images

All in all, Arsenal looked undercooked. They don’t yet have the right personnel, and the players they do have don’t look fit enough.

There are strategic issues, too—Granit Xhaka has presumably been bought to be a key component of the first team, yet Wenger did not play him in the opening game. He still has to be bedded in and a midfield constructed that will help make the most of his talents.

Arsenal treated this match like a pre-season game and paid the price with a crushing defeat. Unfortunately for Wenger, this match counts, and come the end of the season, the Gunners could be longing for those three lost points.

The schedule doesn’t get much easier. Arsenal’s next game sees them travel to champions Leicester, who will be looking to bounce back after their own opening-day defeat to Hull. Wenger has a week to ready his troops on the training ground and in the transfer market—or Arsenal’s start could get even worse.

  

James McNicholas is Bleacher Report's lead Arsenal correspondent and will be following the club from a London base throughout 2016/17. Follow him on Twitter here.