Jamie Carragher believes Arsenal are on the right path under Mikel Arteta, despite the Gunners' 3-1 defeat to Liverpool.
Arsenal came into the game at Anfield having won their first two matches of the season, but were given a stark reminder of the work they have to do to break into the top four as Liverpool ran out comfortable winners.
The Gunners had briefly given themselves hope of getting an unlikely result after Alexandre Lacazette capitalised on a Robertson mistake to scuff past Alisson for the opening goal.
But the Reds responded through Sadio Mane and Andy Robertson, with new signing Diogo Jota coming off the bench to seal an impressive victory for Jurgen Klopp's side.
Speaking after the game, Arsenal boss Arteta admitted that Liverpool's quality ensured the match was a step too far for his side.
“We are on a different journey to them,” he said. “They have been together for five years.
“They weren’t able to do what they have done tonight two or three years ago, that’s for sure.
“They have done a lot of good work. They have a lot of belief in the way they play, they have had great recruitment and have improved the players that they have.
“This is what we have to try to do. They have set the bar, probably the best standard that we have seen in many years. We still have a long way to go.”
Former Liverpool defender Carragher agreed with Arteta's assessment of Liverpool and admitted the Gunners were still a work in progress, but backed the north London side to continue improving under Arteta.
“Listen, it was difficult for them tonight," Carragher said on Monday Night Football.
"They stayed in the game, which I think was important and they had a big chance, and it could’ve been completely different. But he’s [Arteta] spot on, Liverpool are a few years down the line.
"I think it’s almost an identical job to what Klopp came into, whereas Klopp came into a Liverpool job where - forget challenging for the league - they weren’t even qualifying for the Champions League.
"That’s what Arsenal haven’t done in the last couple of years before Arteta came. The first thing for Arsenal is to get back in the Champions League, and that was the big thing Klopp did in his first season. Can Arsenal do that? I think there’s a good chance that Arsenal can. I didn’t believe it at the start of the season, but I actually like a lot of what Mikel Arteta is doing.
"I don’t think it’s possible for him as a manager to get anything more out of the group of players they’ve got. I don’t think that’s a top four group, but I think the way he’s actually organising them, what he’s doing when I watch Arsenal, I think they can get into the top four because of his management, but going back to where Arsenal were when he came in, and do I think that Arsenal can win a title in four or five years?
"It’s still very difficult, that, and it probably just shows again how big of a job Jurgen Klopp has done in that time and how difficult it was.
"I think they’ve got a really good manager and whether they do any more business before the window, who knows?”
