Morning all.
Other than missing too many golden opportunities to score and the mass confusion at the back which gifted Liverpool an equaliser, I thought Arsenal were superb.
The football pundits, writers, you name it – they will all try and tell us that Liverpool were poor but even if they were, that was because they couldn’t cope with the way we played. We started fast, ended fast and didn’t give in or up at any stage in between. Every ball was chased down, every needed challenge was made and even after gifting them a goal, no one stopped believing. Gabriel roared ‘f*****g h**l’ after his touch helped the ball over the line but after the break, we went again. Liverpool had a few better moments early in the second half but nothing came of it. Arsenal were too good.
The Emirates faithful were brilliant. North London Forever was loud, very loud and if the fans dared to go quiet, one or more of the players asked for support – they got it. Up went the noise level time and time again.
When the Arsenal team was announced, I’m sure groans could be heard somewhere. Jorginho, against Liverpool? Why? 97 minutes later, the answer was clear. He’d been brilliant. His experience and calmness shone from start to finish. Alongside him, Declan Rice was also brilliant. Jakub Kiwior on for Oleksandr Zinchenko? No problem. Reiss Nelson replacing Bukayo Saka? No drama and Leandro Trossard replacing the brilliant Gabriel Martinelli? Perfect result. The changes Mikel Arteta made worked really well.
Our first chance came after David Raya found Gabriel Martinelli with a quick throw – Konate tried to stop him, but failed. The Brazilian whipped in a cross but Bukayo Saka couldn’t get a good connection with his header. Wide it went. However, a minute later, Saka was in the action again only this time, he buried his chance. Martin Odegaard had played a lovely ball through to Havertz but when it came to his shot, he hit it straight at Alisson – The Liverpool keeper couldn’t stop the ball falling at the feet of Saka though.
Just before half time, Liverpool equalised but the less said about that the better. My take on it was Saliba was trying to shield the ball so Raya could smothered it. He didn’t, and the rest as they say is history.
As said, after the break, Liverpool were brighter but even so, they barely tested Raya. Then came the best of cockups. Van Dijk and Martinelli went after a long ball played by Gabriel – Alisson got in on the action too but both he and van Dijk missed the ball which then landed nicely for Martinelli to tuck home into an empty net. Hilarious! Both Martinelli and Kiwior spurned golden opportunities to extend our lead but it was Leandro Trossard who made sure Liverpool were not only down, but out of this game.
Konate had not long received his second booking of the game for clattering into Havertz when Trossard dropped deep, picked up a loose ball and then ran with it. And ran – there was no stopping him. His shot was hard, it took a slight deflection and Alisson was beaten through his legs. Brilliant.
Mikel Arteta ended his post match press conference by talking about his celebrations on the touchline following Leandro Trossard’s late goal that sealed the win, at the start of seven minutes’ injury-time.
You can see that I can still sprint! I realise I was going to get booked so I started to turn around immediately because I want to be next to the team. It was an incredible game, one that I will remember especially for the way it happened and for the emotions that we felt during the game. I’m going to have a beautiful dinner tonight.
I strongly suspect that Mikel Arteta wasn’t the only one going bonkers as the third goal went in. I know I was. This win was massive, what’s known as a six pointer and it was Arsenal with the points in the bag.
Now we move on to West Ham. We owe them a spanking…
Catch up in the comments.
Excellent analysis by Danny Murphy on MOTD last night. He explained exactly how Arsenal made Liverpool look as poor as they did.
Brilliant atmosphere in the stadium. The place was rocking!
I think Arsenal showed exactly what they did to Liverpool. It’s easy for Murphy to suggest a fit Nunez would have made a difference and Salah but then so would Jesus, Timber and Partey I’m sure.
The media are in mourning today , instead of celebrating that the league title is open and dare I say “Up for grabs ” again they are bemoaning anything that they can .
The old over celebrating chestnut is on display again , the latest is Odegaard taking a photo of the celebrating crowd with spit ( Carragher ) losing his dummy again . It shows how much he was hurting.
