Oh hello Buzzfeed headline 2014. Here’s a quick run down of what I’d like to see this evening.
1.A lite version of what our future attacking structure could look like
It’s dangerously close to the end of the transfer window. There’s no Aouar yet. There might not be. We are absolutely toothless, still.
What I can’t have is that there is no way to play attacking football this year without that one player. If we are really going into the season with the least creative midfield in the league, that is pure negligence. I would LOVE to see a lite version of where this process is heading. Is there a young player that can play in the pockets, like ESR? Will we give Saka a role at #10? Is there a system the younger players will be put in that can at least guide the way this evening? I hope so. We can’t pin out hopes on Auba all season. Leeds are out signing Cusiance from Bayern. If they can shower teams in shots on their budget, we should be able to do something.
2. The future of our CB spine
Tonight, one would assume, we’ll get to see Willy Saliba and Gabriel in the centre of defence together in their first competitive match. This is exciting on many levels. The two of them are very capable with the ball at their feet, they have the requisite height to make us hard to attack from setpieces… the question is, do they have the power and wherewithal to deal with an explosive Premier League team this early? We shall see. We’re mostly here to see where Saliba is in his development, hopefully he surprises everyone with an elite performance.
3. The future of the #13
I can’t remember the last time we had a #13 back-up keeper. Manninger? It almost feels a bit quaint. I like it, but will I like the keeper wearing the jersey? He’s handsome, no doubt. But good? Who knows. Arteta and his coaching staff took a big gamble binning off Emi Martinez. Tonight, we’ll get a glimpse at whether Iñaki Caña, the keeping coach, has good taste in students. Runar had some pretty grim stats from his time in Ligue 1 last season. Are we rescuing a diamond in the rough, or are we making the mistake City did at the beginning i.e. signing a keeper who can play passes like Pirlo, but couldn’t catch the ‘rona in an emergency ward sneeze box? This game will be a huge baptism of fire, longballs, and shots… will it be Massimo Taibi? Or Alex Manninger? We’ll soon find out.
4. What is a Willock?
Arsene liked him. Emery liked him. Freddie LOVED him. Arteta likes him.
What is it about Joe Willock they all love? Because I’d really like to see some of it on the box tonight.
We know he makes excellent runs off the ball. We know he can dribble. We know he can move at speed. We know he is capable of goals and assists… can we see it happen at some point? If he splutters again this season, he’ll be out in the summer. This is make or break.
Time to shine, Joe. We believe in you.
5. How quickly can we adapt to being found out?
I pontificated before the last Liverpool game over whether teams in the top 6 would suss us this season. We are very well drilled now. We defend better, our off the ball movement is great, our pressing is very good. However, we’re a bit robotic. Klopp knew how we’d try and attack down the left in the last game and he tried to deal with it (we still scored from the left). We need some new party tricks, we can’t get by on the same one all season. Now Liverpool knows where to double up and over-commit in the press, what is the plan? Could we do something mad like play down the right? Are we going pure long ball? Would we dare play through the middle? We were sussed the other night. There needs to be some innovation in how we play or the same will happen tonight.
Oh, how about a 6th point… WIN 4-0. Amirite? Of course I am.
Enjoy the game, I’ll see you in the comments. Come at me with your bullet points!
P.S. Congrats to Saka on his England call up. To commit to the three lions on Nigerian Independence Day. Man is going to the very top. Cold as ice. A natural killer. What a talent!
Willock Jammy.
Leno saves
C’mon.
Super shit pen by Willock we got it !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Not bad. Celebrating over the edge btw?? Why? It’s sad.
phewwwww barely!!!
Leno man of the match.
Joe Willy … lol knocked it through his hands.. Yes.
Leno has done well tonight, kudos to him
At least they didn’t beat us twice in a row.
Champions of the universe or whatever, we bounced back
Leno easy MOTM
Put some respek on Leno
Not a good penalty from Willock, but great stuff from Leno. The good guys advance.
I thought the shot was stopped. My heart sank for a second!
Willock won it. Just.
Leno saves two.
Martinez saved none last year.
Debate over.
A win is a win.. Confidence booster.
Congrats to Lenosebest.
Well. I must concede re Leno. He’s the MotM today. Kept us in the game. 2 saves on the pen spot.
Glad we won obviously but the way they celebrated close to a nothing game… I mean, win is a win. But come on. It’s Arsenal. Not some garbage ass 3rd tier team.
Revenge for last season when we actually deserved to win. Boot on the other foot this time.
Emi would have saved all 5 pens
What a performance by Leno. Hope people will now stop criticizing him all the time.
got it right at 2140 lol
if only he improve on his weaknesses
There you go.
The more experienced team on the night won on the penalty kicks.
Although one of the kiddies at the end did his best to fuck it up = Willock.
