Oct 28
A late Cesc Fabregas goal gave Arsenal a 1-1 tie at Anfield on Sunday and kept the Gunners at the top of the Premier League.
Arsenal had much of the possession and hit the post twice. Liverpool had chances, as well, and forced a few good saves from Manuel Almunia.
Discuss.
74 Responses to “Liverpool 1 - 1 Arsenal”
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October 28th, 2007 at 2:46 pm
Pleased with the result. The team played their hearts out and deserved the win. In one of the hardest places to assert your game or get a result we controlled a lot of the game. We deserved to win. Most importantly I believe that even with this draw it says loads about Arsenal as title contenders - we have what it takes!
1. Adebayor - worrying me lately. Seems to have lost his form and confidence.
2. Hleb - played well. Nothing spectacular.
3. TR - did no show up.
4. EE - he is talented, there is no doubt, but he is not fit to play on the wing.
5. Fabreclass - 2 inches to the left…
6. Almunia - not to Jens: 3 World Class Saves. Weak Punch.
7. NB - consider him to replace Ade. The ball always seems to come to him.
8. Everyone else played solid.
Arsenal were not as smooth as we know they could be. Crosses were terrible. Long balls needed further support, too many players watching and not making runs. The wall was horrendous!
Some things to work on, but in all a good result at Anfield. Liverpool parked the bus but we proved again that no longer means you can stifle Arsenal. Proud of the boys! On to manure…Up the Arse, Kiss the Crest, Believe!
PS:
October 28th, 2007 at 2:52 pm
m just glad that we have got that giant “we haven’t played the big 4, so our real test haven’t come” monkey off our back.
It was Anfield, a difficult place to go. And from the performance, u can’t really tell which side was the home side. I think that pretty much sum up the quality of our team this season.
October 28th, 2007 at 2:55 pm
“Hleb - played well. Nothing spectacular.”
Duh!
October 28th, 2007 at 3:01 pm
Obviously a good result because we retain the top spot (although tied in points and goal difference) against quality opposition in a tough place to get points, and it sets up quite the match at the Emirates next weekend.
The impressive thing to me is that Arsenal appeared to get stronger overall as the match wore on, whereas the Reds appeared to have shot their wad a bit as time marched on, perhaps due to their incredible level of intensity in the first half. We were able to weather that intensity in part by playing some pretty good possession football, in a calm way.
I hate the rule regarding giving yellow cards for celebrating. Cesc’s goal was huge. Rules are rules, but come on…
It is hard not to be a wee bit disappointed with a draw because of some of the chances we had, especially the two woodwork blasts, but a draw at Anfield, considering Liverpool’s desire to kill us, makes the result one to accept happily.
Hleb’s pass to Cesc for the equalizer was relly great, and exemplified Alex’s play overall. Sagna, Gallas, and especially Toure came up pretty big today. Theo gave us the expected ramp-up in pace when he came on. Ade seemed indecisive at critical moments and opted for conservative action. I was happy to see Bendtner get some time in a big game.
I need a rest this week after all the buildup to this match. A mid-week League Cup match seems quite out of place before a really big one.
October 28th, 2007 at 3:15 pm
This game had an electric pace. Flamini not as strong as expected, Sagna and Toure were strong, too many missed opportunities today…none the less a good result at Anfield.
October 28th, 2007 at 3:26 pm
IMPORTANT decision like a player over-celebrating with crowd is at least something the referee always spotted it correctly. So they never missed handing out a yellow card to the “offenders”.
As for other “insignificant” incidents such as elbow in the face, pulling down someone in the box… for some reasons, they always missed it. That’s the freaky world of football refereeing.
October 28th, 2007 at 3:29 pm
a point at anfield, i’ll take it every time, even though we could have had all 3. for me, the biggest thing today was that almunia came up with the big saves expected of a number one, the goal was not his fault and we could have been down 2-0 a couple times if it wasnt for him. i sing his praises as no one else seems to give him credit.
can somebody tell me why carragher keeps getting away with pulling people back in the box??? two weeks in a row and no penalty given, thats BS if you ask me. that could have changed the game.
overall, a great premier league game and proof that arsenal are real title contenders. go gunners!
btw: phoenix landing was great today, no better place to watch a match (especially against liverpool) in boston. come on gooners!
October 28th, 2007 at 3:44 pm
yeah, you are right fesoco, almunia didnt dissappoint in a big away game.
if he replicates this against Man U then he will be undisputed arsenal number one and lehmann would be sold in jan. and rightly so.
October 28th, 2007 at 3:55 pm
Almunia - note to Jens: 3 World Class Saves. Weak Punch. <– Credit! :O)
Liverpool used their elbows left and right. EE should have had the penalty for it. At some points in the game, it looked like we were playing Bolton. 10 men behind the ball and thug tactics.
@ Danny: Hleb played well but he was not nearly as intricate in his dribbling or penetration as in most games this season. His pass for Fab was deflected off a defender. THUS: He played well, but was not the spectacular driving force that we have seen so many games this year - many expected a big game from him today.
October 28th, 2007 at 4:00 pm
Wow. I love this team’s go-for-it mentality. They played like they were at home. If only the Anfield pitch was a little bigger, we could have really pressed home the fitness advantage. Nothing more fun that watching Carragher struggling for breath and resorting to old pro shirt-tugging, falling-over tricks.
