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.
Keep an eye out for Pool’s Rio. Similar to our Dowman. Saved Pools blushes last week.
Can Dowman win it for us?
that was exactly how MA wanted that to go, minus some sort of set piece luck and chance bullshit…let’s hope he injects some skill into our midfield before I find my eye-poking pencils
These hosting buggers kept me out of the comment section, on my own blog.
Merino wasn’t bad so far, Eze will come in eventually. Madueke could have laid that out to Gyokeres, the coordination is missing which is right of course. We haven’t done bad so far, lets keep this to get a draw. Lets hope though that we improve on it in second half and nick one.
VVD is getting frustrated, so we are doing something right. Merino is on his nerve.
From one outing Dowman showed better skills , except keeping the ball down.
Rio could not figure if it was a fortunate shot , good unencumbered possession that got him the goal . We need to see more of Rio to judge .
But the volley showed precision
I enjoyed that. We looked properly aggressive in that first half and created the best chances. We’re playing Liverpool away so we won’t have Leeds-style domination this afternoon. Mosquera looks OK and I like what Zubi is doing at the base. Every chance that VVD will tire later.
lol TRVL
Hoopah,
Hiya mate. All well with you?
KP
Zubimendi is very good so far, i didn’t anticipate that. Mosquera is solid too.
We could have won this, had their bin a little more chemistry on the front.
Yep
Thanks KP
Been reading you guys . Fantastic posts from all . Seems LiR hubris has rubbed on unto Wicksey . Wanted to compliment , but decided to keep quiet , lest he gets a relapse . His post was pretty good today.
So , yes , been around , and drinking in you guys gyan ( knowledge of football )
Good day mates
I feel like some on here are watching a different version on this match than myself…that half had far more to do with Pool being piss-poor in our final third than us playing well…I have liked Mos at the LCB and Timber looks to be rather confident, but overall it’s been a rather pedestrian performance from both sides
of this match
Gyok has a very funny way of starting his run.. looks like someone’s forcing him.
Agree RVL
So took solace in some more Glenmorangie . Makes one feel better , if the game does not
Trvl
Context matters. We are at Anfield, we are 0-0 at 50th minute woth more shots than them. We have kept Salah quiet mostly. That’s surely a good thing.
Eze for liability Merino any time soon will do
Ambarish—couldn’t agree more with your contextual point…the context here is that this Pool side has bled goals in their first two matches then found a way to score late…as such It would lead me to think that the best way to counter that narrative is to do whatever I could to score early and often then adopt a more defensive stance…of course there’s more than one way to skin a cat, it’s just that this is always MA’s way…maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to surprise the opposition once in a blue moon
If that’s offside its a massive let off.
It obvious VG wasn’t Arteta’s choice he’s told the other players not to pass to him!
Trvl
We are missing Saka and I hate to say it Odegaard.
Madueke is doing pretty well, but that coordination on the right looks fucked up.
Pool needs Isak to win the PL