Morning all.
It’s a big one today. Liverpool v Arsenal at Anfield, 2nd V 1st. Liverpool don’t often draw at home let alone lose. Utd broke their winning run last weekend but that was more to do with Klopp’s team being terrible in front of goal rather than Utd putting in a top notch performance. So far, Tottenham are the only club to beat Liverpool but know why and how that came about. Klopp has been moaning about the lack of atmosphere within Anfield, no doubt in an attempt to raise the fans voices tonight. West Ham went to Anfield in midweek and got battered 5-1 in the League Cup.
Mikel Arteta:
It’s going to be a special atmosphere. [Both] teams are in a really strong position and I’m sure both teams have prepared the game to win it. It’s going to be an intense match. I’m sure that a lot of [our supporters] are going to show up tomorrow there and they’re going to be supporting the team, like always.
Jurgen Klopp:
We play a super strong team who played an exceptional last season and is even better than last season, bringing in top players to improve the team. They went through in the Champions League pretty easily and are having a great Premier League campaign. We have to make it a proper home game and a proper Anfield experience.
Injuries.
Liverpool are without Diogo Jota, Alexis Mac Allister, Andy Robertson, Joel Matip, Ben Doak, Stefan Bajcetic and Thiago.
Arsenal are still without Thomas Partey, Jurrien Timber, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Fabio Vieira and Jorginho is a doubt.
Trent Alexander-Arnold is by far the most interesting player from a tactical perspective within Klopp’s team. His searching passes can stretch the game or unlock the door with a moment of brilliance, so we cannot afford to let him execute those incisive passes beyond our back four. That strength can also be Liverpool’s weakness, as the right back domain is regularly left unoccupied when opponents create turnovers. Inside the engine room, Liverpool do lack the presence of a proven holding midfielder, so it will be crucial for us to control the middle third and ask as many questions as possible.
One new face that will offer a fresh threat is midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai. The graceful Hungarian has had 26 shots from outside the box (the second most in the division) and as he showed against West Ham in midweek, he is a clean striker of the ball. However if we manage the game state well, attack Liverpool at pace down the flanks, look after possession sensibly and avoid leaving ourselves exposed to fast breaks, we can certainly pick up a positive result.
Their long shots worry me because David Raya can stray off his line so it’s crucial we don’t allow them the time or space to line a shot up. As Adrian Clarke suggests, get at them down the wings which is what we did in this fixture last season. Both Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka caused problems that day. We went 2-0 up, we could easily have been 3-0 up but then Livepool struck back through Salah who then dragged his penalty kick wide and then before the end, Oleksandr Zinchenko switched off, the ball was crossed to Firmino who headed past Aaron Ramsdale.
Are Liverpool better than they were last season? Results would suggest they are but they’ve lost a number of experienced Premier League players. They still have a number of top notch players though and if given time and space on the ball will cause us problems. Elliot, Alexander Arnold, Gakpo, Nunez, Salah and Tsimikas from left back in attack. I’ve not seen their new summer signings in action but they’re reported to be doing well.
Just as it is with any opposition, this game is about knowing their strengths and nullifying them. Knowing their weaknesses and exploiting them. The midfield battle will be key, it usually is unless we’re up against a team which bypasses it with long balls over the top but I don’t think that’s Klopp’s style. He’s usually been all about pace, width and movement. But Mikel Arteta will know all about that much better than me. It’s widely reported that Liverpool can be vulnerable in defence, van Dijk isn’t quite the player he used to be and both fullbacks can be forced into making errors or being caught out of position which could open up an opportunities for Arsenal. When we get the opportunity to break down a Liverpool attack and turn the play into an attacking move ourselves, which if we do with speed, could reap rewards. I know Arsenal sometimes seems to take an age to get out of defence but sometimes, patience can pay off although there’s nothing quite like a quick break away to catch a defence out of position. Liverpool will no doubt try and do similar too us so it’s important that our own fullbacks don’t get caught too far up the pitch and Zinchenko doesn’t wander too far out of position.
Chances in front of goal could be few and far between. Liverpool will take long shots as already suggested which Raya needs to be switched on to. Up the other end, Arsenal need to bring their shooting game onto the pitch and make the opportunities count. Sounds simple I know…
Klopp has said he wants the home fans to give Arsenal a proper Anfield experience. I say, let’s hope Arsenal give Anfield a very different experience. A defeat!
On paper this match should be a cracker, a Christmas cracker even but I truly hope it’s Liverpool who are left holding the half which doesn’t contain a gift….
Catch up in the comments
Morning all!
Morning Jm.
Would you like to write something about Porto before we play them in February?
Good morning Rico, the most important match of the season coming, as it does, at the midpoint. An opportunity for both sides to lay down a marker for the rest of the campaign.
A point this evening and we will be table toppers at Christmas. Often in the past the club in this position has gone on to win the title.
It great that Arteta has got us this far with a newly built team, but I doubt that he will be settling for a draw. We have, arguably, all our first choice players available, they know what’s at stake and I think they know that they have the skill and determination to overcome the noise from the Kop and take away the best possible Christmas present. Three points!!!
Morning Cicero, a win at Anfield would be great if only to break the run of defeats there. But we’re not alone in that department although the press would have us believe otherwise.
I’d be happy with a point but all three would be really sweet. I’d argue that we’d be stronger with Partey and Timber available.
Morning all. I’d also take Tomi for Zinchenko against Salah.
We know what horse teeth was up to with his ‘ Anfield’ comments.sign of a worried man.
It’s hard to find anything to say about Timber as we’ve seen so little of him. We don’t know how well he would fit in to our style of play or how he would react to the Anfield atmosphere so I can’t include him in our best side…yet.