What we had - unlike last year - was guts, fight, pace, invention under pressure.
What we lacked (apart from Cesc’s toe-poke) was ice-cool, confident finishing. Adebayor is now, alas, in a bit of slump on that front. Eboue has never really had that aspect to his game (again with the theatrics!). And Rosicky seemed out of sorts. Hleb and Cesc are the key performers for now.
Defensively it was very encouraging. Their goal was an isolated piece of uselessness on our part. The rest of their best efforts were all shots from the edge of the area. They never tore us open, the way we did them on half a dozen occasions.
Oh where is that cool finishing to complete this team’s full potential? Oh yeah, he’s got a knee injury. ManUre is going to be some game.
October 28th, 2007 at 4:15 pm
Why is it always the players who fans have doubts about making the f*ck ups, I mean Flamini played reasonably well, but it had to be him didn’t it. I guess weak players make weak decisions.
October 28th, 2007 at 4:16 pm
I think they should of won only because the referee seemed to not favour any serious calls in Arsenals favour. Like Andez said that’s football. Nevertheless, the calls seemed lopsided to me but hey maybe next week they’ll favour us (not if Mike Riley is there).
Glad for the draw - excellent game by the lads. Couldn’t ask for more.
October 28th, 2007 at 4:23 pm
There are four players who do not seem to have the composure or football brain to play for Arsenal as it stands. These players are Gael Clichy, Mathieu Flamini, Emannuel Eboue, and Emmanuel Adebayor. These players are great flat-track bullies but as soon as the team faces a situation of adversity, the signals in their brain get sullied and they make erratic decisions which undermine the team. This inconsistency, especially the case with genuine first choice players like Adebayor and Clichy, can unbalance the psych of this team at every corner and act as a damaging spoke to our serenity. Diarra for Flamini will eliminate one cancer but it looks like we will have to ride the wave with Adebayor and Clichy for the forseeable future.
Steven Gerrard was all bluster today and although I don’t particularly rate him highly, when he is “feeling it” Liverpool are a dangerous proposition. This is what makes today’s performance and result very good. He was picking up the loose balls and we still got a point. This bodes well.
No one played particularly well but I thought Toure was the best of our lot. Strong in defence and defiant when carrying the fight in attack. Gallas also was a lion in the last twenty minutes.
Our two best attacking players; Hleb and Fabregas, had patchy games but stayed positive and reaped their rewards.
Great point and now lets move on to Man United. Don’t like the early start. It looks the early bird will get the worm in this game.
October 28th, 2007 at 4:54 pm
Utterly ridiculous comment about Clichy not having the football brain. That one just boggles my mind. He’s Arsenal’s most consistent player, too, and has been since the beginning of last season. You might say I’m gobsmacked by that comment.
Thought there were a few less-than “normal” performances from Fabregas, Rosicky, and especially Flamini. Fab and Flam single-handedly combined for Liverpool’s goal, then Flamini again put us in trouble with a weak clearance in the box. He also got caught in possession several times. I’m joining the “give Gilberto a start” camp.
The subs took me by surprise, and the only possible reason I can think that Clichy got taken off is because of illness. His play was fine up to that point. He made no mistakes, and he’s certainly more of a threat down the left than Flamini.
Arsenal’s play, especially in the first 30 minutes, was scintillating. Although it didn’t produce any shots on goal, I also don’t think we were guilty of over-elaborating, as in the past. There was no way Arsenal could keep up that pace over the entire game, but there was also no doubt who was the fitter team in the end. Carragher looked like he might collapse from exhaustion.
One word about our captain: He was excellent today, and his late block might have saved the game. He’s been a favorite whipping boy (we always need at least one whipping boy, it seems), but he is pure class, and it showed today.
October 28th, 2007 at 5:00 pm
Clichy was piss poor today. Credit to Wenger for hauling him off. He can be unbelievably good Clichy, but he can be such a scat-brain sometimes. Today was one of those days. As Danny T said, one bad game out of every three.
October 28th, 2007 at 5:31 pm
no team has players with composure and consistency in every position on the pitch. if a team had that they would win the league every season and would be called “invincible”.
on that measurement liverpools entire first team apart from carragher and mascharano fails woefully.
adebayor did play excellent against spurs which was a tougher match than this so the truth is he is just off form (again) right now. personally i dont expect him to score much….i just want him to work his socks off …and he didnt really do that today.
eboue needs to be sold. he is brainless.
October 28th, 2007 at 5:34 pm
personally i fear if flamini is dropped it would be gilberto who takes over not diarra. gilberto in place of flamini would be BAD for our game. he slows the game down….making us a “pondering” team…which would just f-ck up our flow….its always best when we play with urgency rather than trying to ponder our way to goal.
so since wenger would only drop flamini for gilberto and not diarra i hope flamini continues to play.
October 28th, 2007 at 6:32 pm
I agree with Fred, #17. Our play is noticeably faster with Flamini providing the link up from the back 4 to Cesc. I also thought Gilberto’s CM defending started shakily, although he got it going later. Gilberto is just out of pace compared to the rest of the team. Ironically, he’s fast enough for Brazil, but Arsenal are a lot faster.
I bet ‘Pool, if they’re honest, would say that they haven’t been so gassed after a game this season.