Well played Leno – will be great for his confidence
Raptora
Liverpool.would of the done the same thing.
Think it was more relief than anything.
Emi would have scored a brace and it wouldn’t have came to pens
Im full because Leno made me eat the humble pie..not enough here pay homage when they have been proven wrong…good job you brilliant german bastard
boom
Same,
Exactly what I was thinking. You think Pool would have celebrated as hard? I don’t think so but who knows.
So why exactly rest Gabriel on Monday? Did he put a foot wrong all game?
Well he wouldn’t have been my choice to keep but as we have I genuinely hope he goes from strength to strength
Brilliant tonight but pants on Monday
What’s with all the fucking stupid run ups. Especially the ones where you slowing jog around the ball.
The same reactionary clowns were frothing at the mouth saying our season was over when Leno went off at Brighton aswell btw, then they turned on him because Martinez had a good spell in his absence.
Ishola
“The more experienced team on the night won on the penalty kicks.”
What are you smoking?
Liverpool fielded a very strong team … and it was in Anfield.
Is there a better penalty taker than Amn in the world?
Also Leno put in a 9/10. Should shush the haters for a couple of days at least.
Would have rather had 1 or 3 points from Monday night.
Thought Cedric had a decent enough game. Made some decent passes and looked okay defensively.
But the sooner this team gets away from the 3-4-3 the better. We’re no longer horrendously bad in defence but offensively we’re pretty shocking and it’s because we go through the fullbacks attacking wise. Which would be great if we had good fullbacks
That’s another paper over the cracks. Arsenal needs to improve.
Too bad Arteta don’t know motivate the troops the same way for PL games…
Martinez wouldn’t have let it come down to penalties.
Let’s have another EMI Leno debate shall we lol
*know how to motivate
LENO = HERO !!!
Absolutely love AMN in penalties- One smooth operator
Dissenter
“What are you smoking?
Liverpool fielded a very strong team … and it was in Anfield.”
Go through the first XI of both teams for me who started tonight and tell me which team had the most first team football experience.
I mean your mate Xhaka on his own has hundreds more first team appearances than multiple Liverpool starters tonight.
Willock tried his best but Adrian was equal to it … what a garbage game that was… but a win is a win, and we get to fight another day. Tip of the hat to Leno … Personally, I would have preferred Emi to stay over him but there’s no point in crying over spilled milk, and he did exceptionally well tonight. Long may it continue…
That Pepe 1v1 when Cedric put him through with a lovely cross was clearly Onside. Pretty Sure we’d have gone 1 up there and won the match.
Then the hand ball in the stoppage time.
Raptora
“Glad we won obviously but the way they celebrated close to a nothing game… I mean, win is a win. But come on. It’s Arsenal. Not some garbage ass 3rd tier team.”
Sad comment
“That’s another paper over the cracks. Arsenal needs to improve.“
We will, worry about your own team.
My days i hope we bring in those midfielders.
Gabriel is quality in defence and we have the second best left back in the league so defence is sorted.
Just need to centre mids and a playmaker/winger
WE
Good one. 😆
Insanely bad performance from Pepe. What was that disasterclass. He didn’t win a single 1v1 vs some unknown youth player called Williams. Did we ruin him or we just got played and our most expensive player ever is a fraud?
Gunner DNA
“That’s another paper over the cracks. Arsenal needs to improve”
Sad comment
Leno
Maybe the best shot stopper in the league between him and Allison.
I’d say on a pure reflex it might be leno though Alison Reading of the game makes his saves so effective
The amount of people throwing shade at Leno really have their face in the mud right now. Absurd criticism.
Same,
Exactly what I was thinking. You think Pool would have celebrated as hard? I don’t think so but who knows.
Yes I do. A youngster winning a game is a big adrenaline boost.
You’ll always take a win at Anfield, even if it’s in the League Cup.
Thought Gabriel looked very good at the back, makes you wonder why he was left out last weekend.
Sofascore gave Leno a 9.9 rating fir tonight’s game.
Emi would have earned a 10 tho.
Ishola
“The more experienced team on the night won on the penalty kicks.”
Sad comment
What’s with all the Leno hailing btw? He had a great game and nobody can begrudge him that. However, that’s what is expected of him EVERY SINGLE FREAKING GAME. That’s what he gets paid for. To be topnotch everyday. Not once in 10 games.
Happy for Leno, will give his confidence a big boost that tonight.
Lille pulling our pants down with the Pepe deal, absolute daylight robbery
The reaction from this board is unbelievable .
We’ve got through at Anfield. Three out of four wins against them and a large number are disappointed . Not worth reading most of these comments
London Gunner
Leno is the best shot stopper in the league. Allison is great tok but not as good as Leno in this department.
