An away day at Liverpool is always huge. More so over the past half-decade. Liverpool is an institution, Anfield is a legendary stadium, and Klopp is a top 3 manager in the world.
The stage is set.
Mikel Arteta usually underplays our chances, but the talk was a little different in his press conference.
He’s talking about confidence in the camp, he’s pumping his players, and he’s making no excuses about the expectations that are being put on Arsenal.
We are going to Anfield to win because that’s what Arsenal Football Club is all about.
This game isn’t a litmus test, people need to move away from that sort of chat… it’s a chance to land a blow on a club that has standards we want to reach.
Since boxing day, we’ve accrued more points than Liverpool. What does that tell you? That they are beatable. Klopp’s side has lost a bit of that invincibility force-field this season. They aren’t quite hitting the heights as consistently as they were a couple of seasons ago. There are vulnerabilities in their system.
The main difference? Huge experience and a 5th gear that we don’t have yet. Both teams at 100% and we’re on the back foot.
So what do we need to see?
A smart game plan executed with maximum focus
Our problem against Chelsea and City was that we conceded inside 15 minutes both times. We can’t afford to do that against a Liverpool side we know will come flying out the traps.
I’d love a fast start, but it’s questionable whether that’s the right approach against Liverpool. A game right after the break might take some time to feel our way into. It might be sharp to just be in the match after 20 minutes and work our way into the game by growing with time.
There needs to be a plan for Mo Salah, the best player in the world right now. We need to have ideas for Liverpool’s wide players. We should be set up to counter-attack at speed, because Liverpool have been leaving openings. We have to play a high line and confidently play around their brutal press when it comes.
Arteta said the weakness in the side was that as a team, we don’t have enough collective experience yet. Let’s be clear, this new group of players hasn’t felt pain together yet. We are unbeaten since our new defence was formed. There’s no record of how we’ll react to a battering from Liverpool. That makes this game interesting for a whole host of reasons.
This is a big moment for the project. Lose, well, we expected it and we’ll have to hope the team can bounce back quickly. Come away with a point or more and we’ll really start to believe something might be brewing early.
I’m very excited. I feel confident we can compete. This is a test we could pass, I haven’t felt that way about a Liverpool game in a while. So let’s see where it goes.
See you in the comments. Join for an OTW podcast right after the game!
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Saka needs to find his England form when playing for Arsenal
Yeah, never been a big fan of playing out the back, even under Emery.
We will need a fast striker brought on v soon to have any hope of making something out of the few opportunities we will get
Struggling with the press here
It’s now a comedy
So we’ve now conceded more than we’ve scored in the league?
Still think we need a Cm this january.. Tyler Adams would be boss. But anyhow.. Hopefully Ramsdale not too injured.
Better pray for Aaron. Motm again today.
Heavy metal is on.
But quality of our players holds them back.
Arsenal is difficult to beat often
good injure ratones face
I hope it doesn’t end in the customary 4-0 blow out
We are being bullied by Liverpool in one-on-ones
Some heads have dropped on our side.
No one is calling for the ball, everyone is trying not to have the ball
The more I see of Ramsdale the more I like him. Puts it all on the line and kept the score respectable.
Leno kept a clean sheet and saved two penalties last time we played at Anfield.
Just saying.
We still need to protect ourselves. Take out Auba. He is useless anyway.
Starting to fear for us a bit here. Second half has been a storm which we aren’t weathering well. Still, I would say both their goals especially the 2nd have come from individual errors. But we haven’t offered too much going forward.
AMN improves no midfield
Liverpool always wins the same way against us and tet Arteta keeper doing the same thing.
Playing out from the back is integral to modern football. Which succesful modern team hoofs the ball up ? City ? Liverpool ? Even Chelsea play out from the back. Sometimes odd mistakes happen but the positives of playing out from the back far outweigh the negatives.
‘ Saka needs to find his England form when playing for Arsenal’
Arsenal won’t play teams as bad as Andorra, San Marino and Albania every week.
And there we go all the fake fans are out in full swing. What a bunch of wankers. This is anfield and the boys have come out well today. Just a few.mistakes cost us. Pls stop wetting ur panties, we still on the right track.
No none of this is on Ramsdale, it’s the players in front of him constantly making mistakes that have cost us tonight. But for him it could of been 6
Partey supposed to be a leader and calm things down instead he giving hospital passes.
Playing Auba at this type of game is like playing Ozil. Players with 10 men.
Berg10kampNovember 20, 2021 18:49:22
And there we go all the fake fans are out in full swing. What a bunch of wankers. This is anfield and the boys have come out well today.
All we did was to park the bus? Fake fans? You are a cunt!
TYAG – completely agree my comment was decidedly tongue in cheek. Ramsdale is a breath of fresh air.
We should expect some mistakes from the likes of Sambi and Tavarez. They are young. We knew what we were signing on for. What we need to do is keep this respectable and go again. Next time we come to Anfield though, we can’t have Lacazette as an integral part of our spine.
Yeah aubu really offers so little these days, Eddie might not be Gerd Muller reincarnated, but he offers more than Aubu in terms of work rate and pressing , and links up play a lot better than Aubu
Decent first half, second half pretty poor across the board.
Still, at least we’re not a joke like Man U and having to do mental backflips to keep supporting Ole on the internet to a bunch of strangers.
That second goal was just killer. Feel bad for Tavares… was playing well.. but you just can’t do that.. a backpass to the middle of the pitch.. is never gonna end well. Hopefully that doesnt slow his development. too much.
