EPL: Arsenal v Liverpool

[Bearman 9]

Line-ups: No Koscielny or Mertesacker, Koscielny has a back problem, Mertesacker is ill.

 

Arsenal: Cech, Bellerin, Chambers, Gabriel, Monreal, Coquelin, Cazorla, Ramsey, Ozil, Alexis, Giroud

 

Subs: Ospina, Arteta, Debuchy, Flamini, Gibbs, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Walcott

 

Liverpool: Mignolet, Clyne, Skrtel, Lovren, Gomez, Milner, Can, Lucas, Firmino, Coutinho, Benteke

 

Subs: Bogdan, Sakho, Moreno, Origi, Ings, Ibe, Rossiter

 

Should be a cracker.

[Bearman 9]

Game finished 0-0...pretty crap game tbh

[Whosthedado 1,547]

Started off brightly and Liverpool had a host of chances in the first half. Second half was poor. Arsenal always look like they are trying to walk the ball in the net

[Gribz 743]

Arsenal exactly the same as previous seasons, not delivering when the season starts. Only difference is Cech in goal turned a defeat into a draw.

 

Wenger accommodating Cazorla, Ramsay and Ozil in the same team is hurting them. It should be 2 from those 3 with Chamberlain / Walcott and Sanchez in the outside positions and Coquelin sitting.

[Bearman 9]

Cech was the best on the park his saves were top drawer what you'd expect. Mignolet made some too.

[craig 5,199]

Game finished 0-0...pretty crap game tbh

 

Away man. That was as exciting as a 0-0 gets. Sure the passing was poor but it was end to end with chances aplenty.

[Rousseau 9,649]

I agree with Craig: it was probably as exciting as a 0-0 gets. Saying that, I hate open games, because it always suggests a lack of control and defensive organisation.

 

Arsenal annoy me, and Gary Neville was right when he suggested Arsene's problem is arrogance. They know the problems (DM, CB, and a top quality Striker etc.), but Arsene fails to change. Also he keeps putting in 3 (4 including Cazorla in that deeper role) number 10s in the midfield, all coming inside. I agreed with Carra when he said that Arsenal always used to play direct. It wasn't a long ball, it was quick passes played forward whenever there was an opportunity. Nowadays they pass around, trying to walk the ball into the net. I loved Arsenal of the early 00's, but now I really dislike them. The possessional (is that a word?) control of the game is great -- I like that --, but it doesn't negate the need for pragmatic defensive organisation and decision-making, and it doesn't mean you are going to win the game. It's as if they are looking for beauty over result. The beauty pointless without the result.

 

Interesting point Thierry made about Arsenal changing to a more possession game because of Fabregas. Instead of a direct 4-4-2 they went possession-based 4-3-3.

 

(I love MNF!)

[Ser Barristan Selmy 222]

I agree with Craig: it was probably as exciting as a 0-0 gets. Saying that, I hate open games, because it always suggests a lack of control and defensive organisation.

 

Arsenal annoy me, and Gary Neville was right when he suggested Arsene's problem is arrogance. They know the problems (DM, CB, and a top quality Striker etc.), but Arsene fails to change. Also he keeps putting in 3 (4 including Cazorla in that deeper role) number 10s in the midfield, all coming inside. I agreed with Carra when he said that Arsenal always used to play direct. It wasn't a long ball, it was quick passes played forward whenever there was an opportunity. Nowadays they pass around, trying to walk the ball into the net. I loved Arsenal of the early 00's, but now I really dislike them. The possessional (is that a word?) control of the game is great -- I like that --, but it doesn't negate the need for pragmatic defensive organisation and decision-making, and it doesn't mean you are going to win the game. It's as if they are looking for beauty over result. The beauty pointless without the result.

 

Interesting point Thierry made about Arsenal changing to a more possession game because of Fabregas. Instead of a direct 4-4-2 they went possession-based 4-3-3.

 

(I love MNF!)

Carragher and Neville provide superb analysis. A lot of pundits say things that are obvious or that aren't even true - they're able to provide tremendous insight.