That means we’re done here, so thanks for your company and comments – sorry I couldn’t use them all – and hope you enjoyed that as much as I did. Naturally, we’ve still plenty of sport for you, so check-in here:
And here:
But otherwise, that’s it from me. Peace out.
Righto, here’s Andy Hunter’s match report.
“Intense” says Alexander-Arnold when asked about the game, and says his team lacked the confidence and intensity to play their game in the early stages. But they had the better of the second half, and he says his shove of Xhaka was just a natural reaction to being shoved himself. Asked about his role in Arsenal’s second goal, he says “The goals have to come down one of the sides, that’s how football works,” which is very funny but also very nonsense. He also thinks Liverpool have shown today – again – that they can compete with the best.
Micah Richards thinks that was one of the best games he’s ever seen, and there’s a sense of exhaustion in the studio. We all know how they feel; imagine how the players feel!
Aaron Ramsdale tells Sky it feels like both a point gained and two dropped, but in the next few days it’ll come to be more like the former. They were under big pressure, didn’t concede, and of his saves he of course says that’s what he’s there for. Arteta is “hugely positive”, he tells us, so they’ll be shown all the good stuff they did to go 2-0 up, and accepts his well-earned player of the match trophy.
I’m sure someone will set me straight, but that feels like the best game we’ve seen this season. But the head-to-head, on 26 April two weeks Wednesday, will be absolutely colossal. Real talk, I think City’s best is better than Arsenal’s best and they also know they can handle the pressure, so if they’re on it that night, I’d fancy them. But Arsenal have the players to cause them all sorts of aggravation.
In general, that should be a point gained for Arsenal, rather than two dropped. But City are specific, have proved over a number of years that they can peel off as many wins as necessary to take the title, and seem to have hit a seam. Arsenal still have to play Newcastle and Chelsea, while City’s run-in is kind, but with the complicating factors of FA Cup and Champions League engagements.
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And breathe. Oh my absolute complete and utter days, everything we love about this thing of ours was out on that pitch this afternoon.
So Arsenal’s lead at the top is six points, which means if City win their game in hand and beat them at the Etihad, we go to goal difference; currently, City lead by five. Liverpool, meanwhile, stay eighth, two off Brighton in seventh and 12 off Man United in fourth.
FULL-TIME: Liverpool 2-2 Arsenal
What an astonishing game of association football that was! Well played and thanks to both teams, I’m in awe of the skill, fortitude, love and devotion is takes to come up with that.
90+6 min Here we go again! Henderson sticks the ball across, Konate is at the back post, and thinks all he has to do is get something on ot it, so dives with his chest to win the match … and out of nowhere Ramsdale hurls himself at it, somehow inserting body between ball and line! If Arsenal win the title, that man has just earnt himself a statue!
And now look! Martinelli breaks at inside-left, has Saka inside and free … but he overhits his pass and Alisson collects! This is wild!
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90+5 min I said things hit him, but what a save Aaron Ramsdale makes here! Salah collects possession on the left side of the box, wants to curl towards the far corner, curls towards the far corner, and Ramsdale, reading his intention and leaping early, stretches, reaches, grasps and paws to flick away! WHAT IS GOING ON?! THAT IS AN INCREDIBLE SAVE!
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90+4 min Firmino finds Robertson, who teases a ball to the back post where Salah loses Tierney and Gabriel, both panicking and sort of pulling him back! But he shrugs them off, stretches to volley over the top, and the ref lets them away with it!
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90+2 min Arsenal win a corner, but Alisson comes to collect, and now it’s Liverpool’s turn to seek a winner, Salah finding Alexander-Arnold infield … and he lamps a terrific shot just over the bar! This is ludicrous game of football, it really is!
90 min We’ll have six added minutes, and Arsenal are now seeking a winner. As things stand, and for the first time in a while, the title is in Man City’s hands: if they win all their games, they’re champions, likewise Arsenal.
89 min Credit to Liverpool, who’ve been excellent since equalising. They’ve not dominated Arsenal will dazzling football, but have imposed their will with the terrifying desperation of a side raging against the dying of the light. Meantime, Arsenal replace a desolate Zinchenko with Tierney, whose first act it to last a shot just past the far post.