Now the air seems to have gone out of the balloon. Decent shot by Auba though. Maybe Pool will let down some.
Ben, if the shoe fits
Wrong guy coming off, should be Auba
Arteta just changes Lacazette by route. Auba is the useless one
Lacazette and Aubameyang*
“And there we go all the fake fans are out in full swing. What a bunch of wankers.”
Off late Le Grove is inundated with holier than thou fans, I find them really cringe. Drive most posters away from the blog.
Who was actually showing for Tavares though? No one wanted the ball?
Nuno passing to ghosts out there now.
Ramsdale keeping us alive… barely. Nice save again.
Fantastic Rambosdale
Tavares showing his inexperience today, but it’s to be expected from a young lad against a top team
We should be 6 down and people still think that we have improved!
Hahahaha Liverpool v Ramsdale.
ESR just not existent, saka too we were never going to do much with them playing so so today
No midfield ……. fucking embarrassing
Tr7
Almost like you can’t even say anything slightly negative about our games without getting called some weird name, reason I’ve for the most part not turned in of late.
BenjaminNovember 20, 2021 18:57:12
We should be 6 down and people still think that we have improved!
I mean, could one argue we have improved because we should be 6 down but aren’t? Lol.
Honestly we need so much better than Auba. This is horrible. He is not made for top teams. Van dijk and Matip are having fun here. Antonio run them ragged last game.
Tavares has done well against Salah today.
2 -0 down and the MOTM is our keeper.
This is a young new side who is still finding their feet playing an accomplished experienced side. People like Ben just don’t get it. I feel we did pretty decent first half but the nerves were always gonna show with young players.
Benjamin, we have improved, just not to the required level to really be a top top team in this league
Pedro,
You can zip it for a while now, eh?
Could have been 4-5 nil.
No creativity, laca and auba together make less than zero.
Creativity problems period.
Midfield was obliterated and so many errors in the center of the pitch in our 1/3rd.
Another site had Arteta at 69 EPL games v Wenger and it did not look good at all.
Can make anything look good if one slices it where you wish too.
And another one @ Aaron
3-0. Yes we have certainly improved
Tavares is undoing all the good work he’s put in as the game goes on
He’s coming apart, it seems.
Terrible
3-0
Still time and We’re playing with fear as of we were winning
This is Liverpool. The team with arguably the best striker in the world. Relax.
I mean, could one argue we have improved because we should be 6 down but aren’t? Lol.
Not too late for that!
Reality check complete
Once Arteta lost his rag, it started to unravel.
Terrible
Ben White wasn’t good today.
This is Liverpool. The team with arguably the best striker in the world. Relax.
Yet, West Ham outplayed them last game?
Got to say we have fallen apart in the 2nd half. Had no complaints from the first half but no composure and shape in 2nd half.
Need to practice how to stay onside !!
Honestly we needed to play 343 they have too much down the wings. That was the problem. We could have defended them well through the middle.
Mane touch was not good the keeper should have been out.
I have no problems with anyone taking a view that we haven’t improved enough.
That’s doesn’t ,are them ‘fake fans”
This game was always going to be hard but we did ourselves no favors to start with.
Feel sorry for Ramsdale today he’s been run at all day
Yes Ben cos they had a bad day. That happens in football. Something u seem to know nothing about
Cant take it away from Liverpool they are playing well. Thin we are showing our ge here. Or lack off. Sambi and Tevares been nowhere near their best and Partey not match fit.
Not overly worried though we knew we where going to have setbacks and against Liverpool of today you just cannot be anything than at your best when they are playing well.
Well that has shown us where we are. Like schoolboys playing grown men
God I hate playing at Anfield.
Lol
Arteta for that passion should take a little criticism. Player feed of that negative energy and look at how our second half has gone. We only gone and made Klopp angry.
There is no midfield..when we have the ball they press and we panic..Nuno knows he wont be selected next game so he is fucking it up.more by wayward passes..4 nil !
Tuno Navares
Ramsdale our best player followed by the center backs.
We needed this loss to give the players the experience so they work harder.
4-0. That’s a paddling
Trust the process
we still lack a leader and captain to get the team up and firing
j
I mean even Brighton weren’t this pathetic against them
okay, bad day at the office
Minsmino scores. That shrew always is unpredictable
Arteta s arsenal
We have completely broken down this second half
Pedro this is we’re we are,
Mid table , no forwards, poor mid, no shape.
Arteta out or we are not serious club. If not for Ramsdale it could be 10.
Still laughing Zimmie2652?
Yep that Tavares mistake .. popped our balloon. Differnce in the match for me.. Mane and Mo… vs Laca and Auba. They are miles ahead at this point in that regard. We just have no shot at winning at Anfield. seems like forever. damn.
Lol a thumping doesn’t give anyone any type of experience by the way.
I see the bedwetters are out in force already….
Fk. Now this puts our confidence at risk for the next game. Some of us said at the half… be patient, keep it close.
This is like a Wenger performance. But more down to the kids Sambi and Nuno being so immature still.
Fair to say that this is a weaker than normal Liverpool lineup too.
I stand corrected, make that 6-7 to nil!
Where are you at Pedro??
Tavares really messed up man
Customary 4-0 rout at Anfield complete
I hope it’s a temporary blip and not the start of another pre-Christmas meltdown
This is embarrassing.
First half was good. No shame in being 1-0 down at Anfield.
Second half looks like the way we played a year ago. Would have been 7-0 down if it weren’t for Ramsdale.