Anfield 2012. The last time we won there. Arteta was in the team. 21CG sums the history up well in his preview. Sitting proudly on top of the table, and having added Declan, I detected a note of optimism in the Goonerverse. This was the year we would lay the Anfield hoodoo. I had hoped to be there myself. Unfortunately our normal away allocation was reduced by 500 due to the redevelopment of the Anfield Road stand and I missed out by a few credits.
The team was, as expected, unchanged for the third league game in a row.
Team: Raya, White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko, Ǿdegaard, Rice Havertz, Saka, Jesus, Martinelli.
Subs: Ramsdale, ESR, Nketiah, Kiwior, Cedric, Trossard, Jorghino, Nelson, Elneny
Liverpool made only two changes from their Premier League game against Manchester United. Nunez and Gravenberch dropped out for Gakpo and Jones.
Arsenal made a really fast start and had the ball in the Liverpool box three times in the first three minutes. On the third occasion, Kai Havertz was scythed down on our left. Ǿdegaard lifted in a perfect, arcing ball, Allison was caught in no man’s land and big Gabi nodded it in beautifully. After the usual anxious wait for VAR, the green line came up on the offside decision. One nil to The Arsenal. The goal had come from our press which was really functioning well.
Liverpool 0-1 Arsenal (Gabriel 4 min)
We had a nasty moment when the ball hit Ǿdegaard’s hand in the penalty area. The ref and VAR decided it was a slip and hence accidental. I think we got really lucky there. If that had been at the other end I’d have been screaming for a penalty.
After 28 minutes they were level. A raking ball from quarterback Trent Alexander-Arnold soared over Zinny’s head to Salah. He cut inside, beating Zinny again and smashed it high past Raya. Perhaps Zinny could have done better, perhaps Gabriel could have helped him out but it was a fabulous goal.
Liverpool 1-1 Arsenal (Salah 28 min)
On 33 minutes the ball went down the Arsenal right and Saka and Tsimikas tussled for it. Tsimikas went down and bowled over Klopp in his technical area. Tsimikas had taken the impact on his shoulder and rose holding his collar bone. He had to go off and was replaced by Joe Gomez.
On 41 minutes we had golden chances for Saka and Martinelli. Saka was put through by Jesus but was forced wide by Allison. The ball fell to Martinelli who screwed it wide of the post. A big chance.
We had started at a furious pace but after we scored, Liverpool came right back into the game, with the long diagonals from Alexander-Arnold to Salah causing us, and Zinchenko in particular, huge problems. Our centre backs and Declan Rice were doing sterling work, heading away cross after cross. Overall at half time, honours even, but slight advantage Liverpool.
HT: Liverpool 1-1 Arsenal
Both presses dominated in the early minutes of the second half. We, in particular, were finding it difficult to get out as Liverpool raised their intensity for the first 15 minutes. Gary Neville, that scholar of the game, was repeating his view that we shouldn’t pass to each other in our own half, with the implication being we should lump it long. The truth was our passing and control during that period were slightly off, as Liverpool’s had been in the first ten minutes of the game. In previous years, this would have been where the Scousers took control and ran away with the game. Not this time however. Liverpool slowed, our passing game improved and the game became even again with chances at both ends.
Martinelli was put through, but was easily shouldered off the ball by the excellent Konate. Gabi, if truth be known, was not having the strongest of games, being dispossessed many times.
On 66 minutes the rotations began. For Liverpool, Nunes, Gravenberch and Elliott came on, while for Arsenal Trossard was switched for Martinelli. Ten minutes later Eddie came on for Jesus. Tactically, Salah was switched to the middle where he had to contend with Saliba and was much less effective than wide on the right.
We got lucky again. After a corner for us the ball came out to the edge of the Liverpool area. Ǿdegaard and Zinchenko both went for it, fell over each other and suddenly Salah was away, with a five to one overlap. Only Rice stood ahead of them, calmly holding the fort like it was Rorke’s drift. He ensured that it would not be Salah that would get the shot away. Salah switched the ball to Alexander-Arnold, the widest player on the right and completely unmarked. Choosing to use power rather than precision he thundered in a shot on Raya’s goal. With Raya beaten it hit the crossbar and left it vibrating as it bounced back.