GOAL! Liverpool 2-2 Arsenal (Firmino 87)
THE TITLE IS IN THE BALANCE! Alexander-Arnold isolates Zinchenko, megs him, takes a touch, and flips a perfect stand-up to the back post, where Firmino nods home! What a finish we’ve got coming up here, and what might it mean! Football!
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85 min Bukayo Saka! He breaks at inside-left, eschews a pass infield to Trossard, then just as he slows ands it looks like he’s given up on creating an opportunity, now facing his own goal, he turns, slips between Konate and Robertson, then crosses … but because he’s wandered off his flank, there’s no one there to finish off his good work.
84 min Arsenal win a corner down the right, Saka makes himself a cuppa before he takes it – he’s booked for timewasting – then plants a lovely cross onto Gabriel’s brow … only for his mate to thunk straight at Alisson! That was the game right there!
83 min Ramsdale reminds me a lot of Iker Casillas, a keeper who seems to get hit by shots more than he saves them, with swingers the size of Sicily.
81 min …and immediately it’s breached, a brilliant touch from Firmino diverting a high ball into Salah, whose instasweep sticks Nunez in! But, well, we know he’s both someone who makes stuff happen and an untidy finisher, striding through with no apparent clue of what he’s going to do. So Ramsdale advances, smothering a tentative shot, and like Babylon 5, might that be Liverpool’s best last hope?
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81 min Kiwior goes into the middle of a back five…
80 min Now Arsenal make changes: Odegaard and Jesus off, Trossard and Kiwior on.
79 min Klopp goes for it, sending Firmino on for Fabinho.
78 min Yup, Arsenal are threatening a third here, a clever reverse-pass from Odegaard releasing Saka, who’s mooched over to the left. But his cross, stood up to the back stick, sails behind.
78 min Henderson is allowed time to pick a pass into Salah, but Xhaka does superbly to out-muscle him and bring the ball away.
76 min Arsenal know there’s a third there for them if they get the counter right – they’re leaving men up because they want to finish this.
74 min And as I type that, Xhaka clips another ball to where Alexander-Arnold isn’t but should be! Martinelli screeches onto it, delivers another fine cross, this time low, and Saka is at the back post! But sliding in risking an own goal, Robertson gets just enough on the ball to take the sting off it and Alisson pounces before it arrives for a tap-in! Brilliant defending, but only just.
73 min Liverpool win another free-kick out wide – Arsenal need to stop giving those away – but this time, clear Alexander-Arnold’s ball in properly and I think things are changing slightly. I’d not be surprised to see Arsenal score again on the counter.
71 min Arsenal have improved these last few minutes and Zinchenko picks a nice ball through the middle for Martinelli, whose movement has been excellent today; I know it’s always excellent, but especially so. Anyhow, he turns adroitly, but Van Dijk is there with a fine sliding challenge to avert the danger.
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70 min “Time to hold my hands up,” returns Samuel Campbell, “just seen a different angle and it does look a lot worse. Probably 50/50 that a player gets sent off for it but doesn’t look great from the linesman. But I do think if players get routinely booked for approaching officials then Robertson thinks twice about going over and the whole situation is avoided.”
Yup, agree with that last bit. And while the schoolboy in me thinks it’d be a funner game if officials were allowed to cuff recalcitrant players, we probably need them keeping their discipline.
69 min Again, Liverpool win a corner and when Arsenal can’t clear, sustain the attack. This is the kind of football that made them champions of England and Europe, and in the end a panicked Partey humps clear under pressure from Gakpo.
68 min I wonder if Arteta is thinking about a change. Thing is, who does he remove? Odegaard has probably been the least effective of his front six, but he’s been one of the league’s best players this season and is the team’s leader. It’s usually Martinelli, but he’s been great today; I don’t know, but Liverpool are still in the ascendancy and that’s been the case for long enough such that I’m sure there’ll be a response.