As for Neville , he is still embarrassed by his treatment of Reyes and can’t find the guts to admit that he and his brother overstepped the mark and that his manager had Riley in his pocket .
Geoff you mentioned White’s apparent time wasting on his throws . If our set piece coach is concentrating on corners maybe he needs to spend some time on movement on throws . On the left Martinelli is rarely still or for that matter Gabriel and Odegaard but on the right Saka comes short and stands marked by his usual two players and Saliba doesn’t engage much going forward often he ( White ) is looking for someone to make a move and as there is no centre forward coming across the area into space he is often stuck for where to throw it. Sometimes down the line is a better bet but there has to be someone to receive it.
Anyway I am still buzzing and they won’t stop me from being happy today. No doubt it will last until we get to West Ham away when the nerves will kick in again.
Goodly Morning Rico and Co, great post once again, in the immortal words of Brian Moore ‘It’s up for grabs now’
Great performance from the team yesterday. Made Liverpool look very average, which is no mean feat.
Our midfield completely dominant. Rice (again) and Jorgino were outstanding.
We’ll celebrate when we want!
To a man (and woman) the pundits in the media wrote off Arsenal, yesterday was the day that the Premier League became a two-horse race, that the Premier League turned into a farewell gig for Klopp, but Arteta spoiled their party.
They were sharpening their pencils so they could roundly criticise Arteta and Arsenal for blowing it again but the result showed yet again how unpredictable football is and how useless they are.
Good morning Rico and all.
Just where was the famed Trent Alexander Arnold? Oh! That’s it, he was in Martinelli’s pocket up to the point when Klopp was forced to hook him off.
On yesterday’s showing we should give Jorginho a fat rise and an extra year on his contract, who needs the permanently injured Partey?
Carragher moaning about the celebrations is ridiculous, weren’t his old team ove4 celebrating beating Chelsea in the week?
Absolutely agree re Ben White and his time on throwins, those unnecessary bookings might cost us later in the season.
Morning Kev, thanks.
I loved every minute of the game bar one. lol
Just wish our dear old friend had witnessed the downing of Klopp. 🥲
Morning Cicero, I’ll admit to not seeing that coming from Jorginho but alongside Rice, the midfield bossed every thing. They shut Liverpool out of the game.
Agree on Martinelli too, he was up for that fight.
Rico, please don’t get wrong I like White, and totally agree the players need to move more quicker to help him out in the throw in but even when he has a free kick he still seems to be too slow my liking and doing so gives the other side a chance to man up.
Except for the communication issue that led to their only goel, it’s very hard to falter the teams purformance, and it proved that when Klopp had to swap 3 players at one time,
Congradulation to the fans at the game for singing loud and proud and blocking out the Pools fans from trying to lift their team.
The media say things would have been different if Salaha played, so if thats the case why did the win their last 2 matches with out him and then loose to us, The fact is easy we wanted the win more and we out played them full stop.😃
I agree re White though Geoff…
I look forward to finding myself in Odegaard’s photo!
Does anybody else remember Carragher singing along with the Brentford fans when they beat us a few seasons back? I certainly do!
Him and Neville are the biggest hypocrites going. A pantomime act.
From what I read Odegaard was asked to take the photo by Arsenal official photographer and that’s who’s camera he used, as for these sooks complaining I don’t see them complaining when players they like run to the camera after scoring a goal.
A pantomime act? Those two wouldn’t make the arse end of pantomime cow between them.
Same old same old from the commentators. Arsenal can’t win whether they win, lose or draw. If commentators were neutral, listening to a football match would be so much more enjoyable. Carragher and co are just bitter and twisted..
What a win,I’m still on a high,the attitude was right from the start. To be fair it was in the FA Cup match too,we got the goals this time I suppose.
Star players for me were Martinelli,Jorginho & Rice. A great team effort though.
Bring on the hammers.
I’m with you re the three exceptional players Limey. Trossard was good when he came on too and didn’t Nelson drop back to head clear a Liverpool attack. Not even Carragher moaning will remove the grin from my face..
