Football News: Liverpool v Arsenal Match Review - A Liverpool Perspective

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Liverpool v Arsenal

While these are always the kind of games you feel confident about as a Liverpool supporter under Klopp, you really never expect a performance quite like that. The midweek performance against Hoffenheim was excellent, but, in comparison to this one, it was terrible! I know everyone in the media is only talking about how bad Arsenal were, but, in large part, they were made to look that bad. Arsenal had a team out that, given the chance, can tear you apart with passing football, even Xhaka (who is close to the worst signing of all time in the Premier League at the price he cost) can pass the ball really well. In fact, I often think that is the problem with Wenger's side, that every player can pass the ball well but so many of them struggle to do anything else.

Liverpool slaughtered them yesterday because they swarmed them, took advantage of their weaknesses and gave them no time to pass it around the way they want to. Tactically Wenger got it hopelessly wrong, with a back 3 against a front 3, it meant they were going to be exposed badly and Liverpool were going to get chances, however Liverpool have to be good enough to take those chances. Unlike Danny Welbeck, the Liverpool strikers are actually able to kick the ball in the general direction they are aiming it in, which helps. That was the difference though, Wenger took a chance, knowing Liverpool's weakness is the defence, so he tried to overload ours, knowing it would leave gaps behind, but just hoping that his team would outscore Klopp's.

With the form Liverpool are in, it was a huge mistake, as that forward line is deadly right now. Mane and Salah came into this season on the back of fantastic seasons where they scored goals for fun, the last thing you want is to allow them to get one on one with defenders with no pace, but that is exactly what Arsene did. With the Arsenal midfield lacking any pace, heart and workrate, it left Sanchez as a frustrated figure who was trying to press on his own until he realised it was hopeless. Even screaming at his teammates was not going to get any of them to help him. At one point on the bench, after Wenger took him off they showed him and he was watching the game with a wry look on his face that suggested he must have been wondering why on earth he chose them over us!

Anyway, what I am trying to say is that yes, Arsenal were poor, but we made them look a lot worse than they are. If we had approached the game the way Everton did their last two league games, with the negative approach Koeman reserves for the big clubs, the game would have been tight. The difference between Everton and Liverpool's approach in recent games has been night and day. Everton had a lead against a ten man Manchester City side and sat back to defend it, just happy to allow City to wrest the initiative and take the game to them. Klopp is more positive, he looks to hold onto the initiative and take advantages of the opponent pushing forward to try and get a goal back and pick them off.

I have to agree with something John Barnes said yesterday, this game was not a statement and Liverpool have the capacity to beat anyone who comes out and goes toe-to-toe with them. The statement was beating Crystal Palace last weekend, despite them having every man behind the ball and looking to hold out for 90minutes. Last season we would have drawn against Palace or been caught out by a sucker punch, this season we won. Now the issue is turning that into the norm, to make us relentless in the way Bayern Munich are in Germany, rolling over the lesser sides that sit deep and hammering the sides that come out to play them.

Klopp - made a big call with the selection and it paid off. He has the team playing with a style and verve that makes last season's best bits look like average performances! Coutinho must be mad to want to leave this team right now for a Barcelona side in disarray, unless he is just worried about regaining his place in a World Cup year? Klopp got his tactics spot on and he still has Lallana and Coutinho (possibly) to return. Now it is just a case of keeping this going for a full season, when players are struggling for fitness and form.

Karius - I am shocked that such a big deal was made in the build up to the game regarding the dropping of Mignolet. As I said after the match against Hoffenheim, he had returned to the kind of dreadful, jittery, scary performances that he had consistently put in before the end of last season. Mignolet had been given his chance to prove that the end of last season was not a fluke but sadly it seems it was, so it was time to give someone else a chance.

Karius was overall decisive, but he did dally too long on his kicking in the first half. Obviously a word had been spoken in his ear because, in the second half, he got caught once and then never made the same error again and cleared the ball quickly. Hopefully a lesson learnt. Hopefully! The rest of his game was untested, other than the one cross he came out and punched clear.