65 min The corner is sort of cleared but Nunez pursues the ball out wide, diddles Zinchenko, and Liverpool probe again, but look at Jesus! He controls a high ball beautifully, lifting it over Thiago, then lofts a gorgeous no-look pass Martinelli’s path, sends him away! This time, though, Liverpool get bodies around him so Arsenal go backwards and sideways, reacquainting themselves with possession.
64 min In comes the cross, aimed for Van Dijk at the back post, and his header back yields a corner…
63 min Arsenal haven’t got going this half, and the missed penalty hasn’t transferred momentum. Increasingly, this looks like the pivotal match of the title race, either the day Arsenal knew, or the day they tossed it. meantime, Thiago spreads a lovely pass wide, Gakpo wins a free-kick, and Liverpool send the big boys forward.
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61 min I’m not surprised to see Nunez, who I’d have started against Holding. But given the flow of the game, I’m a little surprised Klopp has changed his midfield configuration and introduced someone who’s not played for two months.
61 min Ch ch ch changes for Liverpool, Thiago and Nunez on, Jota and Jones off.
60 min “From the footage I have seen it looks like the linesman was just shrugging Robertson off after he put his hands on him,” says Samuel Campbell. “Not sure there is any need for further action. If anything comes off it I hope officials start dishing out red cards for all the dissent and abuse they usually let slide.”
That’s definitely the best-case scenario for all of us, and I was trying to visit the facilities when Sky showed it, but that wasn’t quite how it looked to me.
58 min This allows us to see footage of Klopp turning away from the penalty, punching the air because he thinks it’s in, then turning to discover that it very much isn’t. Football!
57 min Ramsdale, I didn’t have time to say, was booked pre-penalty, and here he is again now, punching clear as Salah curls a shot that’s too close to him. This is already such a game, and we’ve got another 30-odd minutes of it! But in the meantime, we’ve got a break as Gabriel put his head in the way of a thumping shot, so is receiving treatment.
55 min Salah skips away and Arsenal counter, Jesus away on the far side. So Fabinho kicks him and accepts his yellow card with performative incredulity.
54 min Rob Holding is one relieved and hirsute man! His challenge was so silly – though not as silly as the law which hands an 80% chance of a goal for offences nowhere near that serious – but Salah tried to be too precise.
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SALAH PUTS HIS PENALTY WIDE!
He opens his body, runs around the ball, and passes it wide! Name on the trophy!
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PENALTY LIVERPOOL!
The initial ball in is headed up, then as Jota takes the loose ball away from goal, Holding dives in unnecessarily, Jota goes down, and that’s a penalty. A soft penalty but a penalty nonetheless, and what on earth are we seeing here! Ramsdale, though, is the kind of lucky keeper who saves these…
52 min Liverpool’s pressure yields a corner down the left, they surround Ramsdale, and here comes the cross…
50 min Liverpool are moving the ball nicely now, probing for holes as Arsenal try closing them. It’s games like this that remind us why “our league” is so dominant in world football, and why so many bad people want to trap it.
49 min Konate rattles Xhaka taking ball and man, and this is boiling up beautifully. Stand by for more EVERYTHING that NO ONE (apart from everyone) wants to see.
47 min Apparently, Robertson was raging in the tunnel at half-time, saying he’d been elbowed in the throat – and he’s right, he was – then we see the lino enjoying a smile. I’m afraid he probably won’t be smiling tomorrow, because I can’t see how he gets away with that. I guess what’s surprising, though, is that stuff like that doesn’t happen more often, the stick the officials are subjected to, but Robertson wasn’t especially aggressive, I don’t think.
46 min Martinelli again opens the half with a stretch down the left, slowing up Alexander-Arnold, breezing by, and cutting into the box. Nothing comes of it, but it’s a reminder that he has the beating of his man.
46 min We go again!
As the players went off for half-time, the lineman elbowed Andy Robertson!
He went after him as they left the pitch, said what he said, and the lino stuck one on his throat! I don’t know if he meant it as a shrug – if I’m honest, it didn’t look like he did – but that wasn’t how it came over, and he’s done well not to be sent off. Were he a player, he’d be gone.
