Morning all.
Feeling lucky? I’m not, not when it comes to this being Klopp’s final trip to The Emirates and all the luck he’s likely to bring with him. Will the officials be fair? I doubt it, will Liverpool be up for the fight? You bet they will. Will this group of Arsenal players be up for putting a massive dent in Klopp’s final Premier League title chasing campaign? I bleedin well hope so! Anything but 100% from every player who walks on to the pitch could cost us the game. It might be that 100% isn’t enough in the end but at least we’ll know they did all they could from start to finish.
Liverpool are hard enough to beat on any day so we cannot afford to make silly errors anywhere on the pitch. It’s highly likely Klopp will target our fullbacks, especially Zinchenko so he really needs to be switched on. We know he roams but he simply cannot afford to leave our left side weakened and/or vulnerable. If he’s caught out of position, it has an impact on the rest of the defence, on how we as a team defend. The bleedin obvious is when chances come, whoever they fall to has to be clinical but these guys don’t shoot high and wide on purpose. They’ll want to be burying their chances as much as we want them too. More probably.
Since our draw at Anfield, Liverpool have beaten Burnley, Newcastle United, Bournemouth and just this week, they thrashed Chelsea 4-1 at Anfield. They’ve also reached the Carabao Cup Final after scraping past Fulham 3-2 over the two legs. Our own form since that day hasn’t been as impressive as too many points were thrown away over the festive period. However, there’s nothing to be done about that now as those games and points are gone. The focus has to be on today and ahead only,
The gap between the top four teams isn’t that much. If by chance we can get the right result today, it’ll be down to just two points between us and Liverpool.
Mikel Arteta:
What we need to do is play the way we played in the last two games against them, and be more efficient in the areas that are going to decide the game. [I’m] very excited, it’s always great to prepare a game against Liverpool; how good they are, they dominate every aspect of the game. We play at home, and what I sense is a real sense of positivity and enthusiasm around the place.
Mikel Arteta and his players should know what to expect from Klopp’s team today. A 4-3-3 lineup with Alexander-Arnold drifting into midfield – space their for whoever starts left of our front three and just like when Zinchenko drifts out of possession, the central defenders can leave gaps as the fill the space the defender leaves. At home, Liverpool boss games but away, they’re happy to be patient, happy to let the home team have more of the ball. But, should we lose possession in their box, Liverpool’s counter attack will cause problems. They are so quick and direct.
This Isn’t a game for our front men to go to ground after the slightest of touches. Jesus, Saka, Martinelli and Odegaard need to show strength and maturity because there’s no guarantee a free kick will be given. I’m not saying it’s right, but officials are wise to the antics of Jesus who can go to ground far too easily and theatrically.
Lastly, if there’s a shot to be taken, for goodness sake take it. Liverpool will that’s for sure because they probably don’t care how goals are scored as long as they’re scored. A perfect goal isn’t worth any more than a scrappy goal. We need to see a bit more urgency in our play too, a bit of pace and directness, as well as width.
One more thing, I hope The Emirates is rocking, I hope it’s hostile and I hope for Klopp, on his final visit to the best club in north London, this turns out to be a day he’ll want to forget…
COYG’S!!!
Good morning Rico, an excellent post I agree with every word. 😉
Good morning to you Cicero, thank you. 😂
Morning Rico and all,
Totally agree Rico, Liverpool have been lucky this season and Klopp saying good bye half way through the season and the way most ref’s hate us I am sure they will help every chance they get,
So how do win, play smart and don’t hold there jumpers or give them a reason to go down in the goal area.
I am going for a 1-1 draw.
Morning Geoff, I think there will be a few goals, hopefully for us of course.
West Ham Women vs Arsenal Women, kick off 12.30 live on BBC 2 from 12.15.
Why are they called West Ham when they are in east London?
Jesus is reported to be out injured today. Another player who has become injury prone…
Ham is, if I recall, an Olde English word for (Saxon in origin) for village. So West Ham is the west village and East Ham is the east village. Any town with the name ham in it has origins as a village, Rotherham, Tottenham, Egham, Balham, Fulham, Dagenham, Rainham.
Don’t ask me why cooked and sliced pork is called ham, but I’m sure there’s a good reason.
Arsenal cannot lose today.
Afternoon Rico and Co.
Goodly post
Havertz up front then…
Anyone watching the Women’s game? Unless somebody can shut the co-commentators up I’ll be switching off. Talk about verbal Diarrhoea!
Arsenal one up, Russo with a far post header.
Maybe ESR will get a second run at starting.
Maybe pace coulds the thing that brings Liverpool unstuck, but lets hope we don’t have too many stray kicks.
Afternoon Kev, could be, or Trossard. Can’t see Eddie starting.
I am Cicero. Viv seems a bit slower these days. She should have two in the bag already.
I don’t think the women commentators are any worse than the men.
Never a penalty.
For who?
West Ham JM, couldn’t tell whether the foul was inside the box, the ref took a guess. We should have had a penalty too…maybe.
Final score West Ham 2 – 1 Arsenal.
West Ham won?
Afraid so JM. 😕
Rotten result. Should have been 3-0 up before a foul which wasn’t a foul was given as a penalty. Definitely pen not awarded for us, I counted at least two hand balls. I guess the officials don’t like Arsenal women, just as they don’t like the men.
Bad omen
Arsenal team to play Liverpool:
Raya, White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko, Rice, Jorginho, Odegaard, Saka, Martinelli, Havertz.