October 28th, 2007 at 6:48 pm
good points Fred.
Also want to add one point is - while Ade, Clichy and Flamini appeared to be “off” against Liverpool, could it be possible that it’s simply because they were jaded?
Also, could it be a coincidence that those 3 must be among the hardest workers in the team? I bet Ade and Flamini had covered more ground than anyone else every game. Flamini not only stayed in central, he would pop up the left and right back position when needed to cover for his teammates.
Clichy has been charging up and down the pitch every game. Take away the Carling Cup, we have played 15 games so far, and if i got it right, Clichy and Flamini played in every one of them.
So at least it’s understandable they can’t put up a strong performance every game.
anyway, i don’t think AW does not aware of this neither. Particular Adebayor, he can’t possibly go running around like the way he did every game without a rest.
Ade to me is even more important than van Persie. van Persie of course is far more talented, and a match winner, yet Ade is at the heart of our build up play.
I won’t be suprised after the Man U match, AW will start to give a few players a rest and bringing in the 2nd tiers. Bendtner, Gilberto (or Diarra) will get their chance soon.
October 28th, 2007 at 7:06 pm
Adebayor was taken off against Prague after 70 minutes and if he was jaded he would have started to play poorly near the end of the game. But no, he was rubbish from the start. Couldn’t trap a bag of cement and didn’t make one pass the whole game. His lack of technique has always been a big problem and it got exposed big time today again. He’s only a threat against good defences when they play high up the pitch. He’s useless when they sit deep. Unless it’s Spurs ;^)
October 28th, 2007 at 7:14 pm
Mazza, I think you’re being a bit harsh.
Gael Clichy is 22, Mathieu Flamini 23, Emannuel Eboue 24, and Emmanuel Adebayor 23.
I think if you want consistency game in game out, week in week out then these players are a little young and still need experience. I feel the players are doing very well to keep the club in top spot and not fold under the pressure despite their relative young age.
None of these players played badly today, they just didn’t light up the game. And if your team can still do that and come away from Anfield with a creditable draw - and very nearly a win - then things are going in the right direction.
I admit that I want Flamini out the team, but not necessarily in favour of Gilberto, I just feel that Diarra is so much a better prospect that it seems pointless to risk losing him.
Still, the Carling Cup will give us another chance to look at Diarra closely.
October 28th, 2007 at 7:16 pm
@ Fred #17 - a very interesting perspective on Gilberto. Makes me think that beyond serving as a backup for injured MFs and DBs, he might become a “role” starter against clubs like Blackburn-style of play or to kill off games if we have a lead. Having said that, watching Roma kill off their match at AC Milan by attacking rather than by possession was killer football.
October 28th, 2007 at 7:17 pm
Gilberto won’t stand for being a sub for very long, and if he was to be a “role starter” then today would have been a good time to play him.
October 28th, 2007 at 7:25 pm
I don’t think I’m being harsh. These players are in their early twenties but all of them, apart from Eboue, have been playing first team football since the age of 18 and 19. I think by now we should be expecting consistent levels of performance and at some point you have to distinguish between youthful inconsistency and lack of quality. At the top level players in their early to mid-twenties are judged “harshly”. Look all over Europe, there are lots of young players being asked to be consistent. Messi, Dos Santos, Andersen, Nani, Fletcher, Pennant, Mascherano, Obi Mikel, Essien, the list goes on. I don’t hear many people trotting out that excuse for them.
I’m absolutely delighted with the team in general. Especially delighted that we have a player like Diarra to act as a panacea for the Flamini/Gilberto problem. Just pointing out the weakness in our team as a point of discussion. On Clichy though; he can be absolutely phenomenal at times, I’ll give him that.
October 28th, 2007 at 7:40 pm
Since I’ve been away for a while (although I’ve certainly been following the exchanges on the site), I need to say that I was one of, if not the, biggest critics of Flamini last season and was praying that Wenger would take Flamini on his threat to leave last spring when he was not getting any playing time. But I must concede that Flamini has been vastly improved this season; he has not been killing attacks with defective passes as in past seasons and defensively, at times, he has actually been impressive.
That said, I like DannyT am certainly interested in seeing Diarra play on Wednesday in the Carling Cup. I was also struck by the fact that Diarra was on the bench today and not Diaby. Perhaps Wenger is taking Diarra’s threat to leave seriously and fears that Diarra may be the genuine article.
Finally, on the Eboue front, he is clearly talented but he is also maddening and he gives off the impression that he tries only some of the time, particularly on defense. I was surprised he started today and not Walcott.
Last point, today proved that Stag (wherever he is) was dead-wrong last year when he promised that Arsenal would fall off the earth without Thierry Henry. This team played in a hostile environment under great pressure and did not panic, did not break down, did not get pushed around, it just played the beautiful game as taught to it by the great man.
October 28th, 2007 at 7:42 pm
I think after 16 matches in all competitions, we won 14 and draw 2. That’s being extremely CONSISTENT. Hell, perhaps we are now the most consistent in Europe at the moment. Frankly, i don’t know what else more can we expect in terms of consistency.
In fact, I wonder did we ever have a better start than this season? I can’t recall the 2002 or 2004 side had such a consistent start.
no matter how individual player performed, important thing is the TEAM come out with the result.