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“Feels like an awfully long time ago that Salah was skinning David Luiz at will,” writes Matt Dony. “Ah well. Could be some fun away days in the Europa Conference. (Which is hopeful in itself!)”
Yup, any Liverpool matchgoers jaded by the repetitive nature of the Champions League are in luck.
Half-time email: “I am genuinely mystified with the way Van Dijk defends,” says Niall O’Keefe. “He stands off at least three yards with his hands behind his back; good example was recently against Man City. All well and good outside the box but not around the penalty area. Poor again so far today. We can talk about injuries to excuse him but then I remember Paul McGrath. Aged 34 in the 1994 World Cup and superb against Italy. Aged 34-37 for Villa. Again a warrior and excellent timing for tackles. I think VVD should have a hard look in the mirror as is he is not up for it.”
In fairness, the game is a lot quicker now, especially than what we watched in the heat of USA 94. I agree that McGrath was brilliant, but he was playing in a more defensive team playing much deeper.
I mentioned earlier that Arsenal were acting suspiciously like the Glipton Giants. Here’s what they’ve been up to:
Phew! For 40 minutes, this was a mismatch, but Xhaka xhakad, Liverpool found a route back into things, and now we’ve a chaotic ruck that is the only kind of game they can win. I cannot wait for the second half and the good news is it’ll be along in roughly 15 minutes. Buckle up, mates!
HALF-TIME: Liverpool 1-2 Arsenal
Another sensational half of Premier League FootballTM and there’s aggro on the way off, Henderson giving out to the ref and I think he’s been booked.
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45+3 min Jones is into this now and he sidewinds into the box, beating one man before being blocked off by another. But Liverpool sustain the attack, Salah knocks back to Alexander-Arnold, and his swinging cross picks out Jota at the back post! But the angle is too acute for a proper shot, so he deflects back into the middle, Ramsdale punches away, and Henderson lashes over the top. This is a very different affair all of a sudden.
45+1 min Arsenal try to douse the building inferno, then Jesus, who helped them escape from a tight situation at left-back just a few seconds ago, is the meat in a Konate-Fabinho sandwich. He stays down, time elapses, and the interval is just a bit closer.
45 min We’ll have four added minutes.
44 min “When this crowd’s sleeping, don’t wake them up,” says Gary Neville, and he’s right. Who knows whether that goal happens without Xhaka’s intervention, but it didn’t help and added needle to a game that, from a Liverpool perspective, was slowly expiring.
GOAL! Liverpool 1-2 Arsenal (Salah 42)
Oh! Oh! Jones, who’s been anonymous, pulls right and plays a gorgeous pass, off one foot onto the other, that sets Jota away. He cuts back, Henderons goes for goal with an open-body sidefooter, and at the far post, Gabriel slides in, diverting the ball against the sliding Salah and in. Did Xhaka’s gormless intervention provoke that? Either way, we got ourselves a ball-game!
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40 min Liverpool are ticking so of course Granit Xhaka wades in, shoving Alexander-Arnild from behind and raising an arm dangerously close the back of his head. Alexander-Arnold retaliates with a shove from behind, there’s a bit more shoving, and Xhaka’s teammates haul him away and both are booked.
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39 min On the touchline, Klopp has a look of bemused amusement on his kipper. Make no mistake, his work these last few years is that of a genius, but he needs a serious reset now.
37 min Jesus wins a free-kick off Jota near the right corner-flag, and Liverpool are frazzled. This is so taste-of-your-own-medicine it’s barely believable, because though Arteta is of course heavily influenced by Pep Guardiola, his side are more similar in style and demeanour to Klopp’s mentality monsters.
36 min “About Van Dijk’s injury,” says Magnús Björgvin Guðmundsson. “He was injured two years ago and then came back to lead Liverpool to two titles, a Champions League final and coming within one point of the league title. Why would the injury hamper him and everyone around him so much now?”
It hampered him them too, I think – his team were just better able to cover it.
35 min After Liverpool’s first chance, Ramdale went down; now, Gabriel goes down, and this looks like a plan: any adverse circumstance, take the heat out of things. Clever, because how does the ref police it?