From that point, both sides continued to try and win the game, but both defences dominated. Your correspondent’s consumption of malt whisky (Glenmorangie, on special offer at Waitrose) increased as the tension reached unbearable levels. After five minutes of added time, the referee ended the game. A splendid result, but we still haven’t laid that Anfield hoodoo.
FT: Liverpool 1-1 Arsenal
This was a rare thing, a defensive masterclass with good chances on both sides. Our back three of Saliba, Gabriel and Rice are the best central defence in the league. Only one of them played when we blew a 2-0 lead at the same venue last April. All were magnificent yesterday. As was, to be fair, the Liverpool pairing of Van Dijk and Konate who blocked umpteen shots raining in on their goal and effectively marked Gabi-gol out of the game.
A word on Zinchenko, who I can imagine has attracted much obloquy in the Goonerverse. I continue to believe in him. Would we have started Tomi if he had been available? Yes, I think so. But with him absent, Zinny was the best option and he brought many good things to the game.
The game was played at a much higher intensity than any games I have watched this weekend and must have been a treat for neutrals. The deep respect Klopp and Arteta have for each other and each other’s teams was very apparent at the end. It’s worth remembering that Saliba is 22 and Van Dijk is 32. Salah is 31 (and will be missing from January 1 until Egypt is knocked out of the AFCON) and Saka is 22. Across the teams, we have the younger blood. There are two more games between these sides coming up in January and February, both at the Emirates. I can’t wait for those.
At the end, I think we would all have snatched arms off for a point at Anfield before the kick off. So it proved. It is a result and a performance we can be proud of. It leaves us, for the second year running, top of the league at Christmas. I think we can win this thing, if we can keep lucky with key players and injuries.
A very happy Christmas to you all.
Merry Christmas to all my fellow gooners.
I despised Zinchenko’s lack of positional awareness yet again but absolutely loved the passion and fight in the team, I thought Havertz was a bit too timid and miscontrolled a simple ball when we had a three on two and gifted it back to the pool.
Overall though I thought we were pretty fantastic and although its sad Klopp injured his own player it was awesome to see Saka not get bullied as the refs seem to be OK with rotationally fouling on him usually.
Cheers C100. Fair and accurate summary, we definitely watched the same match.
Good perspective on Zinchenko too, frustrating at the back but contributed a lot to our positive play too: always believe in your soul.
Merry Christmas to you all.
Cheers C100! And Festive Greetings to all on here!
Building on my comments above, Le Grove makes a good point this morning.
https://x.com/legrove/status/1738878972430012418?s=61&t=cVFjCyGkt4y-Ne45LtfqkQ
Great report, C100. Haven’t seen the game yet but this has rather more than whetted my appetite.
Thank you, C100 – nice balance of detail and opinion.
I thought we played really well in the circumstances and the atmosphere and with a referee who handed out yellow cards at 5-2 in Liverpool’s favour which seemed odd considering the game I watched. Overall I was quite enjoying him letting the game flow and seeing some tough but not dangerous challenges going in. Both sides had penalty claims turned away and in the spirit of that game I thought that was fair enough. My gripe with that particular official and the PGMOL in general is how they allow the apparently perceived norm of Saka and Jesus to be rotationally fouled without sanction week in week out.
Luckily for us they are a pair of tough cookies who keep getting up and getting on with it but you have to wonder how long their fitness and motivation will escape more serious harm without proper, even, within the rules protection.
Yes, I was in part critical of Zinchenko yesterday. I accept that he is our third choice left back and that is unfortunate. I think he is a very clever, creative midfield player who adds subtlety to our attack. He is also an experienced international who is not unfamiliar with the full back role and as such his positioning against a player of Salah’s quality – and any decent right winger – is irresponsible. In one sequence yersterday he was in Odegaard’s way and then Hesus tripped over him somewhere near the centre circle.
I do appreciate his attacking attributes but sometimes needs must. And yes, (re Le Grove) I did say exactly the same last season.
Anyhoo, (TM cba) we are top of the league and this team and this club are once again something to be very proud of.
Merry Christmas All !
A fine report in sync with a fine match . We did really well and looked a very serious team. Liverpool would have blown away almost anybody yesterday including Citeh
Rice and Saliba were magnificent as they always are but I also liked Gabriel’s performance and Odegaard worked incredibly hard .
The booking total was daft . Rice was booked for absolutely nothing but I agree with C100 that Odegaard could easily have given away a penalty .