October 28th, 2007 at 7:51 pm
Read a sensational piece of transfer rumor….. Now imagine Titi playing for the Blues or Bottenham…
Barcelona striker Thierry Henry could be set for a sensational return to the Premiership.
The Sunday Express says Henry has disappointed Barca directors so far this season and his Nou Camp adventure could be short-lived.
The Frenchman has always admitted an admiration for Liverpool, while Chelsea and Tottenham would also love to bring the former Arsenal captain back to London .
Influential Barca figures are now demanding full value from their £16million investment.
October 28th, 2007 at 7:56 pm
The Sunday Express - is that the rag owned by a pornographer?
October 28th, 2007 at 8:21 pm
Henry scored today in Barca’s 2-0 win. Rumor makes no sense. No Eto’o and Gudjohnsen is too lumbering for Barca.
The only person who want’s Lehmann to return in goal is his mother.
Fabregas was just a savior today and not the hero. Fabregas gave away a lazy FK that led to Gerrard’s goal. Eboue and Flamini parted like the Red Sea to allow Gerrard to play Moses.
I don’t want to beat up on poor Eboue’s brain. I want to beat up on Eboue’s heart. Eboue pulls out of every 50-50 challenge and never gets stuck in.
Ade and Rosicky brought their “B” games today. My blind dead grandmother on arthritic knees could have made that pass to Toure in the box. That will not be good enough for Man U.
Suddenly our lineup in the Carling Cup becomes topic A.
I think Diaby maybe in the dog house because he got pulled early in the next game following his goal scoring game.
Liverpool were playing for the bell today. Amazing how Pool’s team were made to look like old men in the end.
Jaime Carragher should take out a patent on that maneuver he’s gotten away with twice in as many weeks. Abysmal refereeing is now an accepted fact the Premiership.
October 28th, 2007 at 8:26 pm
Mazza, Arsenal haven’t lost for 23 games running - what sort of consistency are you looking for? I still believe there is room for most of these players to get better, whereas you seem to think we have seen the best of them already. Perhaps you have run out of patience, but I didn’t expect us to be this good yet and still see the team as a work in progress with a lot more to come. I thought next season we could challenge for honours, not this, and I’m, sticking to that.
October 28th, 2007 at 8:41 pm
@ comment 24: none of the players you mention is always consistent. andersen was called “not ready” by ferguson just a couple of weeks ago. fletcher is not really good quality…and dos santos is a teenager.
anyway, up to our next game.
i think with the team that played today, we would probably go:
lehmann (hahahahah)
hoyte - song - senderos - traore
denilson - diarra - diaby
walcott - bendtner - eduardo
should be interesting!
October 28th, 2007 at 9:02 pm
“Not ready” due to pace of English game and settling into a new club, not consistency.
Fletcher is a good player. Certainly at the same level as Flamini.
Those were just a few players I mentioned. De Rossi of Roma is only 23/24. There are literally loads of early twenties players playing for top clubs. This Arsenal youngster thing is overplayed in my opinion. We’re not that amazingly young as people make out, and even our young players are “older” and more experienced than most because of the early starts they had in the first team.
October 28th, 2007 at 9:14 pm
Cesc is the shit! This kid is world class. Gael impresses me more and more. I think he played a decent game. Eboue…. to many wasteful balls. I think he should have been subbed out. Almunia… looked outstanding.
October 28th, 2007 at 9:43 pm
all our youngsters including eboue and clichy are exceedingly talented. even though they dont always exert it. clichy has only reached 1 year of first team football. eboue however is a scatter brain.
adebayor and flamini are not that talented but make up with hardwork, every single team in the world has their sorts. managers ALWAYS love them.
there are loads of early twenties playing for top clubs - but all of them are playing together with VETERANS not with fellow early twenties. so basically you are comparing the likes of flamini to the other clubs’ fabregas’s. de rossi is the young jewel at roma, but he is 4 years older than our own jewel.
am sure if you watch ALL these players you mention week in week out you would see the flaws in their game and definitely have a different opinion about them.
all in all, not losing a game since april is pretty consistent for the YOUNGEST (by average) top club in europe. relax.
October 28th, 2007 at 9:50 pm
I think there’s going to be some major second guessing of Rafa’s choice to play Alonso and Torres with BOTH of them getting the same injuries again today. For sure, neither was match-fit, and they shouldn’t have been picked. ‘Eagerly awaiting tomorrow’s Guardian online column on that……
October 28th, 2007 at 10:21 pm
MD gooner 35: I agree with you on Torres and Alonso: Rafa gambled and it didn’t pay off and they both were reinjured which is bad, since it delays their return even more…
Some observations from this terrific game:
1. We were very composed and appropriately forceful (meaning, we didn’t leave a whole lot of gaps going forward to get the equalizer). We could have won this game which says something about this team.
2. Even though Theo didn’t do much today, i really think he will better than Eboue; but AW is nurturing him and protecting him, so we will see him in cameos and some starts; but when he gets in the groove of the game, he can be marvelous; and remember he is a baby.
3. Almunia may not be top top class, but he isn’t doing anything to hurt himself. I was a fan of Jens, but now I am happy to see Almunia. Again, he is not the best, but currently he is better than Jens.
4. Rosicky and Ade were invisible in the second half. That can not continue.
5. Danny: I haven’t been a huge fan of Flamini, but he isn’t as bad as you make him out to be and he has significantly improved. There is something about the chemistry of this team currently, that shouldn’t be disturbed…..true, he disappeared form the wall, which was awful.
