We are visiting Anfield today. One of the most important games of the season, clash of the No #1 and No #2, and two teams fighting for 90 minutes to sing ‘I am better than you’ at the end of day. Quality wise, we are on par with them. It will all come down to the players and their passion to beat the best team in Premier League and the manager to devise a strategy to neutralise the Mo Salah threat while breaking that defence to score some goals. Trent is gone so that’s a relief, we always hated his long balls to Salah.
We haven’t won at Anfield since 2012. In recent years, we have proved to be a match to them sharing points in our last 6 encounters. Today is the day to reset both these numbers.
Their new striker, Ekitike, had a wonderful start in Liverpool color. He has scored 2 and assisted 1 in his first 2 games. We have got our own fighter up top in Gyokeres, who scored 2 against Leeds after a sus first game. It’s the battle of the Forwards primarily and we will see who is the geezer of two.
Then, they have one of the best CB of recent Premier League era and we have got one for the present and future. VVD has enjoyed his fair share of praises, but Saliba has taken over. They have the best player on the planet in Mo Salah which we don’t have answer to as Saka is injured but we as a team have better chemistry, better defence and a better midfield to counter that advantage.
Team News
We needed everyone for one of the biggest games of the season, but unfortunately we are without 2 of our main team players. Saka is out injured for about a month and Odegaard for probably a couple more weeks.
Smart teams anticipate such kind of scenarios and cover it in advance. Last season, Saka and Ode injuries would have meant we go into the game with Nwaneri on the wings and no idea who as the sole playmaker in the midfield. Today, we have options. Madueke is a premier league player, played in the Chelsea team against the likes of City and Liverpool and he knows what it takes to play in such a game. Eze, another premier league ready transfer, can cover the Odegaard’s position, without any drop in quality. We overpaid for both of them, but at least we have the confidence in both these signings to continue what Saka and Odegaard does.
Saka is a big game player and it’s impossible in current football world to replace him with a similar player. There would be some drop of quality on the right wing but it won’t lose us the game. Same for Eze.
Arteta will most likely stick to his back 4 of Timber, Saliba, Gabriel and Calafiori. The Italian will have a massive job today to handle Mo Salah who has a great start of the season with a goal and assist in previous 2 games. If he fails, we have MLS on the bench who can do that.
In the midfield, we would see one Eze coming in for Odegaard. Rice and Zubimendi will keep their place. I am not sure if Arteta will ever try one of Zubimendi or Rice in the middle with both Odegaard and Eze on either side, but if he does, it won’t be today.
Front 3 will be interesting. Madueke on the right means Martinelli will keep his place at the left and Gyokeres will start in the middle. Martinelli is menace for defenders with his pace and he is a big game player. For me, he starts today and he will end up benching Madueke once Saka is back.
Don’t be shocked if …
On the referee part, we are not in luck. Chris Kavanagh would be officiating the game, the last time he did that in an Arsenal game was against Chelsea in March. He ignored the Cucurella handball in the penalty box and totally missed to see Fofana stomping on Declan Rice. This is the same lad who red carded Declan Rice against Brighton for kicking the ball away where in fact he didn’t kick it while missing the leg kick only a fraction of second before, also totally ignoring Joao Pedro kicking the ball away a few minutes later. I am not really conspiracy theorist but lets just say he was born in Manchester and as far as I know, those cunts don’t really like us.
Wrapping Up
I think we will make it today and break the Anfield curse. 2-1 to boys with Martinelli scoring one in a counter and Gyokeres proving his worth and letting the world know he has arrived. It’s not going to be an easy game at all but lets see how much we can keep our focus on, not let Salah break free and keep our heads in the game. It’s too early in the season to make 1 single game important for the title, but having earning all 3 points against a top 4 teams given you the luxury to not think about a draw later in the season against a bottom half team – like Manchester United.
We have some big games coming up after this, so a loss could derail the confidence. Hopefully the new signing in Eze was able to get in the mix comfortably and Madueke does 9/10 of Saka on that right side.
Also, please don’t laugh about Tottenham, they lost to a mighty Bournemouth at home with 1 shots on target to theirs 6. Thomas Franc is a great manager, but so were Mourinho and Conte, you can’t coach the Spuds to play football, can you?
See you during the game.
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Amarish
A good point regarding Trent , whenever he was previously missing from the Liverpool line up salah never looked at his best and the same can be said in the 2 games this season.
Trent and Salah had a unique on field relationship that is rarely found, one movement from salah and trent would drop the ball on a sixpence , I very much doubt that salah will be as prolific without Trent behind him though of course he will still get his fair share of goals and assists.
