Roy Keane is right about Liverpool and Arsenal but Jamie Carragher knows what comes next

When Hugo Ekitike fired Liverpool in front against Bournemouth, netting the first goal of the new Premier League season, it felt like Arne Slot's side would go on to win the game relatively comfortably.

Andoni Iraola's side had done well to that point, but there was a sense of inevitability that once Liverpool had opened the scoring, it would find a way of doing so again. In the end, the Reds finished on four goals — three of which were needed to secure the points.

If Liverpool is currently one end of the spectrum when it comes to attacking, free-flowing play with a limited regard for defensive responsibilities, then Arsenal is the other. Mikel Arteta might have spent big on a number nine, but his first principles remain the same.

It has been some time since Manchester United vs Arsenal was a genuinely exciting fixture, but coming on the opening weekend of the new campaign, it was a particularly dry affair.

Defender Riccardo Calafiori netted the only goal of the game from a set-piece and while Manchester United managed 22 shots in the 90 minutes, there was only one Opta-defined "big chance" in the match — that fell to Arsenal.

For all that Arsenal has tried to address its limitations in attack this summer, it feels like there is still work to be done. The Gunners' players will have to get used to playing with Gyokeres as the focal point, Daniel Sturridge said afterwards, putting it kindly. Roy Keane was typically rather more withering.

"You never felt Manchester United had two or three goals in them. And even Arsenal, getting the one goal, that's a worry," he said.

"You wonder why Arsenal keep coming up short. They're still happy enough to sit in at 1-0. Is that why they drew so many games last year?" Keane added in his usual no-nonsense style.

"Compare them to a Man City or a Liverpool, they're always thinking 'Let's go and get the second'. Even on a bad day with Liverpool, you think they will score two or three goals. That's the challenge for Arsenal.

"For the first day of the season, their sharpness will improve. Saka, Odegaard, Rice — I think there is a lot more to come from them. But you take the win on the first game of the season, and obviously a clean sheet."

Having gone big to sign Gyokeres — the so-called final piece of the jigsaw at the Emirates Stadium — the pressure is on Arteta to deliver. But his team's performance at Old Trafford was far from convincing.

Last season, Arsenal conceded seven fewer goals than Liverpool across the 38-game campaign. But Slot's men found the back of the net 17 times more often, which ultimately made the difference in the title race.

Arsenal is a primarily defensive-oriented team and chose to hold what it had against Manchester United; Liverpool did the complete opposite at home to Bournemouth. The right approach lies somewhere in between, but it is easier to tighten up a leaky defense than it is to inject more goals into an attack.

Manchester City, meanwhile, got off to a flyer by beating Wolves by four goals to nil. Pep Guardiola's side has Erling Haaland, of course, but it started with Omar Marmoush on the bench and Phil Foden not even in the matchday squad.

Tijjani Reijnders was excellent on his debut and while Rodri is currently sidelined, Manchester City looks to have lots of depth. Wolves might not be the best barometer of where a team is at after a difficult summer, but Guardiola's men impressed.

Elsewhere, Chelsea was only able to take a point at home to Crystal Palace, proving it is far from perfect. It is also the likeliest team to be negatively impacted by playing all the way through the summer after it won the Club World Cup.

For all that no squad in the Premier League is perfect, then — and things could still change in the transfer market before the September 1 deadline — there has been no evidence in the first round of games that Liverpool shouldn't be confident.

As Keane said, the Reds are likely to score goals. The big question is whether Slot can find the right balance at the other end, with Jamie Carragher having been vocal about the weakness shown on counter-attacks.

When he challenged Slot on how easy it was for Bournemouth to slice through his midfield on Friday, the Liverpool head coach insisted that his team would continue to play the same way. The hope, then, must be that better decisions are made — and that the return of Ryan Gravenberch from suspension can make a substantial difference.

You would back Liverpool to be able to improve, though, and regain control, having done so last season, and Manchester City, it seems, has successfully bought the right players to get back into its groove. Over to you, Arsenal, to show that you have enough attacking intent — and ultimately goals — to keep pace.