October 28th, 2007 at 11:08 pm
Mazza, it is harsh to slate Ade, Clichy and Flamini and completely omit Rosicky, our poorest player y’day. If a talented guy like him can go missing in an important game, the likes of Ade and Flamini, who have been giving their all in previous games and making a difference in few, can have some off days.
October 28th, 2007 at 11:20 pm
Before these two games, I was curious as to who will score the goals. Our leaders were Cesc, RvP and Ade. RvP is out and Ade looks out of form. Cesc stepped up brilliantly y’day at a time when it wasn’t clear where the goal would come from. Who will do the same vs ManU?
Looking slightly ahead, we need Eduardo and/or Bendtner to step up. We have lots of games coming up, it’s not clear when RvP will be back and we need more goal scoring options. Depending on Ade is not a good idea and how long can Cesc continue his amazing run?
October 28th, 2007 at 11:48 pm
@ Biggun 36 and others
Just a word about the breakup of the wall during Stevie’s goal strike. It looked like Cesc, Flam, and Eboue lined up together from right to left (Stevie’s view). Just before contact, Cesc charged forward, and Flam slid to his left to take Cesc’s place, and Eboue stayed put, leaving a hole that G’s ball penetrated at 250 miles per hour.
Serious question - who made the mistake? (I’m not saying it wasn’t a f*ck up, but I want to know who if anybody f*cked up)…
October 29th, 2007 at 12:06 am
Hleb’s assist may have been deflected, but you can’t deny him the credit. The intent was clear and timing was exquisite. First Ade and then Bendtner had strayed offside and Hleb held the ball till Cesc ran in. It was a beauty.
October 29th, 2007 at 12:13 am
The assist didn’t look deflected to me - the shot hit the GK slightly on the way in.
October 29th, 2007 at 12:15 am
Mgooner, agree with you that Torres and Alonso were definitely not 100%.
Has Eduardo now fallen behind Bendtner in the pecking order?
Toure is definitely more comfortable on the ball than before. In the past, his runs forward seemed out of control. I think he surges forward more than any other center back in the prem. I was disappointed that Ade did not give him a better pass in the box. Ade’s first touch and passing must improve.
Lack of width was a problem. Rosicky is not a winger. Too often we tried to force the ball right through the center of the defence.
Disappointed with the loss. Bendtner had a great chance late to win it.
October 29th, 2007 at 12:22 am
Wenger’s comments sums up my feelings -
“We are disappointed not to have won, but I am very pleased with the attitude and performance of the team. The players are frustrated, but you have to be realistic.
“We were 1-0 down after just a few minutes against a very committed team who are good at set-pieces and counter-attack well. They have such good support at Anfield that sometimes that wins it for them.
“But we have shown fantastic quality, mental strength and togetherness, that gave us the confidence to come back and get a point.”
October 29th, 2007 at 12:32 am
I’ will take a point from this game every time. Rosicky, Flamini, and Ade were all off today. When you go to anfield and don’t play your absolute best you expect to lose. We got a draw and had several chances to sneak out with a win.
IMO if we are going to win trophies this season Gilberto needs to be on the pitch for games like this. His composure and leadership and experience are needed. That gerrard free kick may not have gone in if it was Bert and not Flamini organizing the wall.
We looked nervous and tight in this game. A player like Gilberto can help calm our troops down and keep them focused on what AW wants them to do. Sometimes slowing things down is not a bad thing. Bert could also make things a little easier on Cesc. With flamini running around like a chicken with its head cut off sometimes Cesc takes on a ton of extra defensive duties. We don’t call Gliberto the invisible wall for nothing.
All that being said we haven’t lost in a long time and I can’t fault the team for having an off day.
October 29th, 2007 at 1:03 am
Flamini… what was he thinking when he split open the wall? That was crap and a silly mistake to start the game with. Flamster had a bad game… he gave the ball away a lot, including the time which set up Liverpool’s goal. I was surprised that he slotted in for Clichy at left back when Gilberto came on.
I think we would have won the game comfortably if we hadnt given up the early lead and let Liverpool sit deep. I thought we were the far better side all over the pitch, and I especially was surprised how poor Liverpool were in posession. They just couldnt keep the ball very long against us. I can see why Benitez pulled Gerrard off last week against Everton.
Eboue was really pissing me off today. I dont think anyone gave the ball away cheaply more often than him. I have no idea why Wenger leaves him in the side.
Overall, a good game considering it was at Anfield… I thought our midfield controlled the game but with Adebayor up front by himself, we seemed to lack a bit of a cutting edge.
October 29th, 2007 at 5:19 am
I am shocked that many websites (soccernet and the daily mail to name two) have named Carragher as the man of the match.
October 29th, 2007 at 6:03 am
Wenger’s big goof was to start Rosicky today. I was absolutely “gobsmacked” that he did that. I expected him to bring on Rosicky at the half and start Tomas against Man Utd.
Another Wenger goof was why would you have Flamini, Diarra, and Gilberto in the same EPL team? Diarra and Flamini are virtual clones in that they can play and cover the same positions. It could have worked out bad for us.
