I’d feel a lot less frustrated by this if we’d taken care of business last week against that dogshit United team. This was actually fine. Decent enough performance against a good side. Should have won, probably didn’t quite deserve it though and a draw is perfectly ok. If we’d done what we should have last week we’d be top and this draw would be seen as a pretty good result for us. But we couldn't beat that shite Manc team so this is now quite frustrating.
Given the way we started I’d have probably taken the draw if you'd offered me it when it was 0-1. I didn’t like that start at all. After all the nonsense all week about the atmosphere and the focus on how important the crowd were going to be, Anfield was predictably rocking prior to kick off. But it would have been anyway, Klopp’s daft comments in midweek made no difference to that, it was a top of the table clash against a one of the strongest teams in the country, so of course the fans would turn up and do their bit.
It was loud, it was raucous and the sense of anticipation was palpable in the air before that opening whistle. And then the game started and we were immediately on the back foot. Arsenal started well and looked confident. They weren’t fazed by the atmosphere, but here’s the thing about the famous Anfield atmosphere and the effect it has on opposing teams; it only works when it’s in tandem with what the players are doing.
Barcelona weren’t beaten by the crowd. They were beaten by what the crowd did to our players, and that in turn makes life incredibly difficult for them. It’s a two way street though. One doesn't work without the other. We turned up last week against United but the team didn’t, and the way this game started I was wondering if it was happening again.
It wasn’t even just that Arsenal started sharper than we did, it almost looked like we were actively trying to fucking quieten the crowd! Alisson standing on the ball for ten seconds, waiting for Arsenal to come and press him, then giving it to Virgil who did the same. Passing it round at the back, taking the sting out of it. What the fuck???? No, we need high octane shit, not this slow slow slow bollocks.
It took us a while to get going and we were a goal down early. Bad goal to give away but I do think Arsenal deserve credit for how they worked it. They were doing some funky things on set-pieces all day. On their first corner I noticed they had three big bastards stood well back of everybody else and then they all ran in when the kick was taken, making it difficult to pick them up. It caused confusion and Jesus won the header at the front post but it went straight to Alisson. After that we defended their corners well but even so, you could see they were thinking a little outside the box and I like that. The little details can make all the difference.
On the free-kick they scored from they were doing some weird shit too. Four of them stood in offside positions prior to the kick. You see this quite a bit, but usually it’s because they know the defending team is going to run back in before the kick is taken. We don’t do that, we always hold the line until after it’s taken so clearly Arsenal were up to some shit.
I was curious to see what they did, and just before the kick was taken they all ran back onside, and then ran in towards goal again after it was taken. It seemed to catch us out as Alisson started to come but then stopped, and he was caught in no man’s land as Gabriel headed past him. If Alisson stays on his line he saves that easily.
Konate didn’t track Gabriel’s run and Gakpo had dropped in a fraction quicker than everyone else which played Gabriel onside by a few inches. It’s mostly Alisson though, that hesitation killed him really.
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