LONDON -- It's tempting to compare another injury-weakened, quality-deficient, error-strewn and fairly spineless opening to the season for Arsenal to "Groundhog Day." The problem is that in the film, Phil Connors, the character played by Bill Murray, actually learned from the reoccurring history. It doesn't appear that Arsenal and Arsene Wenger have.
The Gunners have won just once on the opening day in the past seven seasons. That was a 2-1 victory over Crystal Palace in 2014. In other years, they have been tripped up by West Ham, Aston Villa and Sunderland. Two of the teams they failed to beat on those opening days went on to struggle against relegation.
Liverpool won't be toiling toward the ugly end of the table this season, but there was still a grim familiarity to Arsenal's 4-3 defeat (a scoreline that flattered the hosts) on Sunday. It was a performance that was less a football match and more a checklist for Arsenal's repeated failings over the years. Periods of dominance that weren't capitalised on, glaring missed chances, defensive frailties and a general sense of spinelessness were all there, with a couple of injuries thrown in as an added flourish, like throw cushions on a powerfully depressing couch.
It was interesting that after the game, Jurgen Klopp, despite being the winning manager, swiftly admitted a mistake, confessing that his celebrations for Liverpool's fourth goal (he gave scorer Sadio Mane a piggyback ride on the touchline) were excessive because it gave the impression he thought the game was over. The evidence that Wenger is not so keen to do the same was on his team sheet.
A year ago, Rob Holding made his full debut for Bolton, against Burton Albion in the League Cup. Thirty appearances and a relegation later and he was thrown in at the deep end after signing for Arsenal, theoretically as one for the future, against a Liverpool attacking quartet that cost near enough £100 million. It's fine and perfectly reasonable to make signings for years to come, just as long as they're not used in the present, before they're ready. Holding didn't disgrace himself against Liverpool, but he was still clearly a man -- a boy, really -- in over his head.