Well, it’s going to be a tough day.
Southampton didn’t do us a favour and allowed Manchester City to bring the point difference to 5 points. We are visiting Anfield, one of the worst place to play at. Klopp, in his previous game against City, benched Salah, Trent, Robertson and Gakpo; four players who are well rested and eager to prove a point today!? Worst of all, Liverpool are sitting at 8th, and are in a battle of Champions League spot. They are wounded and Klopp with all this negative press against him will be eager to prove the doubters wrong.
But hey, we have one of the best teams on the planet currently, playing some wonderful football and on any given day, we can cause trouble to any team. It’s a title race for us, much important than what Liverpool’ is playing for. Arteta and the players wouldn’t have forgotten the embarrassment from our last visit and Martinelli is going to cause havoc today. And we have Trossard, who scored a hat-trick against Liverpool with Brighton, so you never know.
Saka is back from the illness which didn’t allow him to start against Leeds last week. We still have doubts about Eddie Nketiah and William Saliba, Arteta refused to provide any specific details about their injuries, it could be either tactical or the situation hasn’t improved yet. I don’t care about the Pool’s players.
It’s going to a battle of the midfield. We were stronger defensively if Saliba was available but then VVD is doubtful too, which makes it even. Our front three is better than them, though Salah is world class and has knack of scoring against us. We have a functioning midfield in Odegaard, Partey and Xhaka and if they play to their forms today, we could come up with a point at minimum from Anfield. I want to see us winning though, we haven’t won in our last 7 visits and we need to change it. TODAY.
Right, so what are we excited for? We are top of the league. Bukayo is back and he loves to score / assist against top 6. Gabriel Jesus is back and scored couple goals. Ben White is playing some delicious football, Gabriel is a monster and Zinchenko is a nuisance for any manager. Partey is our dark horse, no non-sense football, don’t care about limelight and don’t need the praises – just let me do my work and go back to sleep. Xhaka made me eat a humble pie, I hope he makes the size of that pie a bit bigger today. Our captain is in form, Martinelli will eat Trent for breakfast. Only concern for us is Holding v Nunez. If Holding can keep it calm today, we are winning guys.
I don’t see much changes with Jesus starting at top with Martinelli and Saka on the wings. A midfield of Partey, Odegaard and Xhaka will do. Ben at RB, Gabriel and Holding pairing for CB and Zinchenko at LB.
We have a strong bench of Trossard, Vieira, Tierney, Nelson. Tired legs will be replaced but that’s all on the game progress. I see us stealing a 0-1 win today, breaking the Anfield curse and reaching a bit closer the trophy.
See you during the game. #COYG
Nice piece Ambarish – the one thing you’ve missed is the crowd always a very powerful 12th man at Anfield will today be even more vocal. A mixture of hate for us over 89 and a Bank Holiday tomorrow means the beer will be in full flow prior to kick off.
I honestly have no idea how it will go. We’ve been playing well Liverpool have been terrible pretty much all season.
As always the personal issue for me (beyond the emotional attachment that blinds me to Arsenal) is the Arteta factor – I just can’t get away from the expectation that at some point he’ll fuck it all up.
Anyway the suns shining I’ve got some cold beers in the fridge so bring it on.
Good post, Ambarish.
Today is the day we really lay our title credentials out for all to see and fear by us winning this afternoon.
This is the game Arteta can win over even the toughest of His disbelievers of which I am one, not to be different or obnoxious, but because I feel Arteta has got his squad management wrong yet again, as he did last season and is winging it once more this season on hope and a prayer with our paper thing squad.
A win today will go a long way to Arteta proving his doubters wrong, as it’s a game we simply have to win and win emphatically to continue making out title statement to City, and for them to really take notice where a solid win in L’pool’s coveted back yard screams our intent that will dent City’s confidence and belief that we are not going to concede our points hold on the title.
At the point of being boring I still feel a 3-5-2 is both our safest and quickest ball moving line up and will nullify Diaz if he plays and shackle Fabinho who has been poor recently due to his lack of speed in the middle. I thinking Saliba is going to start and Arteta’s brinkmanship has been silly. I hope if Saliba is deemed fit, that he really is fully fit and not carrying a knock that hinders his performance.
Ramsdale
Saliba Gabs Zinchenko
Saka White Ode Partey Martinelli
Jesus Trossard
I believe this formation is best suited to attack L’pool’s weakest points in Trent Arnold and Robertson on out wide, which also is a main feature of Klopp’s attack with the overlapping full backs delivering killer balls into our box. Keep them occupied and we take at least 50% of Klopp’s attack away.
A five man very mobile midfield should be too much for the aging Fabinho, Henderson and young Elliott. We will need to cut the supply from those three midfielders to Salah, the improving very mobile, Gakpo, and Nunez who hasn’t really impressed with consistency. One thing the front three for L’pool has is pace in abundance including their full backs. If Arteta is planning a high line, it’s going to be risky without KT the league’s fastest defender, then my team needs adjusting at LCB.
