Arsenal v Liverpool - match thread

I found Robbie Keanes celebration quite ridiculous to be honest. This is a fellow who has struggled to score, has been booed and derided by many Liverpool fans, and is grossly unpopular with them.
He runs away from his team mates, holding his hands to his ears. The interpretation of that can only be that he wants all the attention and applause for himself, rather than the more team oriented celebration you have when you group together to celebrate.
Given the circumstances I found his method of celebration to be quite bizarre, and unlikely to endear him to the Liverpool fans.
This type of celebration might be more appropriate for a superstar who is basically a one man team. The new import at Man City would be a prime example.

Give him a break. Enjoy the goal with him. Before the goal, they were booing him. After he scored he was challenging them to boo. He is not unpopular with the LFC fans!

Give him a break. Enjoy the goal with him. Before the goal, they were booing him. After he scored he was challenging them to boo. He is not unpopular with the LFC fans!

That's what I meant earlier. I couldn't quite word it.

It was a magical goal. Remember the goal. Forget the celebration.

Good post Pass & Move, I was thinking along those lines, we could have won with a bit more self belief, would have settled for the point after their goal, but we were dominating and playing some good football. Pleased with Insua, and lucas is starting to look the part, great goal, and we're still on top!

Merry Christmas and all the best for 2009

Well done Robbie, whats that phrase about the monkey and the type writer

We were the better side throughout and had Van Persie not scored a magical goal we probably would of taken all three points.

Insua was great, can't say the same for some of the others but a point away to Arsenal is always considered a good point in my opinion.

The main thing is , we did not loose , to me its a point well taken at Arsenal even though they were down to 10 men.

I found Robbie Keanes celebration quite ridiculous to be honest. This is a fellow who has struggled to score, has been booed and derided by many Liverpool fans, and is grossly unpopular with them.
He runs away from his team mates, holding his hands to his ears. The interpretation of that can only be that he wants all the attention and applause for himself, rather than the more team oriented celebration you have when you group together to celebrate.
Given the circumstances I found his method of celebration to be quite bizarre, and unlikely to endear him to the Liverpool fans.
This type of celebration might be more appropriate for a superstar who is basically a one man team. The new import at Man City would be a prime example.

I'm very glad to read that you were pleased that Robbie scored his goal. But goodness me, you don't half go on about his celebration don't you. 

How do you know he's 'grossly unpopular' with us? I'd love to know how you can explain this.... I can only speak for myself but he's certainly not grossly unpopular with me.

The manner of his goal celebration was not the focus for me, it was the manner he scored the goal. But in retrospect, I was glad to see him celebrate in that manner. The only people he was 'grossly unpopular' with today was the Arsenal fans and they let him know about it. So is there any surprise he wants them to raise their voices when he bangs a sublime goal in the back of their net?
I suppose Gerrard was out of order when he scored a beauty against the bitters at Goodison a good few years ago eh?

The only celebration I don't like is the one where the player has no reaction.

Anyway, aren't you supposed to be working? Run along back to work. 

So. I've had a bit of time to chill out but I'm still pretty gutted about today's result. I know it could have been worse, but it really could have been so much better. I don't know about anyone else, but I don't know how much longer I can keep putting these results to bed and then think about the next game. I'm running out of beds!!!!!!!!!

The simple fact we actually woke up and played some decent football, looking dangerous, composed and passing the ball with ease and urgency was so very encouraging. But the way something clicked in the players minds as soon as the sending off happened and we just went down a few gears was very discouraging.

I don't believe that is anything to do with the manager. It's all to do with the players on the pitch at the time. Seriously, how many players really wanted the three points when the advantage arrived? How much leadership on the pitch was displayed? We ended up having more of our players in our own half of the pitch because we went deeper. And when we did go forward, we were going backwards.

Are we seriously still in the mindset of being a club that competes for fourth and thinking a draw away to Arsenal when we had them by the bollocks is a good result or do we want the title. That's what I was thinking to myself in the latter stages of the second half.

Arsenal are a good team and on the surface, today's result was ok. But we are a better team when we believe we are - that's all that's missing. I really hope there's some serious lessons learned from today's game. Because unfortunately, it only seems we believe when go behind.