34 min Holding steps forward like he’s Sammer, discovers that actually, he isn’t, and a ball in behind sends Salah through! But under pressure, he can only poke wide of the near post, and that’s just how this game is going.
32 min Alisson punches the free-kick away, so Arsenal build again. This could be revenge for their 5-q gubbing in February 2014.
31 min Jesus draws him out to the left, nips past him, and Van Dijk misses with his first hack but makes sure with his trailing leg! He’s booked, but what’s resonant is the desperation of it. He knows, they know, we all know.
30 min Far worse Liverpool sides than this have made Anfield a notoriously difficult place to win; Arsenal are laughing at them.
GOAL! Liverpool 0-2 Arsenal (Jesus 28)
Xhaka arcs a ball in behind Alexander-Arnold, who’s dreaming about strawberry fields and marmalade skies; Martinelli is onto it like a hyena, slowing it down as he steps inside before curling a cross that’s so tasty Gabriel Jesus could’ve been excused catching it and eating it. But instead he leaps alone, glances into the far corner, and Arsenal have come to Anfield and are taking Liverpool apart!
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27 min The thing about building a football team is that chemistry between players is so hard to predict, and Liverpool’s run of transfer successes was, as far as I know, the greatest in the history of the game by far. In such context, I’m not surprised they’ve been unable sustain things.
25 min Better from Liverpool, Alexander-Arnold oozing through midfield and coaxing a fine ball into the middle where Holding does superbly to head behind, despite a shove from Gakpo. The corner comes to nothing, but I doubt we’ve seen the last of the scoring for this half.
24 min “Totally concur with the problems with the kit,” says Andy Tuohy. “There is no excuse. The colour temperature is very close too. Standing still, just about ok. Moving extremely hard to differentiate. I’d be happy to offer my services. For a fee of course.”
On the other hand, here’s how to do things properly.
23 min White gives it away and immediately endeavours to resolve the situation, scything through Jota; he’s booked.
22 min “Failure has many fathers,” reckons Kári Tulinius, “and one of Liverpool’s is Virgil van Dijk. He’s still a brilliant defender, but his positioning has sometimes been just tiny bit off this season, which leads to errors like the one for the goal. Though it might be that everyone else in defence is positioned slightly wrong, but either way Liverpool can’t rely on him mopping everything up anymore.”
Ultimately, a cruciate injury at his age and you won’t be the same player, especially if you’re reliant on your pace, and I’m sure that’s to do with his wonky positioning. His ability to cover space covered a multitude of faults in those around him, but he can’t manage that anymore.
20 min Ramsdale goes down and like that episode of Jossy’s Giants where Jossy is late for a match having got married, the players all gather round the manager for an “impromptu” team talk.
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19 min Liverpool are seriously struggling here, but have a look! Fabinho lofts a gorgeous pass in behind White, Robertson marches onto it as we’ve seen him do so many times before, and lashes a shot towards the far corner … but is skips just wide!
17 min Here come Arsenal again, Jesus pulling right as Martinelli moves inside. The ball is fizzed right to Saka, who curves a terrific cross to the far post, Jesus hurtling after it having called it on. He can’t quite arrive in time to get over it, so his shot, from a narrow angle, is high and wide, but this is a boys and men situation, the boys far too organised and ebullient for the men to cope.
16 min “The Thiago signing is certainly the most visible part of Liverpool’s malfunctioning midfield engine,” says Niall Mullen. “But other decisions have hurt them just as much. Among all of the young or back-up midfielders there isn’t a single fit or hard-running example. Keita, Ox, Jones, Carvalho, Elliott all have their qualities but none of them is covering the hard yards. With Mané going and Firmino ageing/becoming a bit part player the running from the front is gone too. Obviously Henderson and Fabinho are off the pace for different reasons while Van Dijk, Trent and Robertson all look goosed. Hard to see how signing Bellingham won’t immediately fix all of these issues in an instant.”
