Meanwhile, Ramsey reached the semi-finals of Euro 2016 with Wales but was deemed fit enough to play last weekend.
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By contrast, the 34-year-old Ibrahimovic on his EPL debut helped his team’s attacking play and then scored a superb goal as United opened its campaign with a 3-1 win at Bournemouth.
Jurgen Klopp feared he had celebrated too soon as he watched Liverpool withstand a late Arsenal fightback to seal a thrilling 4-3 Premier League win at Emirates Stadium.
Arsenal’s defence was shredded by Liverpool’s fluent passing and clinical finishing.
Arsenal responded and hit back through substitute Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and defender Calum Chambers but Liverpool held on to take three points – with Lallana aware that it was not a ideal afternoon in north London for Jurgen Klopp’s side.
“Scoring four goals is wonderful, conceding three is the opposite of emotions”, he said.
“That will happen hopefully one or two times in my life but not so early in the game because it was the wrong sign for all of us, it felt for everyone in this moment like “that is it”.
“Luckily, Coutinho brought us back into the game and that was a good moment for us just before half-time”.
And the former Chelsea goalkeeper, who holds the record for the most clean sheets in Premier League history, said he understood why some Arsenal fans were already turning on the team as they jeered at the full-time whistle. “It was a contrast between the two halves”. Players can get injured, like [Aaron] Ramsey [hamstring] today, or you can give them needed rest and be without many of them.
“It gives us confidence and knowledge that we can score goals and on the other side there’s no alternative than to defend together”, Klopp told his post-match media conference.
However, Wenger highlighted the absentees in defense – Gabriel Paulista, Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny – while agreeing on the need to be ready for the first game of the season.
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“But we are not stupid”, Wenger said. We also did not name a recognised natural centre forward in the entire eighteen man squad for the game, meaning that despite what you think of Giroud, whilst he is not available, we have no out and out strikers able to lead our front line. “You have to sometimes accept that you can not control absolutely everything”.