I#m disappointed with that result to be quite honest. Before the game I would of taken a point, but given the circumstances, with Fabregas getting injured and Adebayor sent off, I felt the game was there for the taking, but we didn't show enough ambition to go for a winner after half time. I know we had some great chances, El Zhar header, Kuyt after El Zhar played him in are just two of the examples of the top of my head. But we didn't control it IMO after they went down to ten, obviously by attacking we could of been punished by a team of arsenals quality, but they looked shaky at the back all day, and we didn't really exploit that IMO. Another negative point for me was Babel, he is constantly called an impact player for us, but he is really starting to frustrate me, when he comes on these days, he looks as if he can't be bothered. Maybe he can't hack a bit of competition from Riera, I don't know tbh.

On the positive side, it was one of the best overall performances of the season, we played some good football at times, created numerous opportunities, we're winning most of the first and second balls. Insua really impressed at LB at that IMO should cement his place as first choice, didn't put a foot wrong and I don't think I can remember him putting a foot wrong. Keane looked full of confidence and his goal was a typical Robbie Keane goal, pure instinct and no time to think about what he was going to do. El Zhar also made a real impression when he came on for us, he created a fantastic chance for Kuyt, and got himself into a position to score at the end, where he should of made the keeper work in all honesty. He looked hungry to impress and was much better than Babel, so Babel really needs to pull his finger out, because at the moment he is at risk of losing his position as our impact sub to El Zhar.

Overall disappointed in the circumstances, but if i was offered a point beforehand I would of accepted that, even though I do think we we're capable of doing them.

I dont give a F**k how he celebrates his goal as soon as he scores And he did that today in a world class manner.
I am satisfied with Liverpool's performance today,we played like a mature team,holding midfield, create some chances,scored a fantastic goal.But than came Adebayor's red card and we finished our game in 60th minute.What a hell happened i still cant understand??? We were afraid to try and win the game that has to be won!!! We stayed behind the ball  and wait for something-for nothing  better say. Lack of self-confidence cost us 2 points, I hope it wont cost us a Premiership title!!!

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/reds-afraid-to-win-says-wenger-1207414.html

Reds afraid to win, says Wenger

By Sam Wallace
Monday, 22 December 2008

Only once he had finished bemoaning the injustice of Emmanuel Adebayor's red card did Arsène Wenger delivered a painful truth for Liverpool. The Arsenal manager contemplated how his 10 men had managed to hold out for a draw for the best part of 30 minutes and offered an explanation that cuts to the heart of Rafael Benitez's side. Maybe, pondered Wenger, yesterday's opponents were too "scared" to go for broke.

There you had the brutal truth about a Liverpool team who have drawn four out their last five Premier League matches yet still find themselves top of the table. They could have been so much further ahead of Chelsea, who will go top by a point if they beat Everton tonight, yet something is holding them back. Arsenal, bereft of their playmaker and captain Cesc Fabregas, without their centre-forward, were there for the taking but Liverpool showed none of the ruthlessness required. "Did they have no more resources or were they scared to be caught on the break?" Wenger asked of Liverpool. "It's difficult to know. One or two players had cramps. I don't know if they were tired or were they scared to push on? There were a few breaks where they could smell danger and after that maybe they became a bit more cautious.

"When you play against 10 men for almost 45 minutes and you do not win the game you cannot be completely happy with the result." Ouch. Benitez was not on the bench for Liverpool – finally defeated by the kidney stone complaint that has plagued him of late, he sent his instructions via mobile phone to Xavi Valero, the Liverpool goalkeeping coach, who passed them on to Sammy Lee and Mauricio Pellegrino. If there was any doubt as to who was in control, the inevitable substitution of Robbie Keane 10 minutes before time told you exactly who was pulling the strings.

Having taken control of the game in the second half, Keane scoring the equaliser after Robin van Persie's opener, Liverpool were given the ideal opportunity to push on for the win on 62 minutes. Adebayor, already booked for a foul on Emiliano Insua, stepped over the ball with his studs up dangerously close to Alvaro Arbeloa's leg. A flailing arm caught the defender limply in the face and it seemed that Wenger thought it was for that innocuous act which his striker was dismissed.