As for the performance, I think we did well considering the circumstances. Adebayor was jaded but he’s played a lot of soccer this season and needs a break. As for Flamini, I meant to write last week how he’s very likely to lose the ball like he did in the build-up to Liverpool’s goal. If he doesn’t tighten that up then Man Utd are going to bust his ass too. You can’t get caught in possession as a DM player or it’s certain to end badly.
Defensively we were very good. Almunia isn’t making many mistakes like he did last time so I don’t know if or when Lehmann is going to get a game. Hleb was very good. He didn’t dominate the game like some seem to expect but how many players actually do that, really? His assist wasn’t deflected but cleverly lifted off the ground. Eboue’s passing has been crap since he’s returned and he really needs to clean that up.
@thompson gunner #39, Flamini was at fault. Flamini’s job is to stay where his keeper places him. You don’t jump, you don’t move, you stay there and let the keeper handle the rest. If you do your own thing, then you screw the keeper up. The wall is designed expecting Fabregas to rush the ball but if you’re in the wall, you never disrupt the integrity of the wall.
October 29th, 2007 at 6:54 am
Some stupid comments here today. Hleb was awesome and probably the best on the pitch for most of the game. His pass to fab was quality as he waited for perfect moment and delivered perfect ball. Fabs finish was good enough to get us the point.
Some people saying Clichy, Ade, Eboue and Flamani arnt good enough to play for arsenal. I disagree Clichy is one of the best fall backs in the prem. Hes quick good passer normally a decent defender. Even if his crosses arnt the best Clichy really strects defense. Eboue dosent play total football but him and sagna are quality on the right and have the potential to really screw over defenses as they can both do whatever they want and rely on the other to defend - just look at eboues shot agaisnt the post. Thats what hes good at - running beyond or to the line. flamini and Ade are one of the reasons we are where we are, both have stepped up - dosent matter how technically good ade is. his 6 goals have given us top.
IF It AINT BROKEN DONT FIX IT! and stop complaining u saps - enjoy the top spot while it lasts. as if anything u say here will change wengers mind
October 29th, 2007 at 8:18 am
What is wrong with people?
We went to Anfield, made a mistake with the wall and went behind to a super strike. The lads picked themselves up off the ground, hit the post twice and were denied a sure penalty before equalising with a great finish from Cesc after a wonderful pass from Hleb who waited until he could pass to someone onside. Sure some players weren’t at their superb best, and we looked vulnerable on the counter-attack, mainly because we were attacking so much. We took a point more from Anfield than we did last season, another sign we are on the way up.
No grounds for anyone to complain.
October 29th, 2007 at 9:18 am
To add more fuel to the Eboue/Flamini debate, here’s David Pleat on the the L’Pool game:
The confidence that Emmanuel Eboué gives to Sagna on the right means Arsenal can have two players equally adept at bombing forward and who are both natural right-backs. They fill in for each other when possession is lost, and have already developed a fine understanding. It was Voronin who had the unenviable task of trying to contain this assault down Liverpool’s left. On the other flank Kuyt was deployed wide, his role to halt the free-running Clichy when Tomas Rosicky came infield.
October 29th, 2007 at 9:24 am
Thompson Gunner 39: good question….I feel that when you’re in a wall, anticipating and knowing that a ROCKET is about to be launched at your face, body, and nuts, it is a natural survival response to not look, duck, and turn your back and hope it hits you where it won’t leave a permanent mark….it’s just survival instinct………same with the on-rushing Bolton defender against Kolo last week; if he had kept his eye on the ball, he would have a great chance to block it…..
Don’t really know, it is what it is….
October 29th, 2007 at 9:54 am
i’m totally “gobsmacked”
by some of the remarks here.
I think Cesc had a quiet game but that’s overshadowed by his goal so nobody’s giving him flack
Now concerning Flamster… come on. If I remember well, I saw Gilberto give his ‘trade mark’ direct pass to an opponent yesterday… and I couldnt help but laugh! I’m as scared with Gilberto throwing passing around close to our 18 yard as I am with Flamster.
Someone on this site said that Flamster gives our attack more place than Gilberto and I totally agree. As long as we keep winning let’s leave Flamster in there…. Gilberto can always come in and give his best like he did yesterday.
This went to Anflied and were held to a draw (i.e. it felt like they were the home team).
I’d have loved it better if we won as we totally deserved but this drop this or that player thingy is uncalled for right now
October 29th, 2007 at 10:03 am
Someone on this site said that Flamster gives our attack more pace than Gilberto and I totally agree.
October 29th, 2007 at 10:27 am
I dont fault anyones performance today, as it showed great determination to battle back against a team that knows how to play a smothering defensive game. I was a bit disappointed in giving up the early goal off 2 silly mistakes… first, Flamster losing the ball and second when he moved off the wall. We really deserved to get all the spoils today, because we were playing Liverpool in a poor run of form and we totally outclassed them.
The only person I’d criticise is Eboue… so many misplaced passes in the final third. And shameful histrionics everytime he gets touched.
Hleb? Poor Game? Are you kidding me? He’s playing in the tightest of spaces all game long (right behind Ade along with 9 red shirts) and was creating space for everyone else. He timed is ball to Cesc perfectly. Who else could comfortably hold onto the ball that long? He also delivered a nice ball to Cesc in the 85th minute which Cesc slammed onto the post.
