Records are there to be broken…

Morning all.

Chelsea have appointed Frank Lampard as their interim manager which is kind of funny. But clever I guess as he’s a fans favourite from his playing days. He might halt the booing from the stands but I simply can’t see how a guy who Chelsea sacked a couple of years ago and more recently, experienced the same fate at Everton after dragging the club into a relegation battle. Perhaps working with a huge squad full of egos will be easier for him. Real Madrid must be rubbing their hands together in anticipation of their Champions League double-header.

Life as an Arsenal fan is weird, it’s the first week in April and we’re not trying to scape together a number of points to secure European football, instead, we’re battling it out with Manchester City for the League title. Nine obstacles stand in our way. Ten if one counts the inward battle the players probably have and by that I mean belief. This team/squad is young – Thomas Partey, Gabriel Jesus, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Jorginho know what it’s like to lift a League trophy. As does Mikel Arteta, albeit not as a player but from his time at Man City.

There are a few fixtures I fear ahead of every season. Going to Anfield is one of them because our record up there has been little short of appalling in recent years. Actually, our record against Liverpool hasn’t been good at The Emirates either although this season, we won 3-2. Before then, after Liverpool had been crowned Premier League winners in 2020, we beat them 2-1. That season was awful really as there were no fans because of Covid and the squad shakeup Arsenal really needed was still a dream.

Here’s our recent Anfield history:

November 2021 4-0
September 2020 3-1
August 2019 3-1
December 2018 5-1
August 2017 4-0
March 2017 3-1

Pre 2017, it was a bit better although there was a 5-1 defeat when Brendan Rogers and Arsene Wenger went head to head.

Yes, Anfield is a place Arsenal have a bad record of results but the good thing about records is that any time, they can be broken. If Arsenal shut out the noise, it’s just eleven v eleven. Klopp v Mikel Arteta, Liverpool v Arsenal.

Paul Tierney is the referee, the man who had his mind changed at Old Trafford when VAR decided Martin Odegaard had fouled Eriksen before Gabriel Martinelli went on to score. Had that goal not been disallowed, we’d have probably gone on to win. Tierney should in my opinion, stuck to his original decision and allowed the goal to stand and judging by what’s gone on since in PL football matches, even he probably knows he came to the wrong conclusion that day.

Liverpool probably aren’t overly keen on Paul Tierney either. Apparently, last season when Tierney failed to send Kane off in their 2-2 draw with Totts, Klopp was caught on Sky Sports cameras mouthing at Tierney that he didn’t have a problem with referees, only you. (Tierney) I hope it’s not a game which afterwards, regardless of the result, we’re talking about the officials. We’ve already been robbed of two definite points against Brentford, as well as potentially three at Old Trafford. That’s me being conservative but I expect the officials have cost every club points at some stage during the season.

My waffle is done, have a great Easter guys and gals…

 

 

 

 

13 thoughts on “Records are there to be broken…

  1. Cicero says:

    Thank you and a happy Easter to you Rico.

    Sunday is our best chance of three points at Anfield for yonks. Stick to the game plan and have belief, I think we can do it.

    The hot cross buns are about to go in the oven and the family will soon be round to savour them.

  2. Joaquim Moreira says:

    Happy Easter to everybody!
    I’m be off on Sunday but probablly, I’ll watch the game later.

  3. potter says:

    Should arrive in Cyprus and get to the villa about 2 hrs before kick off , so will have to find a bar showing it .

  4. AndrewH1313 says:

    Happy Easter rico, all.

    Nice Potter, where, Pathos side, Protaris end, or up North?

    I remember once being in a bar in Nissi Beach till about 1am waiting for Ozil signing confirmation😃

  5. Adam says:

    Afternoon Rico. There’s a fair amount of understandable trepidation in the fanbase about this Anfield trip I think. As long as we ignore the history and play what’s in front of us, I hope we’ll be fine.

  6. rico says:

    Have a good time Potter.

    Worth the wait Andrew? Lol

    Hi Adam, I wonder if the ‘one could be fit to play’ is Saliba. I’m certainly hoping so.

  7. Cicero says:

    Southampton held out almost to half-time, inevitably, it was Harlaand who got on the scoresheet. I was hoping Walcott and AMN, could do us a favour, perhaps in the second half they will.

  8. Cicero says:

    A brief moment of hope as Southampton get a goal but City immediately win a penalty and make no mistake with it. 1 – 4.

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