Offensively we haven’t really seen a unique on field relationship since Ozil/Sanchez who both suffered once that partnership was broken , maybe the same will be said of trent/salah we shall see. Saka and Smith Rowe ‘s potentially great on field partnership was never allowed to flourish by Arteta.
Saliba/Gabriel do have a superb understanding of eachothers game and neither quite looks the same without the other.
So what or who does gyokeres need for him to reach his full potential, for me gyokeres needs the ball early but at present we are not a one and 2 touch team , Odegaard the supposedly creative hub of the side rarely plays a high risk ball unless we are 3 or 4 goals up , hence why his assist stats are so average.
Though Zubimendi is deeper he could have a positive effect of gyokeres as he likes to give the ball early , gyokeres likes to run off the shoulder of the defender so if we don’t give him the ball similar to his goal v Leeds then he will become frustrated and will stop making the runs , also his headed goal v bilbao in pre season was from a first time cross from zubimendi , they are the type of balls he will thrive on as it looks like his tendency is to make the near post run rather than the far post run.
Eze may prove to be the missing link as he likes to take risks on the ball , let’s hope Arteta allows Eze to play with freedom and expression, it will go against the grain for Arteta but he has some tremendous attacking options like Eze, Madueke, Nwaneri and Dowman who could destroy teams if they are allowed to play with an element of risk, and why not as behind them they have a very solid midfield, defence and keeper
Ambarish
MA said of his forwards: “I fully trust them. We haven’t got Gabriel Jesus, we haven’t got Kai Havertz and we don’t have Bukayo. That is our reality and Leandro Trossard too, probably. It’s also our reality that we are going to have to find something and probably something we haven’t done before but it can work really well, as well.”
Eze to start is being reported, so can’t wait to see him play. Havertz not playing is always a plus, but Saka, too? Dowman or Ethan to replace?
Still see this as a score draw but not from any stats; just a gut feeling.
It will be interesting to see whether we see Eze come in for Ode or start wide left with Nwaneri in the middle. Madueke starting on the right seems to be the view on most.
Liverpool are suspect at the back our front line is still getting to know each other.
A draw is not a bad result away at Anfield.
Marc
I don’t think Nwaneri is getting a start today. Putting your complete midfield attack on a 17 year old is confidence ruining thing coz neither of Zubimendi or Declan Rice are proper #8s.
Yep, agree with you both – a draw at Anfield is not a bad result. I have this feeling that we would win though.
City are rubbish today. Really bad day at the office, especially Haarland.
A very patchy game thus far at 0:0
Ambarish
You’ve got lots of people talking about Dowman being a serious contributor this season – he’s 15.
BHA have a big problem with half the pitch in shadow making it hard to see the players with the ball.
Junior just told me they have an ongoing battle with local people saying using the floodlights during the day impacts the environment.
Woke still rules here then.
90 minutes of one side of the floodlights on impact the environment once now and again?
Tony
Brighton is woke central – they’re all lala.
Rodri getting game time as they need him. The fitter he gets the better City are going to play. Before his injury they hadn’t lost a game he played in if memory serves me correctly
Tony
We’ve got City in 3 weeks.
Shandy drinking woke softy snow flake virtue signalling liberal lefty muesli eating macrame knitting urine drinking self pleasuring southern wankers and hippies.
That list in full. Phew! No wonder england is burning under Starmer’s take on the fifth reich. Anyone would think big business and billionaires were helpless bystanders in the economic wastelands of dear old Ingerland. Thank fuck for the Daily Heil Labour, the Tories and Reform. We’d be incapable of hating the less privileged without them while sucking Richard Branston’s pickle flavoured genitalia.
I feel cleansed…
Oh, 2-0 for me. Gabriel from a corner and a Declan Rice FK screamer.
Marc – get down to Brighton, take some poppers, put some leather chaps on and let your orifices ‘breathe’. You might enjoy opening yourself up. 🌈🦄🍸🎀💊💉
Kroenke
Mate your normal Saturday night out isn’t my thing – more like Starmer’s if the rumours are to be believed.
No Havertz with Merino starting. Marts and Noni on the wings with Zubi and Rice playing.
Going to change my prediction Pool will win with our playing not to lose selections.
If you want to win play Eze not fucking Merino but what do I know?
Why the fuck would you pay £60 plus million for Eze and not start him when you’re missing Saka and Ode?
Marc
City by then will have prime Rodri.
Probably the toughest fixture if we still have injuries and MA stays all galaxy brain.
Tony
He could have started Nwaneri and brought Eze on as a sub but as you say the bottler has bottled it.
Tony
Our three fixtures after today are Forest (H), City (H) and Newcastle (A) – we’ll know where we are at the end of September.
Brighton nicking it in the 88th minute. Brilliant stuff. What can city do now?