Lacazette just stood and watched- a proper poacher would have taken that off Özil

There have been the odd opportunities today that we’ve let ourselves down with fairly basic errors or technique or poor decision making. The sorts of errors the players shouldn’t make VE ause they are good enough in the situations they were in.

He looks to be completely lacking in confidence and is getting progressively worse as the game continues.

Wasn’t Lacazette in an offside position?

While we're obviously a long way short of City there have been some encouraging signs. Looking forward to seeing us improve as time goes by.

From what I’ve read about the style and philosophy Emery has for football, I can look around our squad and see a number of players who don’t fit in or are still not good enough for us. It is going to take a long time to fix the mess we were left in. It would be helpful if the coffers were opened up a bit more so that a newly promoted club aren’t out spending us!

Didn’t think so but I’ll have another look

Čech really has to be dropped. It sort of doesn’t matter how good he is at every other aspect of the game, with the ball at his feet he is going to cost us goals and put us under pressure time and time again

Shame that it’s Chelsea away next. No easier there I suspect.

Amongst the general disappointment of losing the most frustrating part for me has been the lack of care and mistakes in the final 3rd when we have got in good positions. The players have shown they are better than that in those areas.

Can’t see it cos my Dads sky box is knackered and doesn’t like rewind. Anyone else see if he was off or not?

No doubt City deserves the win, but the game has to be put into context. They're an amazing team who had 100 points last year and scored over 100 goals. We're very much a work in progress with only one pre season under a new manager and new system. Thought there were plenty of encouraging signs, as well as things to work on.

In recent years a loss like this would leave you feeling dejected about the state of things, but I'm looking forward to following this team through the season. For me Torreira and Lacazette must start next game. I think we have a chance against Chelsea.

Haven't seen the replay, but I'm pretty sure he was onside. Not sure he knew that though.

That’s why it’s going to be important not to over react. I expect us to lose to Chelsea as well. Because of these first two games we are playing almost a 36 game season.

This season more than any it was important for us to get a group of easy early fixtures to learn the new managers methods. We were always going to get taken apart by city. If we’d had a Watford home and Cardiff away for example we might have been able to have a stuttering performance and still won both games. Building the confidence and being a much better team when we do face city

New season, same old sh*t, expect much of the same for the next 20+ years under the regime from hell.

I’d be interested to know. I had assumed from the lack of reaction that Lacazette was offside. Perhaps he was just stunned by Özil’s lack of control.

I hope Emery gets the videos out and drums stuff in to this team. He second city goal had Özil, guendouzi and Mkhitaryan all jogging back where a sprint back would have put them on the penalty spot exactly where Bernardo pulled to when he finished it.

Emery needs to be dropping players who don’t track back and bust a guy for the team. Wenger would never do it. I hope Emery does

Far too many square pegs in round holes, as there has been for quite a while now.

On the subject of Sky boxes, anyone know if you can still get hold of older models? Don’t want to get the new box for Dad, he’s 93 and shakes. That new Q box goes all over the place when I use it, and he’s used to what he knows.

Agreed. Lichsteiner should have been on from the start. AMN is not devil enough to play at the back, and injury aside, his confidence won’t have been helped.

Have you tried ebay? Most stuff is available somewhere on there.

certainly away to the top teams I’d be tempted to play this team
Leno, Lichtsteiner, mustafi, Sokratis, Monreal, Torreira, amn, ramsey, Welbeck, Aubameyang, Lacazette.

I’ll have a go but wary of eBay. Thanks for the suggestion

A mixed performance really, some positives and some negatives.

I don't think you can play the two pussies that are Özil and Mika in the same team against top sides. Too lightweight.

Guendouzi had a mixed game, made some mistakes but looked classy at times. Not bad for a 19 year old kid though.

Xhaka is shite, too slow and too many sloppy moments and careless fouls. Always a yellow card waiting to happen. I'd play Torriera and Guendouzi.

Bellerin's end product is just so poor.