Amazing that some people didn’t like the Jorginho deal last year as an extra midfielder. Cost almost nothing to get a past champions league winner, Balon dor nominee. Also not a guy who depends on youth or pace, more instincts and brains. Shows how wrong the Arteta critics usually are.
Lovely afternoon all, great report. Just back from Center Parcs Woburn, where we had the pleasure to watch the match in a packet Sports Bar, only marred by the self-proclaimed over-loud hecklers of Liverpool fans some table behind.
Last time we went, some years ago, my over-riding memory is of Kane scoring twice (I think, certainly once) and a drab night after losing to Tottenham. This time, all the family together celebrating my daughter’s 40th, we had great pleasure jumpimg up at 2-1 and 3-1 with a slight backwards glace laughing and cheering. Will be long remembered!
Absolutely Rico, I’m sure he’s taking it all in.
Even those pundits who praise Arsenal do it through gritted teeth, Souness for example, but that’s fine, you know you have a good team when they cannot hide the fact that it’s getting under their skin. Also have you noticed how all those ersatz Chelsea fans have suddenly evaporated into thin air. Where on earth have they gone?
All that success and then a couple of fallow years and they’ve all gone, probably never to return or else they’re now Man City fans.
In a word: Plastics!
Cicero I absolutely agree, the club needs to activate the one-year extension we have on his contract, in fact it might even be a thought to offer him a two year extension because like a fine wine Jorginho seems to be getting better and better…
There’s a bit of me that enjoys the critics writing off Arsenal especially when I know we have a good team.
I hope they continue to write us off for the remainder of the season because I feel that we tend to do better when we’re chasing rather than leading at this stage of the season. Let City and Klopp take all the spotlight whilst we’re chipping away just behind. Better to hit the top in late April and stay there. 🤞
Thanks Andrew, sounds like you had the best of days.
Nigel, I’m sure many people were anti the Jorginho deal at the time. In fact on here, most if not all, thought it was a smart deal.
Hope so Kev, I really do…
I had a similar conversation this morning about the moaning pundits. When they’re moaning it means only one thing – Arsenal are doing well.
Long may it continue…
Kev,
I know a couple Chelsea fans exactly like that.
We always knew they would disappear when times for tough.
Man City fans will be even worse when they fall from grace.
Any City fans that don’t live in Manchester are so obviously glory hunters. I know there’s a few die hards in Manchester, but not many…. And never enough to warrant that fake sponsor revenue.
RIP Ian Lavender. “Don’t tell him your name Pike” “Stupid Boy”. Very of the Walmington-on -sea platoon are left.
Yes Nigel, in general Arsenal fans bequeathed it by family or friends or those that choose the Gunners not because we’re serial winners (although we don’t do too bad) but because we have a touch of class and quality, are in it for the long haul.
You don’t support a team that hasn’t won the league title in 20 years and to continue to support them if you’re a ‘Plastic’ so yes mate, Arsenal fans are different, we’re a bit special and that why all the others don’t like us, but we don’t care and that winds-them-up even more so.
That’s sad Rico, a wonderful piece of British comedy gold, honest, good clean fun, well written and acted by Lavender and the others and who could forget ‘They don’t like it up ‘em’ or ‘Don’t panic don’t panic’ or my favourite spoken in that laconic Scottish brogue ‘We’re doomed’
Awful news about King Charles, I hope he fights that b*****d disease with every ounce of fibre in his body…
City come from behind to lead 3 – 1 away at Brentford. Foden with a hat-trick.
Oh dear, that’s a bit of a shock Rico, I’ve just found out.
That disease doesn’t respect anyone regardless of your circumstances.
I watched the first half but although Brentford took the lead it was only a matter of time . Had they gone in at 1 nil it might have been different but a goal in first half injury time and it was game up. Brentfords keeper was stopping all the shots from outside the box it needed a scrappy one to break things up.
You can’t beat the old British comedies, can you imagine trying to make a show like Love the neighbour now or mind your language, Poor syd James, Dick emery and Dave allan would be hung from a tree if they tried to do their shows now.
New post up.