Morning all.
Yesterdayās results did Arsenal no favours whatsoever. Totts somehow secured a 1-0 win at Brighton, Man City, Newcastle Utd and Chelsea all won too. If Arsenal want to go back into top spot, a win today is needed. At the other end of the table, Leicester City failed to hang on to a 1-0 lead at Bournemouth and in the end, were beaten.
This is probably the biggest test so far this season for this young Arsenal team. Yes yes, I know, weāve heard or read that before each match so far this season, but barring the undeserved defeat at Old Trafford, this group of players have passed every test. This one is different though, this one is against a club/team which Arsenal havenāt beaten in the last four attempts and for what itās worth, I really dislike them.
What should give us a bit of hope of a victory later today is the fact that Liverpool havenāt won a Premier League fixture away from Anfield so far this season. Their last League match on the road ended 0-0 against Everton but largely thanks to Pickford.
Klopp could select Ibrahima Konate for the first time this season but Andy Robertson, Naby Keita, Curtis Jones and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain are all injured.
Mo Elneny and Emile Smith Rowe are the only two players definitely ruled out. Fingers crossed it stayed that way after yesterdayās training session.
History tells us that Liverpool have had the upper hand in this fixture for a number of years now but history means little in an ever changing footballing world. Arsenal are different this season both in personnel and performance. The Emirates isnāt the same either as Klopp and his men will find out this afternoon.
The one thing pundits are saying and journalists are writing is that Liverpool donāt start games well, unlike Arsenal whoāve come out of the blocks with purpose. Brighton were 2-0 up within 20 minutes last weekend and that was at Anfield so we know weāll get chances. If we can take them, we can win. Defensively, Liverpool havenāt discovered the kind of form shown in previous seasons with Alexander-Arnold and van Dijk receiving the most criticism. Their big name summer signing Nunez is yet to find his feet and I hope he never does, not in England anyway.
Whilst history between these two clubs is irrelevant, Klopp will have his players remembering that the Emirates isnāt a place to be feared, Arsenal arenāt a club to be feared either because his team have been there and done it so many times before but deep down, unless heās been asleep for the last two months, heāll know this will be a tough test for his players. Probably the toughest theyāve faced this season because thisĀ isnāt a toothless, spineless and disjointed Arsenal team of the past. This is an Arsenal team which is organised, strong and dangerous in every department playing at home in a stadium full of positivity.
Not for one minute am I suggesting this game will be easy for Arsenal because it wonāt be, Liverpool are too good for that but I just think it will be far from the walk in the park Liverpool have enjoyed in recent years.
Iām looking forward to itā¦
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This has become a bit of a jinx game for Arsenal in recent years, someone said on a podcast that we haven5 scored a League goal against them in the last 6 EPL matches, I canāt ever recall that happening before, even in their pomp in th3 late 70ās and 80ās we tended to stuff them at Highbury, so itās a mental issue I guess?
Conte took a cheap shot at Arteta last season after we lost at the Slum and Klopp has that irritating ālet me pat you gently on the head sonnyā attitude to Arteta, condescending I call it, I mean he doesnāt openly tap up anyone elseās players does he?
So yeah, this afternoon is a mental test as much as a football test.
Can we stop that little shit Jotta from scoring a goal or two from nothing, can we stop old āmillion dollar railingsā Firmino from nicking a goal he doesnāt deserve, how can we stop Salah ā and how can we be as efficient as those damned mickey mousers often are against us.
Yeah, Arteta really hasto show that heās no longer Kloppās bitch and our team has to show that they are weak between the ears when facing th3 bullshit team.
COYG
arenāt weak between the ears.
Whatās with the hate for Liverpool? Teams like arsenal and Liverpool should reserve their hate for the likes of the sportswashing human rights violating teams of scum.
If it wasnāt for Liverpool these last few years city would have absolutely cleaned up. They pretty much did anyway.
If it wasnāt for Arsenals fast start to the season city would be top and unlikely to lose that position for the rest of the season.
Pool have been a bgey team for Arsenal . Its time to put the jinx to rest.
But MA must be aware that passing all over the place is likely to lead to a Pool
breakout.
Until he shoots on sight,the jinx may stay
Are you going Kev?
Good day Rico and all.
History may be relevant to the media hacks and, to an extent, the fans but not necessarily to our players.
Many of them are too young to have developed a sense of awe at the thought of playing Liverpool, just as they showed no fear against any of the teams they have faced this season, Man U included.
Go out there, have the confidence to play their own game, get stuck in when necessary and write their own history.