Toure? MOTM for me. How many counters did he cut out and how often did he cut in front of Liverpool players to win balls? Plus he was joining in the attack and would have been through on goal if Ade gave him a half decent return ball.
October 29th, 2007 at 11:40 am
the problem with eboue comes when he tries to come infield - then he is truly useless. he must hug the touchline and get past the full back and make one of those his wild shots - hopefully there would be some deflection or something.
but seriously though, one more player (a speedy AM) reyes-type player is needed in january. i really hope wenger sees that.
October 29th, 2007 at 12:08 pm
Fred, to be fair, Eboue’s “wild shot” is actually a very good shot and he’s obviously very comfortable doing it. Any keeper or defender facing his goal will tell you that a low shot hit that hard and that close to them is esentially impossible to save and actually know anything about it. Eboue’s buried a couple of those last season and has taken the paint off a few posts this season. I’m sure his goals are coming.
I was critical of his passing over the past few games and rightfully so as he misses some of easy passes. Atleast last season when Hleb missed you could see what he was trying to do but not so with Eboue. But if he and Diaby clean up their passes then, as attacking midfielders, they’ll be pains in the ass for anyone to have to deal with. We won’t need to bring in anyone in January. When they get a few more games under the belts, they’ll be okay.
October 29th, 2007 at 1:51 pm
who the fuck is this “buy crap online guy”.
sod off u spurs piece of crap.
the admins should block the account?
October 29th, 2007 at 1:54 pm
josh, am not disputing his efficiency…nor his basic ability….when he stays near the line anyway. its his theaterics that are just so embarassing.
looking forward to fun house that is the league cup. am sure bendtner licks his lips at the thought of clubs like sheffield united lol.
October 29th, 2007 at 1:57 pm
An absolute cracker of a game…and yeah I’ll take a point..anyday. Going to Anfield and taking a point after an equalizer in the 81st minute is not a joke. And to think we could have got all 3 points
Anyway here’s my usual take on our guys:
Almunia: Excellent game and he has come a long way. I hope Jens shuts the hell up now.
Clichy: Tired and uninspiring yesterday , maybe complacency is creeping in. These things have a habit of creeping up on you without you even knowing it. Plus he’s played a lot of games as well. So a break might do him good.
Toure and Gallas: ROCKS in the centre of defense. Absolute A 1 performances yesterday. That last ditcher by Gallas was simply brilliant.
Sagna: Can’t remember anything that went past him. Le Boss has got a gem again and has officially replaced ol Ralph now.
Flamini — Need to see the goal again, looked like he moved in the wall when I saw the replay again but need to catch it again. However I don’t UNDERSTAND at all the ridiculous comments. Here you have a player who gives his all , is fully committed and has definitely improved over time. He goes and plays left back allowing the manager to change things and does a competent job there. But no.. people want Diarra in…why? Coz he was at Chelsea?? DannyT even wanted Flamini to get a niggle…I cant understand that…yes I get where you’re coming from. It is something like Sendy got injured at the right time…but its unfair on a player who has done no wrong, oh wait he let a goal go in on a free kick. Fire him…
Cesc: The little magician was off colour today but still at the heart of all our creative play. The standards we have come to exepct of him are so incredibly high that even if he scores a goal and has a very good overall game we aren’t happy. Missed an open goal and showed amazing mental strength to come back and score his 10th goal in all competitions…still want that left winger Fred???
Hleb: As said before..I dont believe in GOD but metaphorically…and non-religiously Hleb is a football GOD. The closes thing to good old DB10 which we have. Not a replacement coz genuises can’t be replaced but Hleb if he continues this way is on his way to being an Arsenal legend if he stays long enough.
Mozart: Out of tune.. an awful performance. But I’ll bet that he will be brilliant against ManU and the next game or two and will then get injured at Boro or Goodison Park or something for 3 weeks
Eboue: A mixed bag but poor footballing intelligence overall. The raw talent is there for all to see but if not consistent enough , might be in trouble. age on his side though..lets see.
Ade: Decent target man job but was left alone too often I feel and NB and TW coming on definitely helped the big man. He’ll score against United .. I’m almost certain of it. Anyone who says he’s not a big game player is talking absolute rubbish the most recent example being White Hart Lane where he scored two “scrappy dirty lucky goals”
LeBoss: Great subs..makes them early these days giving them time to make an impact unlike before. He’s still learning at 58
Le Boss rocks.
A cracker of a performance overall and anyone who suggests anything negative about that performance is just too cynical for his own good..IMO and dare I say it .. just trying to grab attention…anyway love the kids ..
October 29th, 2007 at 2:04 pm
Thats a spam bot Fred mostly…its mostly not even a guy doing it but some automated thing grabbing links of a page which are vulnerable.
@mikeK: If ur reading this.. that phentermine thing might be a warning signal. You might want to check the application on this site for more holes…Maybe Andrew can help.
October 29th, 2007 at 2:27 pm
Totally agree with Darkman Nate. We are top of the league, haven’t lost a single game this season and drew only two and yet there are some people who are not satisfied with some of the players. What are you all expecting from the boys, to win every single game 7:0? That’s just impossible.
October 29th, 2007 at 3:06 pm
Scoles is out for 3 months. Good news for the title chasers.
