Twenty-two minutes into Arsenal’s win over Liverpool, Trent Alexander-Arnold went down with an injury. A wayward foot from Gabriel Martinelli had caught the England international on the ankle, and he spent the next few minutes receiving treatment.
The game stopped for two minutes and 30 seconds. Although Arsenal were 1-0 up, the momentum had swung in Liverpool’s favour, with Jurgen Klopp’s men beginning to dominate possession and territory.
For Mikel Arteta, every break in play is a coaching opportunity. Granted a few minutes with his team, he managed to impart hurried instructions to more than half of Arsenal’s starting XI.
There were a few brief words exchanged with centre-half Gabriel. Then the Arsenal manager called over Granit Xhaka — the team’s vice-captain and one of Arteta’s most trusted lieutenants. The two engaged in dialogue about Xhaka’s positioning.
It was striking that this was a two-way conversation. Arteta was asking Xhaka questions rather than simply giving orders. It appeared to be an open, if frantic, exchange between two men who trust each other implicitly. If Arteta has a tactical tweak he wants to make to his team, Xhaka is frequently his first port of call.
Next up, Arteta got the attention of goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale. He wanted to discuss distribution.
