Match Thread: Liverpool v Arsenal

[Steveo]

Passing, abysmal….pressing, non existent, intensity, MIA… Almost cost us on 3 occasions giving the ball away in hugely compromising positions as the team were fully in attack phase…

[jozza800]

Hmm, Mo had some good opportunities today but just either held on too long before taking the shot or his cross / pass didn’t work out for him.

I’m not sure I put his lack of involvement down to including Wirtz.

He put one on a plate for him. Mo's first touch was appalling all game.

[jozza800]

We may well have win and look better against lesser teams even with this new formation but ld personally back to 4 3 3 and drop mo. He can come on as an impact sub until/unless he shows unstoppable form.

We're not dropping Mo after 3 wins to start the season ffs.

[ianlfc]

That's why we're champions.

[jozza800]

Ok well as I said not seen today’s game but Salah is getting far fewer touches this season so far than previously

Think I'd push him narrower and closer to goal.

[jozza800]

We improved a lot in the second half.

We defended well throughout the game.

[Insidious]

Ok well as I said not seen today’s game but Salah is getting far fewer touches this season so far than previously

It's understandable.

Gakpo is on the left. Ekitike likes to drift left. Wirtz likes the left half-space.

Trent and Elliott (when played) tended to be part of triangulation of the ball on the right-hand side of the pitch. Szoboszlai now won't be playing in that right-sided 8 position on a week-in, week-out basis and Frimpong will play a totally different style to Trent when he features.

We're also playing an increasingly patient game, so the long diagonal from Van Dijk to Salah will probably occur less often.

All adds up - it's certainly very interesting (probably moreso for a neutral who doesn't "worry" about it as it ain't their team) but undeniably will raise some questions about getting the best out of a £400k-per-week player.

Do feel that there is a thought process behind becoming less reliant on Mo and that the tweaks are partly because of that.

[Steveo]

We improved a lot in the second half.

We defended well throughout the game.

We did well to get a clean sheet - and we defended their set pieces well especially with mids and forwards dogged space restriction and superb focus….but gave far too many of them away at home imo. This highlights a lack of control through our midfield.

Konate - how many miss timed headers does he need to make before he learns to read the flight of a ball?

[jozza800]

We did well to get a clean sheet - and we defended their set pieces well especially with mids and forwards dogged space restriction and superb focus….but gave far too many of them away at home imo. This highlights a lack of control through our midfield.

Konate - how many miss timed headers does he need to make before he learns to read the flight of a ball?

Agreed in terms of midfield control. Most of the team was guilty of poor ball control and passing, especially in the first half.

Thought Konate dealt with Gykores pretty well and was the first to get his head to the ball for most of the corners.

Gomez equally did well when he came on.

[Crimson Dynasty]

We did well to get a clean sheet - and we defended their set pieces well especially with mids and forwards dogged space restriction and superb focus….but gave far too many of them away at home imo. This highlights a lack of control through our midfield.

Konate - how many miss timed headers does he need to make before he learns to read the flight of a ball?

Guehi can't get here quick enough.

Even when Gomez came on it was a massive improvement in that backline composure.

I think it was all encapsulated in that sequence that ended with Virgil screaming at him for letting a ball bounce instead of heading it away, which Allisson had to scramble to paw away.
Even his defensive partner is getting sick of his lapses.

[sydenham red]

We're not dropping Mo after 3 wins to start the season ffs.

No one is above the team and we're winning inspite of him not because of him. He seems to retain the special status under slot like he did under Jurgen. He also plays throughout Ramadan when he's clearly not on it. Step back up or step aside even temporarily

[Steveo]

Guehi can't get here quick enough.

Even when Gomez came on it was a massive improvement in that backline composure.

I think it was all encapsulated in that sequence that ended with Virgil screaming at him for letting a ball bounce instead of heading it away, which Allisson had to scramble to paw away.
Even his defensive partner is getting sick of his lapses.

This^

[Kev0909]

No one is above the team and we're winning inspite of him not because of him. He seems to retain the special status under slot like he did under Jurgen. He also plays throughout Ramadan when he's clearly not on it. Step back up or step aside even temporarily

Wonder if not having trent is effecting him or jota....

who knows.

it's not like we have many options eitherway..... so he's playing whatever his form

Also is it me, or is arteta rather negative? I do think if he went for it today, we could've been beaten probably was the best time to play us even if they was away, best chance to beat us at anfield, if that was later in the season I wouldn't be saying the same.

Just seen Eze's dive when gomez touched him..... why didn't the clown just shoot ?? was a good chance

[sydenham red]

They had us contained and they never seemed to build on that, maybe all their effort was spent on that containment. Theyll pick up a lot of points though with a very strong squad, we will need to keep pace with that. Arteta is probably getting consumed with inability to win the big ones, do the Arsenal board accept later era Wenger like qualification for CL but not much else

[Kev0909]

Transfers depending, and depending if frimpong is fit after the break....

What about trying Wirtz on the left? Szob back in the 3.. Don't think he deserves to be dropped..