The key to winning will be our one, two touch tempo with our press and movement off the ball, as much as it will be with our movement on the ball. Needless back passes and sideways will only spur L’Pool on more, as they recognise our negative play for what is is: us being negative and showing fear, which teams like The Bin Dippers feed off our weaknesses in our decision making that eventually spreads throughout the team.
For this reason Xhaka can’t play; he isn’t suited to this game nor the city name either. Bench? Sure, but nowhere near the pitch!
Liverpool are licking their wounds where putting a serious dent in our title aspirations would validate their CL expectations. Fenwick has been slow in supporting Klopp to the level required to maintain a title charge against City each season. Klopp is not happy and needs to make something happen to secure confidence from his squad ands owners because the manager merry-go-round is in full swirl at the moment.
I’ve no idea what Arteta is going to do outside of his usual line up that I strongly feel would include Saliba but make us weaker against L’pool.
What I do know is we can beat Liverpool at Anfield just as we did in 89 by 2 goals when no one gave us a chance. We won’t win the Title their this evening, but beating the Bin Dippers will bring back sublime happy memories and will actually feel like winning the Title, because beating L’pool and getting the 3 points affirms our grip on the trophy, as being legitimate.
2:3 in a pulsating game to us is my prediction.
TRVL, I answered your posts in the previous post.
TRVL – Good card in Miami’s UFC with some good fights.
We won’t win the Title there*
Marc
Never been to Anfield, but fully understand the cauldron enhancing, cacophony of sound from the rousers, who are loud when they’re trying to be quiet. Right now the scouse scum bags are upset that their golden boy isn’t producing, so they are just as likely to get on their team’s backs if we go 2 goals up.
You’re 100% right, though, the Arteta factor is very worrying as we enter out tough game’s period, not because our players aren’t good enough, far from it. It’s how Arteta has managed our squad again and not bringing back Bolagun.
Scousers*
Tony
Agree 100% if we can hit them hard and get in front we can turn the crowd – as I said the other day if Chelsea had someone who could finish they could easily have been 2 or 3 goals up.
What we mustn’t be is timid if we are we’ll draw them onto to us and let them play to their strengths force them back and put them under pressure.
The other factor no one has mentioned is the ref factor – hopefully we can see a ref who isn’t looking to be the centre of attention.
Ambarish
Good article mate. I hope you and the Delhi and rest of India Gooners will be out in full force later. Another huge game – the first of the three major tests of our mettle up north. Cardiff won in the nw 2 days ago (did I already mention that?) so no reason why we cannot do so too. It will be intriguing to see who Klopp selects – a team akin to the one who drew at Chelsea will give us a major advantage. I agree with you Tony about MF being the crucial area, although I can see Jesus giving VVD and mediocre Matip a torrid time just like the Leeds game. We really need to avoid conceding too many corners/free kicks today and match all their players physically. Plus Odegaard needs to be firing. I just hope that whoever deals with the psychological aspects at the club has persuaded the players not to be hung up on past results. We have a better team on paper than this lot for the first time in ages and we need to be confident and assertive. I’m going for a 0-2. Martinelli and Zinch with a screamer.
Tony – I admire your persistence about benching Xhaka but he’s like Tets’s ‘mini-me’ on the field. Him not starting today is about as likely as seeing Tets show some Arsenal-type class on the touchline today. I hope Pumpkin is primed and ready to work his magic.
Marc
I’m going to sound like the execrable Tony Attwood and paranoid Pedro plus their cabal of twats at LG and Unsold Anusol but the reffing line up ain’t great. Ref is Tierney (yuck) 4th official Kavanaugh and VAR is Pawson (who I hope has his sight dog with him in the studio). In other words a potential white knuckle ride.
I liked Herb’s point earlier in the week drawing a comparison between today and 89. Would it be worth showing the lads a video of the ‘it’s all up for grabs’ moment from that game I wonder? I still watch it from time to time and it never fails to make the hair stand up on my neck every time dear old Johnny Lukic gets that back pass and feeds it out to Lee Dixon. The best ever end to a league championship. It will NEVER be bettered.
There is one significant parallel. Just like 89,it’s 18/19 years since we last won a title. Come on you rip roaring reds!
Kroenke
With ref’s it only works a couple of ways – bad, worse and what the fuck.
KP – just playing the Xhaka stats game. Every time I say the Balkan battler should be on the bench or subbed he scores or assists.
Odds seem in favour, so bench the cnut. 🙂
KP
“There is one significant parallel. Just like 89,it’s 18/19 years since we last won a title. Come on you rip roaring reds!”
You believe in cycles and unicorns like me then. 🙂 They’re are mounting up.
Pumpkin is primed, fed, watered and pampered. Just the scratch the tummy rub and scratch behind each ear.
Time we3 paid them back for out home defeat where we we’re 3 goals down in 20 minutes in Wenger’s days. Still scarred from that one if I’m honest.
Sky commentator just said they haven’t seen Saliba arrive so possible he’s not even travelled.
Ambarish take a bow, son. Your post was all about positivity and winning.
LG’s pre game post reads – towards the end, so easy to spot as there were no comments.
