Throw records out the window. Forget about the injury report. Rivalry games are their own animals and the beast showed up for a good one between Liverpool and Arsenal. This game opened up fast and furious, with the Reds in control of the first quarter hour. Liverpool had the bulk of the possession and looked like the side that crushed Manchester City 4-1 instead of the one that has struggled at times.
Adam Lallana came close to finishing off a good bit of play in the 6th minute, only to clash with a defender that as correctly not called a penalty. Only four minutes later, Liverpool would strike. After bounding around with several cracks following a corner kick, Roberto Firmino finished off a left footer through the wickets of the defender and past a helpless Petr Cech. Unfortunately instead of turning into a one-way affair, it turned into a boxing match straight out of Hollywood.
Arsenal answered in the 14th minute when Aaron Ramsey struck on a play from nothing. Arsenal had had almost no attack at all and then when the ball just slipped through the defenders, Ramsey made Liverpool pay at the near post. The pendulum swung back the other way in the 19th minute.
Firmino, like his Brazilian compatriot Coutinho (who is out injured), after it had bounced around like a hot potato outside the box and spun a brilliant curling shot into the upper 90. It was a fantastic goal and a fantastic finish to a run of play that Liverpool had shown up to that point. Alas, things would turn sour from then on.
In the 25th minute, Arsenal almost equalized but Sakho cleared the initial attempt over the bar only to see an even worse goal go in directly off the ensuing corner kick. Everything went wrong on that corner kick. Simon Mignolet did not react well to the deflection from Olivier Giroud, the defenders watched the ball with little reaction until it was too late and Liverpool had nobody on the near post when one body would have easily stopped the attempt.
Liverpool had a few runs and chances before the end of the half, but could not capitalize and would be made to pay soon after the half. Not even ten minutes into the second frame, Giroud would again strike against shoddy Liverpool defending. With bodies just flailing around and flopping on the ground, the Frenchman had a brilliant first touch and then spun against the grain to strike one past the defenders and behind a helpless Mignolet, who was left no time to react.
Liverpool, again, were not without chances. Jordan Ibe made a good run on the right only to be unrewarded and berated by Benteke, who was in no position to receive a pass due to so many players in between. Then, much like their opponents, Liverpool pulled one from nowhere. Again, taking advantage of failures to clear, Liverpool kept the ball alive. Benteke headed one across the box in stoppage time and the recent sub, Joe Allen, smashed one in off the fingertips of Cech.
The final whistle would go not long after with a 3-3 scoreline as the final of this midweek clash. It was an insane contest. The Liverpool that dominated the game for so long early, deserved much more than what they got. In contrast, the Liverpool that was floundering in the rain and snow while Arsenal consolidated the momentum deserved much worse than this result. Everything taken as a whole, it was a fair result to both squads.
Arsenal will be disappointed because they are now tied on points, instead of in sole possession of the top spot in the table. Liverpool will be disappointed because three points would have drawn them much closer to the top four. Instead, both will be satisfied because they could easily have lost as they could have won. Both will take positives out of this game due to their team's tenacity. Liverpool have another crack at glory as they take on the hated Manchester United on the weekend. Given the two clubs' positions in the table, that contest holds even more importance. For now, they must rest and focus on the things they did right on this night.
Random Thoughts:
- In an effort to not be two-faced, I will not say that this one goal does enough to put Joe Allen in a good light in my eyes. That said, as anyone who follows the club, you celebrate good performances by any player and even if only for one brief moment, Joe Allen was a huge factor.
- As a goalkeeper, I will always side with my fellow union members. I have constantly said that Mignolet is a great shot stopper and unless you can find a keeper who is better at everything - not just better at defending corners - then you don't make a change. That said, Mignolet seems to make a case against me repeatedly. There were several things that could have gone differently on that initial Giroud goal, but Mignolet was not blameless by any stretch.
- On a personal note, it was a fantastic result for me personally. I desperately wanted the win, but given the cloud of doom and feeling of unworthiness over the St. Louis area after the Rams left in the manner they did, it was nice to be distracted for a few hours and see some good football as well. For those that want further insight into my feelings on that matter you can see my YouTube show here: https://youtu.be/kcTno6Ir4qY
- For fans, two points out of six against Arsenal isn't great, but the way each individual game played out it was more than enough. Now, onto the weekend.
Walk On
Showing posts with label Petr Cech. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Petr Cech. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 13, 2016
Monday, August 24, 2015
Liverpool and Arsenal Excite Despite Score
Another Monday matchup for Liverpool. This time it promised to have a bit more intrigue. Traveling to the Emirates to face an old rival in Arsenal was poised to be the first real test of undefeated Liverpool. It would prove to be just that, though the away side came out with a firm belief that they could perhaps take all three points.
Both sides traded chances in the first five minutes. Benteke continued to be a revelation for the Reds as he strode up the right side and cut it back toward the spot. Coutinho hit a strong right footer and was unlucky to hit the crossbar. To counter that, only moments later, Arsenal's Aaron Ramsey was unlucky not to score in the 9th minute as offside was called, unnecessarily. It would prove to be a rough opening 20 minutes or so for the officials. They failed to call a foul on Liverpool in the 21st minute, which led to Benteke striding toward the box and then no foul was given on the follow through clip. Francis Coquelin did get the ball originally, but came through Benteke's legs just a bit.