Re Zinchenko it’s a case of whether you want a left back whose main asset is his defending or whether you prefer an inverted midfield player who starts at left back . Zinny is a very average defender and was incredibly naive in the way he defended their goal . But Gabriel might have come across to help out . I always liked Tierney at left back but I think we have to trust Mikel even if we don’t agree with every decision . He hasn’t served us too badly so far !
Merry Christmas to all Holics 🧑🎄
Thanks for a great match report c100. As you said, most of us would have bittenbyour hand off for a draw, and we got it. Being separated by an ocean, it is clear that I have not done that to you but I hope you have been as lucky in that respect with your friends, family and neighbors. 😃
You are so right about the trio of Saliba, Gabriel and Rice being just about as solid as they come in that area of the pitch, and what confidence they instill in the rest of the team. Top of the league at Christmas with last year’s experience under our belts plus Declan Rice. Forget about the Christmas presents, I would like a January midfield signing to upgrade on Elneny/Jorginho (especially) if Thomas Partey is not available, and the Easter present of a fully fit Jurrien Timber. Apologies if I am sounding greedy.
Thanks C100, a well-thought out piece on a tough game. I largely agree with your many good points though I wouldn’t have taken a draw before the game personally.
Saliba said afterwards that of course it was a penalty when asked about the Ode incident, which made me laugh out loud.
This chap too –
A fine report, C100, that captured the intensity of the game and the key moments. I see from the stats that Liverpool had 599 touches and we had 598. Both sides had 13 shots, three and two on target, respectively. The game was that close, and the defending was that good.
My only point of disagreement with you is over Martinelli, who I thought looked good until he ran out of steam shortly before coming off. He was like that in the previous game. I wonder if his illness, whatever it was, took more out of him than has been let on.
We got the rub of the green with the Ødegaard handball decision. I can completely accept the logic of the argument about why it wasn’t a handball offence (if there is any logic to the handball law any more), but I am sure I would have said the argument was a load of old bollox had the same thing happened at the other end of the pitch.
I am glad you singled out Rice in the five-to-one breakaway. He was brilliant in not giving Salah the opportunity to beat him early in a one-on-one and then holding him off from making his pass for long enough that the ball had to go out wider and require a shot, not set up a one-on-one with Raya. Fine margins engineered. As I said in the last drinks, Rice looks more of a bargain buy with every game. His ability to act as a CB when Gabriel has to go wide left to cover for an upfield Zinchenko is another great attribute of his that tends to go unnoticed and probably explains why Zinchenko’s inevitable giveaways haven’t been costly of late.
Zinchenko got beaten twice for Salah’s goal, but Alexander-Arnold’s set-up pass was world-class, and Zinchenko isn’t the first full-back to be turned inside out by Salah and won’t be the last. But apart from that, I thought Zinchenko was one of our players who really stood up to be counted throughout the game.
As an aside, Raya didn’t seem to get much elevation in his dive, not that a higher arc would have prevented Salah’s thunderbolt from going in, but it does raise a question of how much spring Raya has in his legs, a question repeated every time he goes for a cross.
It could be worth your time to have a hearty laugh at the Red Mancs. As if you needed inspiration, this is how Jonathan Wilson began his match report in the Guardian on West Ham 2 – Manchester United 0:
“The Danakil Depression is a plain approximately 125 miles long by 35 miles wide that lies at the northern end of the Afar Triangle in Ethiopia. Formed by the divergence of three tectonic plates in the Horn of Africa, it lies 410 feet below sea level while year-round temperatures make it the hottest place on Earth. Although it was there that the 3.2 million-year-old fossil of Lucy, Australopithecus afarensis, was discovered in 1974, leading some to suggest it was the cradle of humanity, its salt lakes are now widely considered the most barren place on the planet.
Or at least they were until Saturday when further evidence emerged to suggest the bleakest place on Earth, the environment most devoid of creativity and imagination and hope and joy, is Manchester United.”
🤣🤣🤣
Excellent article in the guardian from Barney Ronay describing the 5 on Rice attack. I would link to it but don’t know how.