I just watched the game for the second time. I think the Eboue bashing is completely off base. There is a serious case of blaming the victim here. I know his antics have earned him a reputation but this case, when judged on its individual merits, is not on Eboue. There should be a retroactive card given to Carragher based on the video replay. More importantly, I thought his play was superb yesterday. Especially in the first half. Because Fabregas had an uncharacteristically poor first 20 minutes, someone needed to get the team out of some tight spots. Eboue slithered out of several situations where bad passes put him under the pressure of two and three defenders. I think he was the one most responsible for getting the ball moving and imposing the Arsenal way on the game. His work rate was excellent and his skill was better.
October 29th, 2007 at 6:33 pm
Eboue has hit the post/cross bar a couple of times now from the same spot in the last few months….sooner or he will tear the net with that shot.
I think it was Petr Cech’s cross bar last year at the Bridge in the 89th minute that took the brunt of his shot, if memory serves….
October 29th, 2007 at 7:40 pm
The lads were just awesome. Cant ask for more against a good team. Fell behind, and came back. Showed a wonderful character overall.
I cant wait to see the next game on Wednesday.
Go Gunners
October 29th, 2007 at 8:06 pm
lde, as far as Rosicky, I think Wenger was wrong to start him yesterday. Why, the same reason it was wrong for Benitez to start Torres and Alonso. Those guys have all been injured. To be re-introduced as a starter to a fast and physical game like yesterdays was simply a bad idea. It’s especially bad when you haven’t played a full 90 in such a long time. It’s why they all looked like crap yesterday and the Liverpool players even got re-injured. In fact, when was the last time Rosicky played a full 90 minutes? I think it was the Portsmouth game like two months ago. I don’t blame Rosicky at all. That blame belongs to Arsene.
BTW, who’s going to play CB with Song on Wednesday?
October 29th, 2007 at 8:13 pm
# 19 Andez — jaded, why not after what they’ve accomplished so far? Although I think the word “jaded” is too strong of a word and see it rather as self-confidence which I’m all for. It’s good to know that your a master at something in life and good to be proud of it. Jaded almost implies a cavalier form of arrogance which confidence isn’t.
October 29th, 2007 at 9:27 pm
i think there are many positives to take from the Liverpool match. When 0-1 down so early in the game, a lesser team could easily have fallen apart.
Our team on the other hand didn’t panic at all. In fact, they started to gradually take control of the match. The passing was awesome. It’s easy to pass like the way they did when they were 2 or 3 goals up. Not as easy when we were trailing a goal. I bet lot of teams under circumstance like this would start to settle for long ball.
It’s the attitude and character our team has shown this season convinced me they are going to be something very special. Talent alone is never enough for a compeitive league like the Premiership.
October 29th, 2007 at 10:33 pm
@ Gerad Pas:
For what it’s worth, the word “jaded” has multiple meanings and uses. In addition to meaning cynically or pretentiously callous and/or bored (the most common meaning from my American English classes), it also can be used to simply mean fatigued and tired to the extent that you look disinterested. Perhaps many on this site use it in the latter sense (I tend to think so).
Cheers.
October 29th, 2007 at 11:03 pm
Eboue’s shot was not bad at all. Just that he powers it with no placement. A better example is the miss against Bolton when it was easier to place and score. A good comparison would be RvP’s goal against Hamburg last season. RvP too usually powers his shoot, but that time he placed it well.
About his antics, it’s better off he stays on his feet. If he does, the limelight shifts to Carragher’s elbow. If he goes down like he has been kicked in his balls only to get up a few minutes later, no doubt people will focus on him.
October 29th, 2007 at 11:58 pm
Some people still cannot come to terms. From Sky Sports website -
Arsenal will gain credit for their stylish display at Anfield on Sunday afternoon but the fact remains that they have played only two league games outside of London this season and have dropped points in both of them. If the Gunners are to mount a credible title challenge then they will need to collect points everywhere, even in the north
October 30th, 2007 at 12:37 am
yup nipuna, they failed to mention those two teams “outside of London” are Liverpool (a big 4 side), and the mighty Blackburn (who currently sitting above Liverpool in the table).
Talking about Blackburn, considered the budget they had compared to City, Hammers, Bottenham the likes, Mark Hughes has done an excellent job. They might not finish top 4, or ever winning anything in the foreseeable future (due to the lack of $$), but Mark Hughes surely turned them into a tough nut to crack. I bet the rest of the “big 4″ will find it tough to get result against them.
Anyway, i love it when they keep writting us off. That only makes every victory tastes even sweeter! Bring on the Red Devils!
October 30th, 2007 at 1:23 am
Isn’t it heartening to know that the only points we have conceded have been through bad goalkeeping and silly defending of the wall on a free kick?
The former seems to have been rectified to some extent by Almunia’s solid (if not spectacular) displays. The latter really needs work as the warning signs were there in the Spurs game.
October 30th, 2007 at 4:51 am
Last night I asked who would play CB with Song. Well now it’s really a situation. Check this link.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/2007/10/30/silva-whining-89520-20030648/
October 30th, 2007 at 9:31 pm
The Mirror is an utter bunch of toss. I would put more weight on a strand of dried spaghetti than I would on its reporting. Wenger has already rubbished the report categorically, and it wouldn’t have made any sense anyhow.
That being said, I would have no problem with Lehman’s departing. Not sure why they brought him back in the first place,