Overall tho Allison definitely a better keeper.
Thats the kind of performance that boosts confidence.
Thorough
Some people hail Emi here everyday still. And he is long gone.
I wouldn’t criticise Pepe too much tonight. He hasn’t had too much game time. Some of the long passes to him in the first half was gash.
He clearly needs more games. Confidence looks low.
Ye, Leno’s performance was like a striker scoring a hat-trick. Strikers are expected to score hat-tricks EVERY SINGLE FREAKING GAME. ???
Ishola
Hardly Liverpool kids more a nice mix.
Salah, VVD, Milner and Jota started, Origi, Joe Gomez and Wijnaldum subbed on.
6 of those featured on Monday, 7 if you count Minamino who subbed late on.
Let’s settle this now
Who the better penalty taker?
Emi or Leno
Thought Cedric, Leno, and Gabriel came out of that with most credit, the rest decent in a pretty tepid affair from both second strings.
Less than impressive from Pepe, Kolasinac Willock the former just not doing nearly enough for the talent he has and the latter looking like the most ‘what are you’ player since Julio Baptista. Kolasinac’s head has gone, simple as that. Deer in headlights for the whole 90, and Germany beckons.
lol Pierre
I see that you cannot say wrong comment though.
Like yourself said previously these games are good to see the younger players have a run out so good that there is advancement in the competition.
No need to throw the toys out though just because it was correctly stated that Arsenal had the more experienced team out there tonight.
Klopp not too bothered lol
To see that kind of celebration, in this competition, is a bit embarassing.
Especially if you are unable to lead your troops the same way in games that really matters.
In other news, Psg wants Aouar… lol
@Samesong : Klopp knows which competitions really matters.
Sal
“Hardly Liverpool kids more a nice mix.”
I didn’t say kids. I didn’t say mix.
I said player by player Arsenal had more first team football experience out there than Liverpool tonight which is correct.
“Not once in 10 games.”
Idiot comment. The guy more often than not has good games for us.
Put some respek on Julio Baptista’s name.
He would have cracked in 4 goals tonight and miss a penalty just because he could.
Looking forward to CG and Guns of Hackney’s analysis of the game,…..
Who doesn’t think we need to improve though? so why is that a thing? We aren’t papering over any cracks, we need midfielders everyone and their dog knows this.. Including Lyon and AM unfortunately . Christ… we won an exciting shootout and the team is happy… fuck sakes. I’m happy too, probably have a beer or two to celebrate, If I was a player waiting to join I would be excited to join up.. seems like the team has good chemistry and wants to win for their coach. Pretty obvious. As opposed to Ozil telling Emery to Fuck off for… Read more »
Every team celebrates winning games, and penalty shootouts after a tight game. Add in the fact that we are playing the Champions at their patch, who just beat us at said patch a few days ago.
I wasn’t aware that celebrating was only for finals.
Not a great performance by any means but that full 90 will do Pepe good. Think he did some things good but like so many of our forward players there’s a real lack of quality at the moment
I mean the only starters in the Liverpool side tonight were Salah and VVD and they pretty much dominated.
It’s Anfield though so come away from there with a win and it’s silly to bitch and moan.
Baptista is forever ingrained in the Arsenal folklore. Willock needs to do far, far, far better if he wants to be remembered.
Jota looks a real player.
Ish
Clearly i’ve confused you with a less nuanced poster then.
My apologies.
I know we haven’t heard the last of the Leno vs Martinez debate but Leno’s performance tonight was exceptional and should remind us of why he was the keeper with the most saves in the EPL – right before he got injured.
It’s always good to win – especially against Liverpool.
What is wrong with celebrating a victory.
If we had won the match in normal time the celebrations wouldn’t have been so over the top. But penalties add a lot more spice, tension and drama and usually the winning team always celebrate a penalty much more over the top than a normal time victory. Its just how the brain works.
Seriously, some people just can’t be happy for a minute.
Leno is so happy. I’m happy for him too.
Pathetic to berate a team for celebrating a win, same would berate players for not showing enough passion – there’s no winning with some.
Yes Liverpool didnt play their key players, well even we didn’t play Auba, Tierney, Willian, Laca and Bellerin.
Weagle
” it’s silly to bitch and moan”
I’m not bitching and moaning.
I stated a fact that’s all.
And these games are handy to see the younger players so advancement in it is good.
Leno said he was wearing the #1, he was the #1, he knew he’ll be #1 so he wasn’t worried at all.
Self confidence is a good thing.
Arsenal v Manchester City
Surprised?
Of course not.
How many of you are American?
Fucking Spuds get Stoke…fix!
Ah, City….
Wow ofc we gonna draw City. At least it’s a game at home.
City in the semi final. The student becomes the master.
It wasn’t directed at you Ishola.
quarter* final