Ha! Bellingham is the nearest I’ve seen to Bryan Robson – a one-man team – since Bryan Robson – but I agree that the issues are more significant than can be solved by him. Ultimately, Klopp turned very good players into world-beaters, and that’s not an easy thing to sustain or replicate.
14 min Bukayo Saka will get the plaudits for his work in creating that goal, but he was facilitated – as he has been so often this season – by a clever pass from White. Their partnership is a huge part of what makes Arsenal so good, and you’ve got to credit Arteta for converting White into a full-back, sidelining Tomiyasu – a player he bought and who did well – in the process.
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12 min Arsenal are swarming Liverpool now, too fast, lithe and confident. Martinelli, now back on the left, lays back for Zinchenko on the corner of the box, who sweeps a shot wide, and for now, the home side can only hope to hang in there.
11 min “Been looking forward to this match all weekend ,” says Mattbut as a colour blind person it’s completely unwatchable. I don’t understand how this keeps happening – both teams look identical on my TV. Given up trying to watch it already.”
Ach, I’m sorry to hear that. I’ve a colourblind mate in the away end – hello Baz! – who I trust is still watching – but yep, no reason this shouldn’t be considered.
9 min Arsenal have something to hold onto, and Liverpool are in big trouble.
GOAL! Liverpool 0-1 Arsenal (Martinelli 8)
What a glorious mess this is! White plays a signature pass into Saka, who’s not yet been involved, and he makes a fine first movement and explodes infield, then a false touch from Van Dijk diverts the ball into the path of Martinelli – suddenly in the middle. With defenders converging, he takes an artist’s first touch, then pokes past Alisson and what a start that is for the title pretenders!
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8 min Since that first-minute incursion, Arsenal haven’t had much of the ball, but they enjoy a bit of it now…
7 min Gakpo, having drifted left, picks up possession and cuts inside, opening the angle for a curler which he wallops over the top.
6 min “Spot-on about Gini and the knock-on effects of a less aggressive midfield,” tweets @hankbobbym. “Losing Mané’s pressing & energy, not to mention his goals, have compounded those issues. Interesting that both players have had somewhat disappointing next phases of their careers.”
Yup, I’d not criticise them for fancying a new challenge, but wasn’t totally convinced either of them were good enough to impose the way they imposed at Liverpool without Klopp’s infrastructure and inspiration.
5 min It’s a bit messy at the moment, which suits Liverpool, and as I type that Jota finds the space to run at White, losing his footing as he tries to pass on the outside.
3 min On which point, Alexander-Arnold is inverting – I guess it makes sense given how often he’s been stood on his heads this season. . I wonder if this is the start of him moving into midfield, where it might be easier to accentuate his strengths and obscure his weaknesses.
2 min Liverpool clear the corner and swarm forward with Salah. He can’t make anything of it, but the speed with which that happened is probably telling as regards Klopp’s tactics.
1 min Arsenal win a free-kick 35 yards out and immediately sweep it out to Martinelli … and Alexander-Arnold has given him far too much space! Martinelli glides by o the outside, hits the line, and crosses, the ball coming back to Xhaka whose shot is deflected behind.
1 min And away we go!
We’ll have a period of silence to remember those who died at Hillsborough. May their memories be for a blessing.
Arsenal huddle and perform shouting. They know how colossal this is; can they wear that?
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Anfield resounds with defiant singing. Can the players back the crowd up?
“Compromising the feeling of celebrating a goal’” tweets Brendan Large. “This is the main problem with VAR. I would go back in a second if I was allowed to choose, and I’m a Chelsea fan so haven’t even had much to celebrate.”
No one fell in love with football because of its robust decision-making process. We should remember this, I’d say.
AND HERE THEY COME!
The players are tunnelled…
“The late great Steven Wells, as relevant as ever,” says Niall Mullen.
“When I want to get a strong reaction from my Liverpool-supporting friends,” returns Admir Pajiæ, “I compare Thiago with Veron. In both cases brilliant footballers were essentially technically-perfect square pegs in round holes and an attempt to fix what wasn’t broken.”
