“You can’t call that negative football,” says Man United legend
Manchester United icon Rio Ferdinand has pushed back against criticism aimed at Arsenal following their 1-0 loss to Liverpool on Sunday, insisting the Gunners didn’t play “negative football” at Anfield.
After Dominik Szoboszlai sealed the win for Liverpool with a stunning 30-yard free kick in the 83rd minute, some pundits slammed Mikel Arteta’s side for being too cautious — but Ferdinand isn’t buying it.
Arsenal showed early intent
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ferdinand said Arsenal actually came out strong and pressed Liverpool aggressively in the opening stages.
“I’ve seen a lot of people being quite negative about Arsenal,” he said.
“But you can’t tell me the way Arsenal started that game — on the front foot, high press — wasn’t positive. Liverpool couldn’t get out.”
Team selection was the issue, not the tactics
While defending Arsenal’s approach, Ferdinand admitted he would’ve liked to see more creative players in the starting XI.
“The team selection could have been a bit more positive. I get that some of the more creative players were on the bench, but that doesn’t mean the tactics were wrong,” he added.
Title race far from over
The defeat sparked debate over whether Arsenal can truly contend for the Premier League title this season. But Ferdinand emphasized that games between top sides are always tight, and this one was no different.
“Matches like this are decided by fine margins,” he said. “One set-piece, and that was it.”
