Andoni Iraola Under Pressure as Liverpool’s Arsenal Defeat Raises Selection Questions

Liverpool are already staring at a problem. A 1-0 home defeat to Arsenal has left Andoni Iraola’s side nine points off the Premier League pace and, more to the point, it has sharpened scrutiny around a coach who only arrived with a strong reputation and a clear brief.

The numbers are awkward. One home league win from four matches is not good enough for a club with Liverpool’s expectations. Losing at Anfield to both Manchester City and Arsenal in the same spell makes it worse. There is no need to dress it up. Results shape the mood, and right now the mood around Iraola is turning.

The debate after this one centred on Liverpool tactics, specifically a substitution that appeared to tilt the match back in Arsenal’s favour. With Liverpool controlling large parts of midfield, Iraola removed Trey Nyoni and sent on Dominik Szoboszlai. It was a call that raised eyebrows immediately and it has continued to do so since.

Liverpool tactics come under the spotlight

The criticism is straightforward. Nyoni and Alexis Mac Allister had given Liverpool authority in the middle of the pitch, and Arsenal were struggling to break that grip. By changing the structure there, Iraola may have solved the wrong problem.

One former Liverpool defender summed it up clearly: “After 60 minutes, aside from a little spell in the first-half just before and just after Arsenal’s goal, Liverpool were dominant in the game. And the midfield, Mac Allister and Nyoni, in my opinion, had locked the midfield up, and Arsenal were under pressure. And then it was the same at the start of the second-half. Then he made the substitution and you take Nyoni off and brought Szoboszlai on, I’m asking myself, ‘why is he not taking Wirtz off and leaving Mac Allister and Nyoni to dominate the way they had been?’”

That is the crux of it. The issue was not introducing Szoboszlai. The issue was who made way. If Florian Wirtz had been withdrawn instead, Liverpool could have kept midfield control while adding more threat in advanced areas. That argument has logic behind it.

The same pundit pushed it further: “Absolutely from that point on this game changed and Arsenal actually got a foothold back in the game up until the last 10 minutes when Liverpool were getting balls forward early. I think the manager made a real error. He should’ve taken Wirtz off and put Szoboszlai further up the field and then we might’ve got a shot at goal.

“Szoboszlai’s as good as anyone in the Premier League from 25 yards out, striking at goal. So, why don’t you get him up front, take Wirtz off who had done virtually nothing other than hit a crossbar from a free-kick, and then you might’ve had some strikes at goal. But what would’ve happened would be that you still would’ve dominated the middle of the park. Instead, he left Wirtz on, Szoboszlai comes on, they lose control in the middle of the park and it wasn’t that good from then on.”

That is blunt, but fair. Liverpool had command, then gave some of it away. Against a side as controlled as Arsenal, that matters.

Arsenal defeat also revived selection debate

The criticism did not stop with the substitution. Another former striker pointed to the starting line-up and argued Liverpool missed a trick from the first whistle. His view was that Rio Ngumoha should have started ahead of Cody Gakpo, purely because of the unpredictability he brings.

His verdict was clear: “I’d have started with Rio [Ngumoha] instead of Gakpo, because of what he does to the crowd, he can create something.

“I just thought it was quite comfortable in the end in trying to keep them out, they were just knocking the ball in and they [Arsenal] love that.

“I think they needed a bit more guile with somebody like a Rio. There were opportunities where Barcola was ready to go and they didn’t put him in there.”

Again, there is a reasonable case there. Liverpool had territory and moments, but not enough invention. Too much became predictable, which is exactly what Arsenal wanted. When a defence is happy to deal with what you are serving up, you have a problem.

Andoni Iraola still has room, but not much

For all that, this was still a better Liverpool display than the 3-0 defeat to Manchester City earlier in the season. That point matters. One outspoken observer put it simply: “I’m frustrated, but Liverpool, no question, are miles ahead of where they were three weeks ago.”

That is probably correct. The structure looked better, the midfield was more competitive and there were phases where Liverpool imposed themselves. But progress without points has limits. At Anfield, especially, the line between patience and irritation is very thin.

Iraola has not faced much serious criticism up to now, largely because there has been an acceptance that change takes time. That grace period never lasts long at a club like this. Home form is slipping into view as a real issue, Liverpool tactics are being questioned in detail, and every selection call will now be examined far more closely.

This is what the job is. No sentiment, no excuses. If Liverpool are to drag themselves back into the Premier League race, Iraola needs better results and sharper in-game decisions, starting now.

Match coverage and reaction followed the 1-0 defeat at Anfield, with the key post-match talking points focused on Liverpool’s midfield balance and substitutions.