While it was by no means a thrilling performance, Arsenal will be pleased with their 1-1 draw at Anfield on Sunday, particularly as they were minutes away from defeat. So what conclusions can we draw from the game about Arsenal at this early stage in the season?

1. A new keeper has to be brought in

I mentioned this in a previous article, and at the risk of sounding like a broken record it has to be reiterated that Arsene Wenger must bring in a goalkeeper this summer if Arsenal want to mount a strong challenge for the Premier League title. Sunday’s game merely served to confirm Arsenal fan’s already well founded fears that Manuel Almunia is not good enough. He flapped badly at a number of crosses and failed to stamp his authority in the area. Although David Ngog’s goal was well struck, a better goalkeeper would have fancied his chances of saving the Frenchman’s shot. There is still time for Wenger to act this transfer window, and he must do so quickly if Arsenal are to be serious contenders this season.

2. Koscielny looks impressive

Laurent Koscielny made his Premier League bow in one of the toughest arenas in England, yet he already looked totally comfortable at this level. Admittedly he did not have a top class striker playing against him, but he looked calm, composed and solid on his debut. Fernando Torres appeared to have the beating of him on a couple of occassions but he showed his pace and quickly got back to snuff out the danger. His game was soured by a sending off, but the decision seemed very harsh indeed and it does not yet present a cause for concern. Although it is very early in the season, Koscielny is already looking like a shrewd acquisition by Arsene Wenger.

3. Rosicky can be an asset this season

If he manages to remain fit, Tomas Rosicky could have a big part to play for Arsenal this season. The Czech midfielder showed some excellent touches when he came on against Liverpool. He delivered a dangerous cross which Vermaelen headed wide, and was unlucky not to score after a superb jinking run into the box was followed by a shot that was excellently saved by Pepe Reina. To date Rosicky has been dogged by injuries during his Arsenal career but if he can stay fit for the majority of the season he could be an effective player for the club.

4. The defence still looked a bit shaky

For the most part the Arsenal backline looked solid. The defenders were not caught high up the pitch as they have been on previous occassions, and Koscielny and Vermaelen looked to form a good partnership in central defence. Gael Clichy looked suspect on a couple of occassions but he also cleared a Ngog header off the line. What was negative was the manner in which the goal was given away, a breakdown in communication and a poor pass gave away possession, and Liverpool quickly made them pay. Arsenal have been guilty of making these kind of mistakes in recent years and they will need to try and eradicate them from their game to avoid conceding cheap goals.

5. Fabregas was missed

The Arsenal midfield dominated Liverpool’s in the first half and towards the end of the second half, with acres of space often being found by the Gunners’ midfielders. There was a lack of clear cut chances created however and Marouane Chamakh did not have an awful lot to feed on. Arsenal missed Fabregas’ ability to play a killer pass and had he played the result might well have been different. Keeping Cesc Fabregas has been a huge shot in the arm for Arsenal and he will undoubtedly have a big role to play this season.

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