SP@13. Allow me.
https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2023/dec/23/xxx-?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
Also from the Guardian, here’s an article by Jonathan Wilson backing up what Paul wrote about our defensive solidity with the triangle of doom (doom for opposing attackers, that is):
Rice, Saliba, Gabriel: Arsenal will not wilt with ‘phenomenal’ defensive triangle
https://theathletic.com/5159144/2023/12/24/arsenal-rice-saliba-gabriel-liverpool/?source=user_shared_article
Apologies, the article linked at 15 requires a subscription to The Athletic, not actually being in the Guardian after all.
And the author is Jordan Campbell, not Jonathan Wilson.
bt8. Have we started the Christmas drinking early? (hic)
Just got home from the liquor store as a matter of fact, c100, and the cupboard is now replete including Oregon bourbon for the inlaws out of state. Was just wondering if I should try a sip or two prior to sending it but the wife quashed that idea.
Glasses raised to David Faber
God rest him and God bless him for a life well lived. A great friend to many
All the very best wishes to his family and to you all here
Happy Christmas and New Year to you from Donegal Derry Belfast and Glasgow
Sláinte
Happy Christmas, Predictathon players. Match Week 18 Leaderboard is now posted. You know where to find it…
Up to third from bottom and hard on the heels of Trev and Uply.
It’s a marathon not a sprint!
Many tks C100 for a splendid account of the game..Christmas this year sees us in Melbourne so 700kms to the East of home with our daughter & our first granddaughter for her very first Christmas. So a few things left behind in Adelaide & of most concern is my limited IT ability, trying to link up on my I-Pad…no “luck”…so the first time since goodness knows when I haven’t seen the game before I know the result…Anyway a treat in store for when we get home on the 28th…sounds like a cracker of a game..and a draw at the home of the mug smashers is not to be sneered at
Merry Christmas to all ‘holics across the globe…unusually our first 3 days in Melbourne saw nothing but sunshine & 25C but today it’s reverted to type and as Neil Finn so eloquently wrote..4 seasons in one day…it’s persisting down
COYG
As I write, it’s Christmas Day in the U.K. Four years to the day when our friend, mentor and originator of Goonerholic.com was taken from us. We feel his loss but on this day feel especially for his family and many friends. RIP Dave Faber, the Goonerholic. How he would have loved this team.
Happy Christmas to one and all 🎉🤶🎅
What C100 said about yhe Guv’nor @23. Sorely missed.
23: 👍❤️
Merry Christmas to ‘Holics everywhere.
Have a great day.
Raise a glass to Dave. 🥃
What C100 @23 said. A glass or3 of Chateau Musar will be had in Dave’s memory at lunch today.
Wherever you are and whatever you’re doing, have a fine Christmas and here’s to a happy 2024.
https://x.com/weststandtone/status/1739212563412324690?s=61&t=cVFjCyGkt4y-Ne45LtfqkQ
excellent, and certainly one abstracted step away from how i felt watching the game itself. very intense, excellent report of an even more intense, excellent game. we are a very good team.
merry christmas all. here’s to dave. 🍻
Dave Faber legend – here to you and thankyou for establishing this great community.Maybe this is the season for the Cup with the Big Ears 😀
Merry Christmas everyone
The season’s greetings to one and all. A glass of Castle Ned’s finest claret will be raised to the Guv’nor today.
Merry Christmas to All – and thoughts with Dave and family ❤️
Cheers C100! Excellent report. The first half was more about Arsenal, we could have scored more. In the second we had some luck and at the end it was a well deserved draw.
Merry Christmas Holics!
COYG
Happy Christmas to all the ‘holics old, new and in between. And a large glass in the memory of Goonerholic, the person who brought us all together, Dave Faber. How he is missed, but how his legacy lives on in Goonerholics Forever.
Merry Christmas ‘holics.
Here’s to Dave.
Boxing Day. No Arsenal. Guess I’d better start preparing for the cold meats and bubble.
C100
A nice bracing walk and a glass of elderberry wine
What could be better ?
Is bubble just a London thing? Always been part of my family as long as I can remember. Or do other parts claim it as well?
Forest hump Newcastle 3-1 at SJP and from what I saw, deservedly so
Boxing Day lunch is my favourite Christmas meal. Cold meats, bubble and squeak and spicy red cabbage. Washed down by an aged Argentinan Malbec. Now maybe an hour’s pause before another go at the Xmas pudding with Cumbrian rum sauce. Happy days.