Subs: Ramsdale, Cedric, Walters, Kiwior, Elneny, Smith Rowe, Nelson, Trossard, Nketiah.
Elneny and Soares on the bench.. 😳
Afternoon Rico/all
Already a day for dodgy ref decisions,just seen a blatant foul ignored in the Man United game,West Ham too,West Ham had a corner,the defender had both arms around the West Ham players neck,holding him back. Of course the commentators didn’t mention it.
I agree today is pretty much must not lose.
I like the headline of this post – big game, big performance needed.
COYG
Until Tomiyasu gets home Cedric is the only right back to cover Ben White. Arteta has got to start trusting some of the youngsters.
Marquinos is set to return to Brazil on loan, either with Fluminese or Corinthians. The South American transfer window is open until March.
Afternoon Limey.
I’d hope Oliver would get this match, but we’re lumbered with a guy who history would suggest doesn’t like Arsenal. Apparently, Liverpool fans aren’t happy about his appointment either so I wonder which club he dislikes most.
Roll on Tomi coming back…
Everyone beats West Ham (men and women) except Arsenal.
We have players “filling” the bench because the squad is short and has no options. Or with the wrong options policy.
I’m not sure if the market in Türkiye is still open.
Apparently Tomiyasu could be available next week.
Saka you little beauty !
We need to release Martinelli quicker, he’s getting the better of them..
Ben White is almost begging to be booked..
And there you have it. A pointless booking which puts White in a precarious situation. Idiot.
Ramsdale would have dived on that
I thought the same..
Kiwior for Zinchenko is an interesting one.
Wow!! Just wow….
Well done Arsenal, brilliant. A blooper at the back but the rest was superb…
Blooper of the day – Alison & VvD… 😂
Jorginho and Rice 💪💪
I don’t care that I’m talking to myself because I’m happy. We beat Klopp and that lot… 😂
Three goals, no clean sheet but only one conceded, three points, just another day at the office. 😉🔔🔔🔔
Fantastic result,deserved too.
At 2-1 I kept thinking they would come back. Would have felt like a defeat because we were so much on top. When our third went in the relief was just magic.
Special mention for Martinelli,he was electric and gave Trent a torrid time.
What a game. I’d like to point out that Havertz caused at least 3 Liverpool defenders to get yellow cards. As Rico mentioned above… that hampers defenders somewhat, and 1 or 2 of them came in the first half. A lot of time for them to need to be “careful”.
Not sure, but Kai might have been the one on both ends of the double yellow.
He affects games the way he uses his physicality even when he doesn’t score.
We won!:-)
Absolutely Limey, Gabriel was fantastic.
I laughed when Neville said we’d lose our dynamic up front when Martinelli and Saka were off. Has he never watched Trossard and Nelson? 😂
Agree re Havertz Nigel, he might be mr marmite right now but opposition sides don’t like playing against him up sure. He’s like Giroud but without the finishing touch.
The way we’ve played against the hardest opponents this season, (City, Pool)… bodes very well for champions league matches.
Let’s hope so. Thought we were really good today in the way we stopped them playing their usual game.
Wow I didn’t see that score line coming or the ref giving a Liverpool player a red , now looking forward to watching the replay, dam time difference means that the match started at 3:30 am in OZ.
Even if Man C wins their next 2 matches we will be only 1 win behind
Any town with the name ham in it has origins as a village, Rotherham, Tottenham, Egham, Balham, Fulham, Dagenham, Rainham.
Not forgetting Potter Heigham.
Shows the paucity of the squad when a few first teamers are out.
A game of extreme highs and depths of despair which one player in particular had a major part . Kai Havertz should have buried the chance before Saka got the first and despite offering nothing particularly positive in play managed to get Konate two yellows which as the second came in the 88th minute it did not make a lot of difference today but might in their next game against Burnley .Havertz is my conundrum personally I don’t see his value , certainly not £ 65 million and the highest earner in the club
Today we lost Jesus before the start and he played up front , he contributed a bit but to me he is little more than a squad player , I would have left Martinelli on and put Trossard on for him .
I don’t understand Arteta’s infatuation with him.
Well that’s one memory that Klopp can carry into his retirement, I hope it keeps him awake at night.
Arguably two of the best players in the Premiership, van Dijk and Allison, got into a tangle trying to deal with the quicksilver Martinelli. Evidence of the panic induced by Arsenal’s attacking pace.
I also thought it strange that Liverpool players were allowed to repeatedly commit, what used to be called professional fouls, without being cautioned. Whilst Arsenal players were booked for trivial things that in many games go unremarked. The exception was Konate who was rightly booked twice for clumsy and dangerous fouls. Klopp should probably have been cautioned for his fake laughter and thumbs up gesture at the sending off.
…or Hevingham, Potter. 😉
I’d rather we hadn’t signed Havertz, especially for the amount of money he cost but I d9 think he’s a tricky player to face. If he buried even half the chances he had, he’d be worth the money but he doesn’t. Then again, nor does Jesus.
Arteta needs to work with white about his time wasting throwing the ball in or from a free kick.
At least Liverpools mess up that led to one of our goals, will cut back the amout of talk about our play that led to their only goal.
There are some good women commentators and there are some that talk complete bollocks, exactly the same as the men, sadly I think that D.E.I. comes before having something worthwhile and informative to say…
It’s why when the football itself ends I assiduously turn off the post-match bullshit because none of them have anything of value to add to what I’ve just seen.
Morning all
New post up.