With the exception of a two or three minute spell in which Arsenal put on a master class of passing, Liverpool really controlled most of the game and had more true chances. James Milner almost scored in the 25th minute. Benteke continued to impress with his strength and skill. The new Liverpool frontman showcased himself in a run through the defense in the 30th minute only to fail to connect on a short pass to Coutinho. Roberto Firmino, on the other hand has been a bit slower to gel into his new side. The youngster chose not to shoot in the 37th minute and gave the ball away, perhaps wanting to find favor with teammates instead of taking a chance himself.
Despite all the chances, Liverpool just could not find the back of the net. Petr Cech made an unbelievable save on Benteke towards the end of the half. Even the Liverpool manager, Brendan Rodgers thought it was a sure goal only to have the longtime Chelsea keeper dive at the perfect moment to get a hand on it and keep the Gunners level. A minute later Cech kicked away a chance off the following corner after Firmino found the loose ball and took a blast. 45th minute, Coutinho had a great bit of skill to fake out the defender and then a fingernail save by Cech and the woodwoork kept the Brazilian off the scoresheet again.
The first 5 minutes of the second half belonged to Liverpool, but Arsenal began to find a bit of possession in 51 min. Possession and passing culminated with a near goal from Alexis Sanchez as he kissed one off the left post in the 61st minute. The pendulum continued to swing the other way as Arsenal dominated the chances and possession. After several buildups with no chances for Arsenal, Simon Mingolet was forced to make a top notch save. The Belgian dove to his right to stop a diving chance from a sprawled Oliver Giroud in the 70th minute. Only a minute later, Mingolet was called into action again.
What looked like an innocuous shot when it came off the foot of Ramsey, curled toward the back post and Mingolet stretched to his left and made the grab. Mingolet made another huge save in the 83rd minute when the shot deflected off Dejan Lovren. Moments later, good defending on the part of Skrtel almost resulted in an own goal as the ball just skimmed wide. Arsenal continued to put on the pressure, but Liverpool managed to keep the dam from breaking. There were cracks and leaks, but no goals conceded for the third game in a row.
Liverpool did manage to create a pulse pounding chance late on as the late sub, Alberto Moreno, used his boatloads of pace to counter the Gunners after a Sanchez turnover. Unfortunately for the Reds, Moreno tried to go all the way into the box instead of laying it through to Benteke. A draw was a fair result for both squads when all the variables are considered. Liverpool dominated the first half and could easily have been up 2-0. Arsenal dominated the second half and only a big save from Mingolet kept them off the sheet. The officials messed up another offside call, again benefiting Liverpool, but they also did not call several fouls that could have impacted the match for either side.
Fans of both squads will be disappointed in the lack of goals, but a draw was a fair result for both and a good result for Liverpool. The defense, while never going to be a strong point for this squad, has looked much improved and been a pleasant surprise so far. When a win is on the table a draw can be looked at with disdain, but if you told most Liverpool supporters they would leave the Emirates with a point, most would not balk. The Reds would dearly loved to get all nine points from the first three games, but cannot complain too much when many pundits would probably have predicted only six points at best and more likely to have only four. In the end, though a win was not to be had on this day, Liverpool has played a little better each game. If they can continue that trend, good things will be on the table for the rest of the year.
Random Thoughts:
- Lucas may have been exhausted, but putting Jordan Rossiter into such an important game was a bit alarming. I'm all for giving players a chance, but when three points were still on the line against a team you're competing with for top four it was a gamble.
- As I said at the end of the primary article, Liverpool played much better in my opinion than they did in both wins in prior weeks. It would have just been nice to poach all three points and perhaps those extra two points may have been deserved given the fact that Liverpool out-chanced Arsenal even with only 1/3 the possession.
- Again, perhaps it has to do with fitness, but despite the fact Moreno almost created a late chance I was surprised to see Coutinho come off in such a tight contest.
- Speaking of Moreno, I have to give credit to Rodgers' choice of Joseph Gomez. I thought Moreno, while not stellar defensively, got a raw deal last season when he did not play that poorly. I was hoping he would get a chance to take the left spot in a back four this year, but Gomez has really shined up to this point.
- Skrtel and Lovren will probably never be the first choice center pairing for most Liverpool fans. They have played very well this year, even with a couple breakdowns here and there. Their main problem, outside a lack of pace, is they are the same player. They go hard into challenges, which creates problems with some referees especially when they go over the top. They get caught flat footed at times and do a lot of tugging and pulling.
- Credit goes to Arsenal for making the adjustments, but it was a bit disappointing that Liverpool created so much havoc but could not take advantage of the poor defending and constant giveaways by Arsenal's patchwork center pairing.