C100, I saw the Saudi-Forest game and all credit to Forest but the Saudis looked they had inhaled a few too many Christmas puddings. 🍨🍨🍨
Not sure about that emoji, my apologies if it’s really a rice bowl but there’s also a chance that rice is what the Saudis were stuffed with. And a far greater likelihood that they will be stuffed by Rice the next time we play them.
Bon appétit C100 🥂 yeah, life is good sometimes.
It was blowfish milt to start for me, with cows cheek as a main for Boxing Day dinner.
The blowfish with a bottle of Sicilian white, and the cows cheek with a French red that i have already forgotten as the chef and I shared champagne cognacs followed by Armagnac for the digestifs. Shirako is a Japanese delicacy that I must admit is not for everyone but I love it and the cows cheek was as soft as a very soft thing.
A delightfully atmospheric report and insightful analysis, all of which I completely agree with. Thank you Countryman!
One area I think we can and should become better at in the second half of the season is scoring goals from open play. None of our goal scorers from the last season — Saka, Martinelli, Ødegaard, Jesus — are finding enough opportunities to test the opposition keepers and I don’t think it’s a coincidence. The opposition teams have worked hard to cut off many of the productive channels and figured out a way to keep especially the wingers relatively quiet in the penalty box. Kai’s late runs and silent arrivals in the box in that context should be able to explore more of the consequent gaps opening up, but I wish Jesus would show just a bit more of the ruthless scoring abilities of a striker. He is a wonderful player and has lifted the overall quality of our football but a bit more scoring instinct would help. There were a few times when the wingers or the fullbacks put through some teasing cutbacks across the goalmouth with Allison stranded but no one gambled for what would have been tap-ins.
Saliba-Rice-Gabriel were imperious. Saliba’s technical excellence on the ball allows his to almost stretch time to his advantage.
Matt @43 I’ve eaten Fugu in Japan. It was a specialist Fugu restaurant, with the blowfish prepared about eight ways! I took the precaution of dining with a pharmacologist , I thought he might recognise the paralysis first if it happened!
C100@41: Reheated Christmas pudding with Cumberland rum butter is the Boxing Day breakfast of champions.
@45 Those kinds of fugu restaurant are generally the safest places C100, (except for your wallet) though of course a specialist pharmacologist is always handy 😃 it’s usually when people haven’t watched enough Blue Peter warnings not to do this at home that the blowfish strike back.
Has the Villa bubble burst already?
A pre-assist for the half-ton…
Assist for…
Hung in the air for several hours before nodding in at the far past Christmas post
Well in Matt for the half-ton. Great team move there!
There was something topical about blowing bubbles in the buildup there. Luckily OM was there to release it with his well hung poaching for the ton
Ned @46. Thank you your kind words and I agree. But this was Cumbrian rum sauce, made by making a bechemel white sauce and adding rum to it. Cumbrian rum butter, made by mixing butter, granulated sugar and rum, is spread on cream cracker biscuits.
My wife is from West Cumbria and will brook no arguments on this.
Well in OM.
Evidently blowfish milt and a variety of alcoholic beverages have not impared your poachers’ instinct. Top stuff.
@53 – This isn’t just food – this is Countryman one Hundred food !
(Sorry, if your not UK based you might not get that )
A clue to 55 –
As Countryman tied his wife’s wrists to the bed with a pair of stretch cotton slacks, and rubbed Sicilian lemon cheesecake into the small of her back, she quickly realised he was heavily into M&S 😉
Excellent piece from Tim Stillman on Arseblog today –
Very balanced, positive analysis 👍🏻👍🏻
Trev@56
Good job she doesn’t often read the blog or I’d be in trouble!
36 years have taught me that Cumbrian women can be fierce!
You’re a quick learner then, C100 🤣
Well in for the half-ton, OM.
C100@53: I read right over sauce. Must have been too blissfully enjoying my rum butter. I associate Cumberland and sauce (but without the rum admittedly) with an accompaniment to the goose. I now fear for a Cumbrian culinary comeuppance.
Trev@56 & 59: 🙂
Lest people think I am numeralogically challenged for congratulating OM on the ton @52 above, may I correct my error and re-congratulate him for being well in on half hung ton.
Matron!
Ange says Cristian Romero is out for up to five weeks with a hamstring strain picked up last Saturday. (It couldn’t happen to a nicer guy, I’m sure. 😭)
Time to dust off the rusty and creaky Eric Dier? That should be entertaining, for our side I mean.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>