Bradley Barcola’s reaction to Liverpool’s loss to Arsenal has put a clear focus on the next stage of Andoni Iraola’s rebuild. The forward said the team need greater control and more composure in matches of this kind, especially when they are drawn into direct play rather than keeping the ball on the ground.

That message comes against a generally positive backdrop. Liverpool have already moved past Atlético Madrid, LASK and Villarreal with different levels of comfort, and they remain on course for a top-eight finish for the third straight season. That would spare them two extra fixtures in the new year.

Results have not been the major issue in Iraola’s opening months. Arne Slot’s successor has suffered only two defeats in all competitions, and Liverpool’s European form has been matched by a Carabao Cup quarterfinal place and fifth position in the Premier League. Even so, the rare home defeat to Arsenal showed that the side are still evolving.

Liverpool had their strongest moments after falling behind, with their work without the ball making life difficult for the champions. They controlled territory for long stretches and recorded 30 touches in Arsenal’s box in the first half, yet they did not manage a shot on target before the interval. Alexis Mac Allister also had a chance to level the game before half-time.

After the break, Mikel Arteta’s adjustments helped Arsenal settle, and Liverpool’s momentum faded. Barcola struggled to make repeated one-on-one progress and at times did not even look to take Jurrïen Timber on.

The numbers back up part of his complaint. Liverpool completed just 11 long passes, with a success rate of 25%, and only 11% of their crosses found a team-mate. Their average possession share ranks seventh in the Premier League, per Opta, while they have also produced 17 through balls, the joint-10th-highest total.

Barcola’s own game is built around running in behind, and he is still waiting for his first Premier League goal. Signed for huge money as Liverpool’s third-most expensive arrival ever, he was not universally viewed as a direct Mohamed Salah replacement because he prefers to play on the left. Salah left Anfield at the end of last season and later joined Trabzonspor on a free transfer, but Barcola said he feels no pressure from that departure: “Regarding Mo Salah, he’s a legend here. A huge one. He’s done big things here, and for that I have an enormous respect for him. But it’s not pressure for me at all.

Mikel Arteta does not view Arsenal’s growing options at centre back as a concern. Instead, he believes the return of William Saliba, alongside Gabriel and Ezri Konsa, gives the squad a chance to manage the season more effectively.

Konsa, who started most of England’s run to a third-place finish at the tournament, was signed in August with the understanding that Saliba would be unavailable for several months. Since then, he has settled into the Arsenal line-up and has been consistently reliable.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday after Arsenal arrived in Czechia for their Champions League meeting with Slavia Prague, Arteta suggested Saliba is now close to being available whenever the manager chooses to call on him.

“He’s in, and he’s in like anybody else,” Arteta explained. “All the preparation has been done to measure all the loads and all the steps that he had to do to minimize that risk. Now he’s in a really good place. He’s built the capacity that we needed and now it’s about giving him minutes.

“A center back normally has to be able to play 90 minutes and that’s why all the preparation that we’ve done to build him.” Saliba himself, Arteta said, is “very desperate” to get back and will have the “right amount of minutes very soon.”

For Saliba to regain his place, one of Gabriel or Konsa would need to step aside. Arteta said that having all three available is a “luxury” Arsenal have not enjoyed earlier in the season.

“I wouldn’t call it a problem,” he said. “We can talk about problems that are very different to that one.”

Arteta has long spoken about the physical strain placed on players across four club competitions, plus international commitments. He believes a deeper pool at centre back can help Arsenal rotate more intelligently and handle the demands of the schedule with greater control.

Arsenal left Anfield with three valuable points, but Piero Hincapié also found room for a pointed dig at Virgil van Dijk on social media after the final whistle.

The defender’s three-word jab appeared to reference a post Van Dijk made in January, following a goalless meeting with Arsenal. That earlier message had drawn attention to the competition emblem, with the Liverpool captain posting while his side were still champions. The post has since been flooded with comments, many apparently from Arsenal supporters, who have continued to remind Van Dijk of it.

Van Dijk’s January caption was aimed at acknowledging the serious injury suffered by Conor Bradley in that match. He wrote: “We are a team, we are friends but most importantly we are a family,” echoing the final line of a hand-written fan letter.

Hincapié’s swipe sat awkwardly alongside a result Arsenal had every reason to celebrate on its own merits. Declan Rice played a decisive role in the winner, setting up Kai Havertz during an explosive opening spell for the visitors. Arsenal then had to absorb sustained pressure, with the hosts dominating much of the remaining 75 minutes.

Rice said the performance reflected the standards building inside the club. “For sure,” Rice agreed when this point was put to him in the postmatch mixed zone. “It’s just drilled into us. What the manager [Mikel Arteta] has built at this club and the togetherness of the lads—you don’t get that performance without the lads being all together.

“The way the manager has everything under control, the way everyone works towards everything he wants is not like anything I’ve ever seen before. So credit to us for what we have been doing for the last few years. Now it’s a massive thing to deliver again this year.”

Rice added: “We had to dig in and give it everything because they throw so many attacks at you,” Rice added. “We had to be resilient and strong. It was a great win.”