Sort of; the Man United team into which Veron came was dominant domestically but needed something different in Europe. He wasn’t the right player, but I do think a player was necessary, and this pass made every argument against his signing moot.
But on refs, I think they’ve been done by the game. The refusal of players and managers to take responsibility for their own failings; the alacrity with which supporters allowed them to; the media allowing it too, desperate for narrative; is what landed us with VAR in the first place. We were getting, I think, 92% correct calls previously, so were in a pretty good spot, and compromising the feeling of celebrating a goal, the finest one known to humanity, was a silly move. And what we have now is subjective (and poorly-drafted) laws, to which has been added an extra layer of “clear and obvious” subjectivity, such that even when we see an incident replayed, we’ve still not a clue what decision will be given.
Arteta tells Sky that his team need to be at their best, extremely competitive and sharp in both boxes. The’ve started games well, so he hopes they will today, and says he’s left out Trossard because of what he wants in his team for this particular challenge, but it’s a long game and he’s chances to change things from the bench.
“It’s hard to guess what team is going to show up,” says Eagle Brosi. “The team that runs the game smoothly without much fuss or the one that will have the boss apologising in the newspapers the next day. I just hope they’re able to find some consistency. After all the mistakes they’ve made this season now is a great time to find some form. I’m talking about the referees and VAR, not Liverpool. Sorry for any confusion.”
Before we go any further, I’d just like to say this (spotter’s badge for anyone who knows where that reference is from).
I should’ve noted that Thiago is back on the bench today – he’s not played since the start of February. On which point, it’s my contention that replacing Gini Wijnaldum with him was the beginning of the end for this iteration of Liverpool. Not because he’s not a fine and beautiful player – when fit – but because Klopp’s system depending on out-running and out-physicaling opponents in midfield. As soon as they couldn’t do that, they couldn’t protect their playmaking full-backs, and though their are other factors – age, injury – this is, “for me”, the main one.
Jürgen Klopp learns the word “retention” at the start of his pre-match interview and notes that his team will have to be “like animals”. Conversely, when Liverpool have the ball they need to be calm because Arsenal defend well and in numbers, keeping the ball to guard against the counter.
Talking of City, I do wonder if they’ve got a little complacent this season. They’ve yet to lose a tight title race – since they got good, the years they’ve not won it, they’ve not been close – which makes me think they got to thinking that however many points their nearest challenger got, they’d get one more. But Arsenal – as they did in 97-98 and 01-02 – turned out to be better than expected, so it’s up for grabs now.
“The last time Arsenal won at Anfield was the last Abou Diaby show,” emails Admir Pajiæ. “He gave a perfect performance on the day and completely dominated. When it comes to who would rather neutral fans would want to win the league, I think Man City have become a consolation prize for all other big clubs. It’s easier to accept your club can’t win the league in a title race with City if our traditional rival clubs can’t win in that race either. That’s why even a lot of Man U fans on Twitter prefer Man City to win the league – they don’t want us to celebrate first post-Wenger title, at least not before they get a post-Ferguson one.”
Yes, I was at a game in November 2008 when Arsenal beat Man United and Diaby was brilliant that day too. As for who wants what to happen, I’m biased, so please excuse me, but though I think it’s a fair point that a state-aided title is easier to rationalise, I doubt there are many matchgoing United fans who’d prefer a City title to an Arsenal one – never mind a City title that would give them three-in-a-row and with the treble still on the table.
And how are Arsenal going to be Liverpool? Well, by doing what they always do. What’s most striking about them isn’t the attacking verve, but the rabidity with which they hunt lost possession – remind you of anyone? – and it’s hard to see what can be done to stop them dominating in midfield. That should allow them to stretch the play – admittedly not as easy at Anfield as elsewhere – meaning Liverpool’s full-backs are in for a tricky afternoon. I’m sure Klopp will have a plan for that, and Arsenal’s lack of a proper goalscorer might cause them problems, but the more I think about it, the more I think they’ll have too much.
