{"id":9005,"date":"2023-12-24T10:50:27","date_gmt":"2023-12-24T10:50:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/?p=9005"},"modified":"2023-12-28T03:09:36","modified_gmt":"2023-12-28T03:09:36","slug":"the-anfield-hoodoo-isnt-laid-yet-but-a-very-valuable-point-in-liverpool","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/?p=9005","title":{"rendered":"The Anfield Hoodoo Isn\u2019t Laid Yet, But a Very Valuable Point in Liverpool"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Source www.arsenal.com<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The team was, as expected, unchanged for the third league game in a row.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Team: Raya, White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko, \u01fedegaard, Rice Havertz, Saka, Jesus, Martinelli.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Subs: Ramsdale, ESR, Nketiah, Kiwior, Cedric, Trossard, Jorghino, Nelson, Elneny<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Liverpool made only two changes from their Premier League game against Manchester United. Nunez and Gravenberch dropped out for Gakpo and Jones. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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. \u01fedegaard lifted in a perfect, arcing ball,  Allison was caught in no man\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Liverpool 0-1 Arsenal (Gabriel 4 min)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We had a nasty moment when the ball hit \u01fedegaard\u2019s 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\u2019d have been screaming for a penalty. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

After 28 minutes they were level. A raking ball from quarterback Trent Alexander-Arnold soared over Zinny\u2019s 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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Liverpool 1-1 Arsenal (Salah 28 min)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

HT: Liverpool 1-1 Arsenal<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u2019t 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\u2019s 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.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We got lucky again. After a corner for us the ball came out to the edge of the Liverpool area. \u01fedegaard 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\u2019s 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\u2019s goal. With Raya beaten it hit the crossbar and left it vibrating as it bounced back. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

From that point, both sides continued to try and win the game, but both defences dominated. Your correspondent\u2019s 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\u2019t laid that Anfield hoodoo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

FT: Liverpool 1-1 Arsenal<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u2019s teams was very apparent at the end. It\u2019s 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\u2019t wait for those.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A very happy Christmas to you all. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[6],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9005"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=9005"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9005\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9021,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9005\/revisions\/9021"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=9005"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=9005"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=9005"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}