Gomez - defensively Gomez is much more solid than TAA and Clyne, his rivals for the right back slot. He also is quick and better in the air, which makes him ideal for games against the bigger teams. What he showed yesterday is that he is also very good technically, though not as good on the ball as TAA, he is a step or 5 above Clyne in terms of providing an attacking presence. It was the right choice to go with him against Arsenal, as it meant we looked much more capable defensively.

Matip - bit difficult to judge him as he barely had anything to do. What he did have to do, he dealt with well in the main. I still have worries about him though. There was one point he was beaten high up the pitch in the first half and he just jogged back until he saw Lovren was being dragged out of position too and broke into a run. That gave me two concerns. Firstly, he should have been breaking his neck to get back regardless, he is a defender, his first thought after being beaten should be to get back into position as quickly as humanly possible, not to saunter back thinking your mates have it covered.

Secondly, when he did break into a run, it was not exactly eating up the ground at pace. I can only describe his movement as lumbering. This was early in the game, when he should have been fit, fresh and full of running as well. Better quality opponents can get at that weakness. That is one of the things that make a Pulis side so difficult to break down, the defenders do not just accept they are beaten and leave the rest of that move for their teammates to deal with. They are drilled to get into position quickly and they do so. That is a simple and basic thing that every defender should know and do. It does not matter who has filled in for you, your first thought, unless you can hinder the opposition attack where you are, should be to chase back and get into position.

Lovren - again little to do, still wants to hook his leg round forwards and win the ball high up the pitch, still rash, still taking chances. However, on a day like yesterday, when it goes right, then it is not a problem.

Moreno - fair play to Moreno, he is not making team selection easy for Klopp. Last season he was dropped and replaced by a midfielder playing out of position but never once whined to the press or complained. He knew he had not done enough to keep his place and so he has worked damn hard to improve. We have suddenly gone from no decent left backs to two to choose between.

Henderson - mostly excellent performance from Henderson, who was winning the ball high up the pitch a lot yesterday. There were a couple of misplaced passes and he still needs to work on his composure in front of goal, but he led the press brilliantly and filled in at the back whenever there were gaps. I also watched him closely on dead ball situations and he was assigning markers to players with no messing about. He gave Lovren a real mouthful and kept on and on at him when the guy he was meant to be marking was behind him in an offside position until Lovren moved to a better position to cover him.

Wijnaldum - he had an excellent game, showed strength and skill, tying the Arsenal midfield up in knots at times when they tried to press him. I am sure Aaron Ramsey will have had nightmares last night about being beaten repeatedly by Wijnaldum and being left on his backside! Got forward well but never neglected his defensive duties either.

Can - he may not have scored, but I felt that he was even better against Arsenal than he was against Hoffenheim. Right now, it is hard to see a better central midfielder in the Premier League, and that is saying a lot when you consider how outstanding Nemanja Matic has been since signing for Manchester United. To think people were questioning why Juventus wanted to sign him! On his current form he would waltz into their team.

Mane - sensational yesterday. He is a one man wrecking ball of a player. Poor Holding looked shellshocked and his confidence was destroyed by trying to cope with Mane. Poor lad was not able to get close enough to even live up to his name!

Salah - he has added a whole new dimension to the team. His pace causes havoc, not just when we have the ball, but also when the opposition do. He was able to steal the ball a couple of times purely because he was just so quick the Arsenal players were unable to move the ball out of his path in time. Good finish as well, he looks to be a steal in the current market.

Firmino - if ever there was a player that was perfect for the way we play it is Bobby F. He is the key to everything in that attack. Not really anything else to say about him right now, he is performing so well, words are not needed.

Subs:

Sturridge - replaced Mane in the 74th minute and scored. Have to say he never really did much else, but a goal is exactly what you want a striker coming off the bench to provide.

Milner - replaced Firmino in the 80th minute. Charged around a lot, as he always does, worked hard, but never really got a chance to get into the game. His effort and fresh legs did provide a fresh impetus to the side though.

Grujic - being brought into the match in the 84th minute, more to give Can a chance to get a standing ovation than anything else, is not ideal for any player. It gave Grujic little chance to do much or impose himself on the game.

Written by Tris Burke August 28 2017 07:29:49