Walk On
Both sides traded chances in the first five minutes. Benteke continued to be a revelation for the Reds as he strode up the right side and cut it back toward the spot. Coutinho hit a strong right footer and was unlucky to hit the crossbar. To counter that, only moments later, Arsenal's Aaron Ramsey was unlucky not to score in the 9th minute as offside was called, unnecessarily. It would prove to be a rough opening 20 minutes or so for the officials. They failed to call a foul on Liverpool in the 21st minute, which led to Benteke striding toward the box and then no foul was given on the follow through clip. Francis Coquelin did get the ball originally, but came through Benteke's legs just a bit.
With the exception of a two or three minute spell in which Arsenal put on a master class of passing, Liverpool really controlled most of the game and had more true chances. James Milner almost scored in the 25th minute. Benteke continued to impress with his strength and skill. The new Liverpool frontman showcased himself in a run through the defense in the 30th minute only to fail to connect on a short pass to Coutinho. Roberto Firmino, on the other hand has been a bit slower to gel into his new side. The youngster chose not to shoot in the 37th minute and gave the ball away, perhaps wanting to find favor with teammates instead of taking a chance himself.
Despite all the chances, Liverpool just could not find the back of the net. Petr Cech made an unbelievable save on Benteke towards the end of the half. Even the Liverpool manager, Brendan Rodgers thought it was a sure goal only to have the longtime Chelsea keeper dive at the perfect moment to get a hand on it and keep the Gunners level. A minute later Cech kicked away a chance off the following corner after Firmino found the loose ball and took a blast. 45th minute, Coutinho had a great bit of skill to fake out the defender and then a fingernail save by Cech and the woodwoork kept the Brazilian off the scoresheet again.
The first 5 minutes of the second half belonged to Liverpool, but Arsenal began to find a bit of possession in 51 min. Possession and passing culminated with a near goal from Alexis Sanchez as he kissed one off the left post in the 61st minute. The pendulum continued to swing the other way as Arsenal dominated the chances and possession. After several buildups with no chances for Arsenal, Simon Mingolet was forced to make a top notch save. The Belgian dove to his right to stop a diving chance from a sprawled Oliver Giroud in the 70th minute. Only a minute later, Mingolet was called into action again.
What looked like an innocuous shot when it came off the foot of Ramsey, curled toward the back post and Mingolet stretched to his left and made the grab. Mingolet made another huge save in the 83rd minute when the shot deflected off Dejan Lovren. Moments later, good defending on the part of Skrtel almost resulted in an own goal as the ball just skimmed wide. Arsenal continued to put on the pressure, but Liverpool managed to keep the dam from breaking. There were cracks and leaks, but no goals conceded for the third game in a row.
Liverpool did manage to create a pulse pounding chance late on as the late sub, Alberto Moreno, used his boatloads of pace to counter the Gunners after a Sanchez turnover. Unfortunately for the Reds, Moreno tried to go all the way into the box instead of laying it through to Benteke. A draw was a fair result for both squads when all the variables are considered. Liverpool dominated the first half and could easily have been up 2-0. Arsenal dominated the second half and only a big save from Mingolet kept them off the sheet. The officials messed up another offside call, again benefiting Liverpool, but they also did not call several fouls that could have impacted the match for either side.
Fans of both squads will be disappointed in the lack of goals, but a draw was a fair result for both and a good result for Liverpool. The defense, while never going to be a strong point for this squad, has looked much improved and been a pleasant surprise so far. When a win is on the table a draw can be looked at with disdain, but if you told most Liverpool supporters they would leave the Emirates with a point, most would not balk. The Reds would dearly loved to get all nine points from the first three games, but cannot complain too much when many pundits would probably have predicted only six points at best and more likely to have only four. In the end, though a win was not to be had on this day, Liverpool has played a little better each game. If they can continue that trend, good things will be on the table for the rest of the year.
Random Thoughts:
- Lucas may have been exhausted, but putting Jordan Rossiter into such an important game was a bit alarming. I'm all for giving players a chance, but when three points were still on the line against a team you're competing with for top four it was a gamble.
- As I said at the end of the primary article, Liverpool played much better in my opinion than they did in both wins in prior weeks. It would have just been nice to poach all three points and perhaps those extra two points may have been deserved given the fact that Liverpool out-chanced Arsenal even with only 1/3 the possession.
- Again, perhaps it has to do with fitness, but despite the fact Moreno almost created a late chance I was surprised to see Coutinho come off in such a tight contest.
- Speaking of Moreno, I have to give credit to Rodgers' choice of Joseph Gomez. I thought Moreno, while not stellar defensively, got a raw deal last season when he did not play that poorly. I was hoping he would get a chance to take the left spot in a back four this year, but Gomez has really shined up to this point.
- Skrtel and Lovren will probably never be the first choice center pairing for most Liverpool fans. They have played very well this year, even with a couple breakdowns here and there. Their main problem, outside a lack of pace, is they are the same player. They go hard into challenges, which creates problems with some referees especially when they go over the top. They get caught flat footed at times and do a lot of tugging and pulling.
- Credit goes to Arsenal for making the adjustments, but it was a bit disappointing that Liverpool created so much havoc but could not take advantage of the poor defending and constant giveaways by Arsenal's patchwork center pairing.
Walk On
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