“Whatever happens, remember this: We’ve already achieved what we set out to do this season. We are a Champions League team. Soak that up; it’s massive.
This title run is a bonus. We are where we want to be as a club. In the big conversations. Leading the pack. Setting the tone for how football should be played on the biggest stage.”
This is Pedro’s post readying excuses and alluding to say it’s ok if we lose because CL was the target after almost 4 years. Pedro always setting the scene to fail to save his hero’s face.
Here’s me thinking this will be th best chance for some time to come to go on and win the title.
Tony
Slight correction needed. Arteta’s ambition – as relayed to the pregnant Willian at the time of his signature – was to win the CL in 3 years, not just qualify. You’re right that all the Arteta fan boys (rather than Arsenal fans) will be preparing excuses if it doesn’t happen. Our fans’ collective mentality bears no resemblance to the prevailing mood in 89 and what GG and the boys achieved.
Our team picked itself given Saliba isn’t fit. Liverpool’s middle three look very ordinary. I can see one of them getting a red.
Woy the boy getting a tune out of Paddy’s Palace. Insane result.
The Title will not be that easy next season as the Chavs may get their house in order, Man Urinals will strengthen with splashing for a striker, Bindippers will have a better team next season, Newcastle ready to splash money. So I agree this is the season to win the title and top 4 is not the goal it is MA’s to loose the title.
KP
Was a great 2nd half for Palace and a well deserved result. Same players Paddy had just that Simon Jorden lacks cahonas. Realistically, any one of 8 teams can still be relegated; it’s that tight. Paddy would have kept Palace up, but good for Roy to manage what will likely be his last PL games.
Obviously, not expecting anything different from Test, so we’ll see what his tactics are to beat a disjointed L’pool team. Losing Mane and not replacing him has lost Pool’s balance up top.
Keep Fabinho shackled by Xhaka as he’s starting and keep their full backs doing more defending than attacking and we’ll be fine. Trossard on the bench is a head scratcher for me, as he works so well with Jesus and Saka.
Henderson is a bitch so keep niggling him and see him start whining and losing focus.
No reason why we can’t win this.
Amen Kilroy
“This is Pedro’s post readying excuses and alluding to say it’s ok if we lose because CL was the target after almost 4 years. Pedro always setting the scene to fail to save his hero’s face.”
Guy’s got to be the biggest twat to ever support Arsenal – what’s the point of Arteta and sauce if he’s not going to win things – especially in a season that has seen so many big teams off form.
Killroy
Bang on.
C’mon the Arsenal!
Tony-I read your response on the previous thread, as always thanks for the complimentary words…I’m forever worried that I will invest a good chunk of time into a more lengthy post only for it to be lost in the shadows when a new thread emerges shortly thereafter, as my day is frequently coming to a close as yours and others on here are conversely readying for a brand new day…as to your above reflections regarding Pedro’s carefully crafted “out clause” narrative, I couldn’t agree more…his bravado has always been intimately linked to the fact that he’s both proprietor and bouncer so he never has to truly show his mettle; in many ways, he’s the digital equivalent of someone who stuffs the biggest sock he can find into his tighty whities but never, ever ventures into the outside world, so no one can call his bluff
KP-spot on, as whomever dominates in the midfield will undoubtedly win the day…that said, I’m more than a little concerned that this will be the day that Holding is finally exposed…we can’t win it, if we’re timid
Our speedster does it sgain
Get in Martinelli.
No fucking excuses now!
Fucking yes, yes, yes. Tudo bem. 🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷
It’s just the catenaccio cortex in my brain, but I think it’s a mistake to open the game up so soo.
KP-that 5-1 thrashing by Palace, on the road, in a relegation battle of considerable import, takes a bit of the shine off our supposed dismantling of the same opponent and certainly doesn’t flatter Vieria, as a Roy-lead team manufactured more in 90+ minutes than he could conjure up in his last month or so in office…Vieira will continue to struggle until he can find a way to become a more balanced tactical manager…I can only hope he gets another opportunity to prove his managerial worth, although I fear he will find it difficult to land somewhere will he’ll have the financial capacity to do so
always a good sign when Marts gets on the tally sheet…that should open things up a bit, which has been Pool’s defensive kryptonite thus far this season
Liverpool playing TAA in midfield is nuts but very generous of them.
Does anyone know why Saka has holes / gashes in the back of his socks? I’ve noticed it before and I assume the club can afford to buy him a new pair.
I think Martinelli’s goal puts to bed any doubts about his suitability as a CF in future.
Marc it’s a daft fad. Extra ventilation/coolness for the calves? Darn idiocy if you ask me. No more sewing puns I promise.
Jota pushed Holding there. Shdve been a free kick.
Get in.
Just perfect
Kroenke
It was a great bit of defending.
VVD on the other hand is finished no way we score that second goal a couple of seasons ago.
Scouse fans gone quiet.
White and Holding have to be on point today, so long as we continue to press so high, as Pool could play a shit-ton of long balls
that could be a very important goal for us today—so pleased to see Jesus back in the fold on a regular basis now
O jogo bonito. Gooooooooool. 🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