Graeme Souness feels that Arsenal have been exposed as ‘naive’ following a ‘reality check’ defeat to on Sunday.
The Gunners had beaten , , Bournemouth, Fulham and and some had tipped them as Premier League title contenders, but they tasted defeat in the first true test of their credentials with a 3-1 loss at Old Trafford.
Mikel Arteta’s side, who have not finished in the Premier League top four for six seasons in a row, have a huge month coming up in October when they face Tottenham, Liverpool and Manchester City.
When asked if United’s 3-1 victory was a reality check for Arsenal, Souness told : ‘Yes. I think it will be more of the same, though.
‘They will think they played very well, and in parts of the game they did.
‘But when you’re dominating as they were at the start of the second half, if I’m playing in that game, I’m looking at what they’ve got up front with Marcus Rashford with his pace, clever passers of the ball with Bruno Fernandes and Christian Eriksen.
‘I’m thinking ‘We’re attacking, we’ve having lots of the ball, but we’re right up on the halfway line with our back four. We need a midfield player who senses some danger’.
‘On a couple occasions they did not, and it cost them dearly. When you’re dominating the ball and you are a midfielder, you have to start thinking of the worst and thinking about danger. There was a naivety about them.
‘With the ball, I thought they were fabulous. But they’ve come away with nothing.’
Despite suffering their first defeat of the season, Arsenal remain top of the Premier League table after six games.
The Gunners turn their attentions to the Europa League in midweek with their opening group game against FC Zurich on Thursday before they return to top-flight action on Sunday when they host Frank Lampard’s Everton at the Emirates.
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