Liverpool vs Arsenal Match Thread

Will try to create a thread. Big game deserves its own thread.

I have seen some depressing stats against Liverpool. The mood feels different. But so is the case almost each year.

What do you expect from this game?

 

Jurgen Klopp predicting our lineup. Annoyingly I think he's spot on..

‘Arsenal will probably change two key positions, probably Pepe will start, which will not make them weaker, and Xhaka probably,’ Klopp said in his press conference on Friday. ‘I can’t see many other changes.

 

It does concern me that Emery changes formation for this match. I was hoping he was gonna calm down with the constant tinkering.

Also Liverpool have named arguably their strongest possible side. Makes me wish for the day we can have our best 11 out on the pitch. Seems to rarely happen at Arsenal.

 

Well Pepe looks class. Ceballos is not used to this intensity.

We set up VERY counter attacking soo far.

 

Meh.

If we beat spurs next game then 9pts from those first four fixtures is pretty good.

 

.......

Big if.. arsenal looked like they where watching the game, every time pool had the ball we stood off and let them play.. pool Was the complete opposite... The timing of laca addition was a joke.. what was the point 10 mins left....

And luiz proved most pundits right.. no need to grab shirt on the box.. very worried about that signing

 

Well, we were well and truly exposed today. Nowhere to hide. Some improvements but we're well short of being a top side on this evidence. Reality check I think.

 

I did'nt think we looked bat at all.

Thought we looked fairly decent. Bare in mind this was against a full strength Liverpool side. We're short a few players and the team need to gel.

The plan was working up until Liverpool scored. Thought Xhaka was poor - I dont like him in these kind of games. Torreira was better when he came on.

 

Was we watching same game lol....

2 nd half

Apart from the goal (pool Def took gas off pedal) we did not get a look in...

 

Deluded or what!!

 

We defended well in parts. Had we managed to get into half time 0-0 perhaps we'd have made some strategic changes in the 2nd. But you could see we were being bombarded time and again, and it was only a matter of time before we cracked defensively. Contrary to popular belief, I don't think the defence was solely at fault today, it was the midfield, tactically we were being overrun and out wide. If you're going to defend deep, you need midfield cover which we didn't have. As I suspected, Luiz is positionally suspect (leading to the 2nd and 3rd goals). Can't play a high line with this guy, Salah ran past him as if he wasn't there. That's a disturbing sign of what's to come. But we knew what we were buying.

 

Emery needs to go, how much has he spent again? He is the problem not the solution!

 

Disappointing but unfortunately I don't think many were surprised by what happened. When Liverpool moved the ball quickly we couldn't cope, our midfield looked all at sea. I know we lost but it was an improvement on the last few years, we dug in and fought, didnt throw in the towel , I think and hope we are heading in the right direction. I was disappointed Laca didnt start I would have liked us to go toe to toe with liverpool and match their attack and give their defenders a problem and push them back. I like Emery but you have to wonder what Laca has to do to start.

 

Scorewise it was an improvement the last time out at Anfield. 3-1 as opposed to 5.-1.

 

Not at all.

 

The thing that really annoys me yesterday was that. Liverpool fielded their best 11 - and have had their best 11 available for much of last Season. When was the last time any Arsenal fans can remember us fielding our best side?.

At the moment we are missing both first choice fullbacks and Holding who could arguably get in ahead of Luiz. For us this is pretty decent but it's just ridiculous the fact we rarely ever have our best 11 fit and that's been the standrad scenario for tha last 10-15 years at Arsenal.

 

Yeah I was thinking before they scored - gameplan was actually working. The first goal changed the game.

 

For me the 2 missed chances by Aubameyang and Pepe before they scored was were our game plan failed, we set up to counterattack and then fluffed our lines. We score either one and then we have something to defend. We may still have lost 3-1 but we may have not.
Overall the performance was better than last time, but we need to be better next game against the Spuds

 

err you think Adrian is our first choice GK .