Me too Andrew, every day of the week.
Absolutely Pete, he’s every reason to be worried too. Just hope our guys don’t waste scoring chances like at Villa and Newcastle..
Today we sort the men from the boys. If you want to win the league these are the games that you have to win. We have two good teams but I think it could easily be a cagey game rather than a spectacular one .
It is commonly held that Liverpool’s weakness is at right back when Alexander Arnold pushes forward and we already know that Klopp is scared of Martinelli’s pace and workrate, .
Their right and our left will be interesting especially if we play Zinchenko and he goes inside and leaves space for AA to push into.
I just hope that should we have a slender lead at the end of the 90 that we don’t sacrifice our pace up front and allow them to come on to us because given the chance that’s where Salah comes alive.
A win would be nice, a draw acceptable ,but a loss not a disaster although not good for morale in the camp.
I just hope that whoever comes out on top it’s because of football and not the refereeing fraternity , however it must be noted that of the 16 games in which Kavanagh has been the man in the middle dating back to 2018, Liverpool have emerged victorious in 13 and been beaten on just two occasions and he has reffed us 11 times away and we have won only 3 times . So I don’t expect any help there especially as VAR is our old friend David Coote.
Still it is what it is and whilst the PGMOL secretly run things , I don’t expect it to change.
rico, yes of course.
80 minutes in WHU 2 Man U nil
WHU beat Man U, I wonder if Santa will bring Man U a new manager for Christmas
Hope Ten Hag stays Geoff!
This has become the most nerve wracking fixture of the season as far as I’m concerned,more so than Spurs(we are miles better) even though we have a terrible record at Man City,it feels like we often play well against them.
Potter is right,win lose or draw it won’t be season defining. A win sure would be sweet though.
I just hope the ref/var don’t decide things.
COYG
Amen to that about football winning the game and not the officials but we know Liverpool are PL darlings.
Ditto, give ten Hag a new 10 year contract I say..
Ryan Gravenberch is on the bench for Liverpool after a suspected hamstring injury was diagnosed as just muscular fatigue.
Darwin Nunez, who also started last weekend’s draw with Manchester United, is among the substitutes while Curtis Jones and Cody Gakpo come in to the starting line-up.
Liverpool XI: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Tsimikas, Szoboszlai, Endo, Jones, Salah, Gakpo, Diaz.
Subs: Kelleher, Gomez, Nunez, Elliott, Gravenberch, Clark, McConnell, Quansah, Bradley.
Mikel Arteta decides to not make any changes to his Arsenal side who beat Brighton 2-0 last weekend.
Jorginho returns to fitness and is on the bench alongside Mohamed Elneny, who has recovered from a hamstring problem.
Arsenal XI: Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko, Odegaard, Rice, Havertz, Saka, Jesus, Martinelli.
Subs: Ramsdale, Smith Rowe, Nketiah, Kiwior, Soares, Trossard, Jorginho, Reiss Nelson, Elneny.
Raya, White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko, Rice, Odegaard, Havertz, Saka, Jesus, Martinelli.
You beat me to it Rico 😉
🤣 Cicero
If that wasn’t deliberate, I don’t know what is..
Cracking header Gabriel…
How refreshing, when our wingers get fouled, stop the silly sideways free kicks, and get the big guns up. We doing well from set plays, well done Gabriel!
That’s why I’d rather Timber was fit..
Pay back for the arm in the face
Terrible defending by Zinchenko, Salah gets past him so easily 1 – 1
Nice challenge on Klopp. 😂
Karma is a wonderful thing…
Bad miss there..
Terrible defending by Zinchenko just hanging a leg out for Salah to walk round.
Yep, it’s what he does though so we shouldn’t be at all surprised.
I would like to see Kiwior on for Zinchenko for the whole of the second half…..and the rest of the season or until Timber or Tomiyasu are fit.
Or call Tierney back from his loan if possible.
I will settle for that
1 – 1 honours even, better result for us than them. Top of the league at Christmas. Long may we remain there.
Very happy with result. If we were 4 on 1 and didn’t score, wouldn’t be happy. And got away with a 50 50 VAR for once. One video angle on x looks bad rather than just a slip. Makes a change. Havertz booking though so soft and now he misses Hammers. Come in Trossard
Good point well earned..
I thought they should have had penalty too, still, boo hoo eh. 😜
Anytime Arsenal leave Anfield unbeaten is a time to celebrate, so cheers everyone.
This Peroni is going down lovely…
Ah yes the penalty, it was stonewall wasn’t it Rico? Lmao
I thought so Kev. Made me laugh too…
With Havertz banned for the next game the door is open for Emil Smith Rowe to take the stage.
More likely to be Trossard imo.
A pint down the pub and then a couple of quintos at home .
However the penalty ? If a defender handles the ball accidentally then it’s not a penalty apparently , as per the Havertz goal against Villa proved . So ipso facto neither was this one . Were i a Liverpool fan I would be screaming the place down , but I am not , and in the words of Clark Gable frankly I don’t give a damn .
I will take a draw at Liverpool anytime, the luck that helped Liverpool win over the past few matches run out last night, very happy Christmas with us on top,
Merry Christmas everyone ☃️
So, what are you all wishing for from Santa in the January transfer window?
Me? I’m hoping for a defender who can play anywhere across the back-four, but in particularly at left-back.
We have two of them already though Kev, sadly though, both are injured.
A goal scorer for me but I’m not convinced we’ll sign anyone, not unless there’s a bargain to be had. FFP and all that…
( 1 ) A dedicated striker for me, ( 2 ) look at a taller keeper ( 3 ) a doctor or physio who can keep our players fitter with less injuries.
New post up.
Morning all.