Afternoon Cicero. My last comment disappeared into a big hole somewhere but basically, I agree.
Wolf, I think weāve been taking shots on sight a bit more of late but I get what you mean.
For anyone who hasnāt seen it. š
https://twitter.com/MOTSI_MABUSE/status/1579018670197514240?s=20&t=s6BiLzQZhJIyw6mdtHdwWw
No Rico, I could have done but I feel a bit cream crackered today as I finished late this morning.
Thanks for that Rico, Iāve avoided watching Tony dancing as I donāt want nightmares, but heās doing it for a good cause. š
Is he dancing for charity then Kev? Didnāt know that. Heās getting better though. Lol
Team news ā Zinchenko & Fabinho both drop out
Arsenal v Liverpool (16:30 BST)
Mikel Arteta is forced into making one change to the Arsenal team that beat Tottenham 3-1 in last Saturdayās north London derby.
Oleksandr Zinchenko has dropped out of the matchday 18 entirely, with Japanās Takehiro Tomiyasu coming in at left-back.
Arsenal: Ramsdale, White, Saliba, Gabriel, Tomiyasu, Partey, Saka, Odegaard, Xhaka, Martinelli, Jesus.
Subs: Turner, Tierney, Nketiah, Holding, Soares, Vieira, Sambi Lokonga, Nelson, Marquinhos.
Liverpool make three changes from their 3-3 draw at home to Brighton last Saturday.
Luis Diaz, Diogo Jota and Darwin Nunez all come into the side, with Fabinho, Roberto Firmino and Fabio Carvalho dropping out.
It means Jurgen Kloppās side are likely to move away from their traditional 4-3-3, with a 4-2-3-1 looking likely.
Liverpool: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Van Dijk, Tsimikas, Henderson, Thiago, Salah, Jota, Diaz, Nunez.
Subs: Kelleher, Gomez, Fabinh, Konate, Milner, Firmino, Elliott, Carvalho, Phillips.
Dhdhd :- Some of us have been around a lot longer than others and know Liverpool and their fans of old. The disgust has nothing to do with recent years itās ingrained in history and the antics of tapping up by the current incumbents has done little to alleviate the feelings.
Personally there are a lot of things about sport that I donāt care for in this sanitised world, Abu Dhabi , Qatar , Russia have all flouted laws to succeed with money but the scouse dislike for me has been bourne from match going personal experience since the 60ās.
Tomi in at left back and they are unchanged from their Rangers game , we need to hit them early and put them on the back foot. If we try to creep into the game and let them grow into it , things will become much harder.
If Tierney is fit enough for the bench, why has Arteta chosen to play a right back at left back? Either Tierney is not fit enough to start the game or Arteta no longer trusts him. A January exit?
Afternoon, letās hope itās a good one. Considering our start, wonāt be over disappointed with a first draw. Need to score though as read six Prem games without a goal against Pool?
Not risking left back Tierney twice in a week? Is Tomi as good with his left foot.
Cicero at 3:53, Tommy is better defensively even at LB than Tierney. He can always bring in Tierney if heās chasing the game. Klop, given the attack heavy lineup he has selected for the game, Arteta had to counter that. Our Manager is evolving.
You have said it several times, Rico, that Gabriel 6 is prune to mistakes. That was one right there. Totally out of position. He gifted them that goal.
our passing out from tge back is terrible and Odegaard cant trap a landmine
Hey guys (and gals) we are 2 ā 1 up. Letās not get all negative. š
He does have the odd error in him Obi. Lucky with the penalty not given.
Everything but the goalā¦ thereās a song thereā¦.
Please bury this penaltyā¦.
Not sure my heart can take much more of this!
Mine neitherā¦
Just the five goals so far
Three goals, three points, top of the league, just another day at the office. š
If Saka had missed, I dread to think. I thought Jesus would take.
Letās enjoy tonight!
Great result, tense 96 minutes.
Great win. Much tension.
Arteta got it right with Tommy replacing Tierney.
Yes Obi, you are also right, Arteta is evolving, Klopp didnāt know what to do in the end, a bit like Conte last week, some of Kloppās substitutions were mystifying?
Kev, when he made the substitutions I was heās going for the draw. I said to myself, ādamā these āArsenal boysā are going to ran them ragged. They got really lucky, it couldāve been 5-1.
Morning Rico and all
What a great win, so Wrighty claims it was not a penalty, but the way I see it if you try to kick the ball from behind the player and miss and kick the player itās a penalty
Morning Geoff, all.
New post up now