So how are Liverpool going to beat Arsenal? Well, I daresay they’ll be targeting Holding, who is a lot less good than Saliba, and the space on their right, occupied by Salah, when Oleksandr Zinchenko inverts. I daresay they’ll also plan to hassle Arsenal’s back-four in possession and try and force turnovers high up the pitch, but realistically, unless the weight of the occasion tells, theirs is likely a puncher’s chance.
Elsewhere, Palace are taking Leeds apart. Follow the closing stages with Rob Smyth!
Email! “Speaking as a Liverpool season ticket holder whose first game was in 1975, says Algernon Mcpherson, “I know several people who would rather City win the league than Arsenal, me included.”
Yes, I meant to qualify my sweeping statement with a “most”, but I’m intrigued. I’d assumed that Liverpool-Manchester rivalry along with state wealth would trump any dislike for Arsenal, but hatred is where you find it.
So let’s take a closer look at all that. Jürgen Klopp restores Trent Alexander-Arnold, Andy Robertson, Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah and Cody Gakpo to his starting XI, with Joe Gomez, Kostas Tsimikas, Joël Matip, Darwin Núnez and Roberto Firmino dropping out.
Mikel Arteta, meanwhile, reverts to his strongest available line-up. William Saliba is still absent, so Rob Holding and his hair continue to deputise while, in attack, Bukayo Saka returns in place of Leandro Trossard.
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Shall we have some teams?
Liverpool (a back-to-basics 4-3-3): Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konaté, Van Dijk, Robertson; Fabinho, Henderson, Jones; Salah, Gakpo, Jota. Subs: Kelleher, Gomez, Thiago, Milner, Firmino, Elliott, Tsimikas, Nunez, Matip.
Arsenal (a new danger 4-3-3): Ramsdale; White, Holding, Gabriel, Zinchenko; Partey, Xhaka, Odegaard; Saka, Jesus, Martinelli. Subs: Turner, Tierney, Smith Rowe, Kiwior, Trossard, Jorginho, Vieira, Nelson, Walters.
Referee: Paul Tierney (Wigan)
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Preamble
Football has many twee and arcane charms, but the opportunity to take manic pleasure in inflicting pain and suffering on those less fortunate, is among its greatest. For those of us who consider this behaviour a contextual treat rather than a civic duty – our government’s indifference to the beautiful game is, of course, a complete coincidence – it represents a rare opportunity to lose our minds, dignity and decency, with the world made a better place for it.
And make no mistake, for Liverpool, that is what today is all about. Their top-four hopes aren’t entirely gone – they’ve put in serious late runs to nab Champions-League spots in the past. But equally, their fans will well remember the Andrei Arshavin game of April 2009 which handed Man United a decisive advantage in the title race, and want a piece of that for themselves.
The funny thing is, Liverpool fans would also prefer Arsenal to win the league than Man City – another aspect of what makes this game so overwhelmingly delicious. But that’s for another time; as far as right expletive now goes, my enemy’s enemy is my enemy and there’s nothing more football than that.
Arsenal, meanwhile, haven’t won a league game at Anfield since September 2012, haven’t won a league title anywhere since May 2004 and know that they’re no longer a plucky bunch of young outsiders but a respected outfit who need to get the job done. A result this afternoon puts them eight in front with eight to go; gives them scope to lose away to Man City; and allows them the joy of painting their superiority all over a despised rival. On other hand, dropped points means the title is in City’s hands as much as it’s in theirs, and the tenor of the chase changes.
There are a myriad of tactical reasons which will help determine how this game will go, and we’ll come to them in due course. But there’s a reason why Graeme Souness and Roy Keane are constantly banging on about mentality and pressure, and it’s not because they’re anachronistic dinosaurs who understand the game less well than we do, nor is it because they lack our refined sense of what it takes to become champions. Which is to say that Arsenal are a better team than Liverpool, but the question we’re asking today is whether they’re a better team than Liverpool between 4.30pm and around 6.25pm with the population of Anfield shrieking in their ears, the weight of the generations bawling in their heads, and the entirety of the footballing world wondering if they’ll crumble and burn.
So sit back, settle in, and prime yourselves for a shot of pure, uncut and glorious football. Here we go!
Kick-off: 4.30pm BST
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