Lichsteiner at least looked like a fullback in terms of his positional play.

Lacazette came on a made a good case for a starting position.

The sad conclusion is that we are miles away from challenging, if indeed we ever do. Too many lost opportunities transfer-window wise have left us playing catch-up big time and £50m transfer budgets is not going to close the gap anytime soon.

I'd agree with this. Stan is all about the money, the empire and the accumulation. Josh already has the money and will inherit the empire, so is probably more in the mindset of considering what he wants from life beyond such things. Also, as you say, his greater involvement in the KSE teams in the US has seen an upturn in their fortunes.

What a monumentally stupid post.

Any centrebacks or wingers for sale?

Positives
Lichtsteiner. He lost bernardo’s movement but his attitude, leadership, fight and steady play is exactly what we need this season
Lacazette looked lovely and sharp when he came on - must start the next game
Guendouzi - all too early for him but didn’t hide and looks like he embodies what Emery wants from his CM

Negatives
Özil and Mkhi, poor touches going forward, no effect at all defensively. So many other flair players work their butts off when they lose the ball, firminho, de bruyn etc we’re not asking them to be master tacklers sometimes it’s just getting another body back and slowing down their attacks - pires did this but rarely tackled
Cech- Leno needs to start, Čech made some good saves, maybe ones I’d expect him to make but he’s a disaster with the ball at his feet - peaking at nearly passing a ball straight in to his own net
Xhaka - pretty anonymous when we needed a steadying influence in the middle of the park.

I've been slating the purchase of Sokratis but he did Ok today.

West Ham seemed to try to pick the team most vulnerable to Liverpool's strengths. No legs in central midfield, a positionally poor set of full backs, a high line and no legs in central midfield. Jack barely touched the ball....

Not the way I saw it at all. Great effort from Özil to intercept & all lava had to do was give a subtle touch for Özil to get it free from the keeper & Lacazette just stood there.

As for those calling for Wellbeck- what a joke. Mr injury was not good enough last year & never will be. Today the lack of effort from Ramsay, mh, Aubameyang and Özil was really poor and sloppy. Lakas miss just after he came on was just one of those things as it was too soon but overall when we had the ball attacking we often were too lax with it. We have a long way to go and the Chelsea game will be important because We really need to see them all play better.

Thought both him and Mustafi looked really good. They were a worry going into the game, but can't fault them today.

Don't think Xhaka were as bad as some are saying. He had two big defensive lapses in the first half, but none of them were as bad as when Guendouzi let Sterling have a free shot at goal, and then gave Aguero a free run at Čech. Think we need one of Torreira or Elneny to start next game for better balance in midfield.

Yeah. Nothing too nasty thankfully, but another game where the uber-rich get the little decisions...from a ref I rate on the whole, but he booked Xhaka for a very similar offence to 2 city ones he let go in the preceding 5 mins.

Also, as a more general point, no VAR after the world cup seems even more bloody backwards. (might have got a pen for a clear take down in their box late on, if it was in place...might!)

Unfortunately Bellerin was with him, but as Guendouzi came across to try to help, he actually got in Hectors way and gave Sterling space. Annoying that Sterling hit a cleaner strike on day one against us than in the entire world cup for england!

Nearly as stupid as backing Wenger for years past his best?.

If it makes you feel better about having the exact same boring whinge at every opportunity, sure.

Xhaka is just too pedestrian, Haz, always has been and seemingly always will be. The positives in his game, and there are many, just do not offset the obvious weaknesses in terms of pace and athleticism.

Guendouzi made a couple of howlers and is far from the finished article but probably showed more balls today than most of the Arsenal players.

He may have been worried about being offside?

Well, I disagree with that. A couple of mistakes aside he had a good game. Some very crisp passing to start our attacks, and on several occasions kept the ball in the attacking half when City tried to counter.

Guendouzi has all the talent in the world, but I think we need to protect him better and not throw him into the deep end like this.

Encouraging signs of the high press too. Not sure Özil and Mika are two of the guys to implement it though.