In truth, the referee Howard Webb had little choice but to show Adebayor a yellow card because the studs-bared stamp has become one of football's great taboos. As a home crowd that mourned the snapped leg of Eduardo last season, Arsenal's fans were wrong to boo Webb. The referee made the right decision yesterday, as he did when he sent off Cristiano Ronaldo against Manchester City in November. That is why he is the best referee in the country.

Relentlessly positive though he tends to be, even Benitez's assistant Lee admitted to a "sense of disappointment in the dressing room" that Liverpool could not make their advantage count.

"You need to give credit to Arsenal because once they went a man down they had their organisation right, they didn't succumb to our control," he said. "Sometimes that does happen. I would still like to give great credit to our lads. We worked and worked to use the numerical advantage but we did not do that to the greatest degree." Steven Gerrard dipped in and out of the game, perking up momentarily in the second half but even he missed a fabulous chance from Dirk Kuyt's cross just before the break.

Xabi Alonso was Liverpool's steadiest performer who, in the absence of the flu-ridden Javier Mascherano, was the telling influence in midfield. It was Alonso's robust but fair challenge on Fabregas that did the damage to the Arsenal captain and meant he did not reappear for the second half.

Arsenal's opening goal was a brilliant piece of work from Van Persie who turned an unpromising lump forward from Samir Nasri into an inspired through ball. On 23 minutes, Van Persie took the ball on his chest with his back to goal and turned sharply away from Daniel Agger. Jamie Carragher tried to recover but the Arsenal man had split Liverpool's two centre-backs and blasted his shot past Pepe Reina.

The equaliser was equally well taken although, like Van Persie's goal, precious little thought went into its making. Agger cleared the ball from well in his own half, a thumping clearance that drew derision from the home crowd until they realised that it had turned into a very promising through ball. Keane got between William Gallas and Johan Djourou and, as the ball came down from its first bounce, clattered a shot past Manuel Almunia.

Without Fabregas, Denilson and Alex Song the midfield looked particularly vulnerable to the onslaught of Alonso and Gerrard but it never really came.

Wenger could feel proud of the way his team held out, although it would not have been a surprise if they had folded. As for Liverpool, they took this game to the brink and decided not to go all out for victory. If they want to win this title that caution will have to be abandoned at some point.

Goals: Van Persie (23) 1-0; Keane (43) 1-1.

Arsenal (4-4-2): Almunia; Sagna, Djourou, Gallas, Clichy; Denilson, Fabregas (Diaby, h-t), Song, Nasri (Eboué, 90); Adebayor, Van Persie. Substitutes not used: Vela, Ramsey, Silvestre, Wilshere, Fabianski (gk).

Liverpool (4-2-3-1): Reina; Arbeloa, Carragher, Agger, Insua; Alonso, Lucas (Ngog, 87); Kuyt, Gerrard, Riera (Babel, 71); Keane (El Zhar, 80). Substitutes not used: Cavalieri (gk), Hyypia, Benayoun, Plessis.

Referee: H Webb (South Yorkshire).

Booked: Arsenal Adebayor, Van Persie, Sagna; Liverpool Keane, Carragher, Lucas .

Sent off: Adebayor (62).

Man of the match: Alonso.

Attendance: 60,094.
________________________ ________________________ __

Wenger needs to stop being a bitter old man who could be out of a job soon.

Wenger.... old folks home bekons

Arsenal going to 10 men seemed to be the worst thing that could have happened to us. We looked like we froze up after that point.
A point away at Arsenal isnt a bad result though. They will beat most teams at home so I think we have to be happy.

Wenger sounds like a man on the edge. His job is definately in scrutiny now. He said they'd be up for this and they didnt take advantage. Yeah sure, they went down to 10 but it was a striker FFS and thats what is frustrating me reading some posts. They did NOT lose a defender or midfielder, but a striker! That does absolutely nothing to swing momentum IMO when you still have Robin Van Persie up top.

What i love though is that he went away from what he gloats to be the best football on Earth and played for a draw at home even though he said they pushed up and wanted it more. He put Eboue on which is never going to be a match winning decision.

As for our tactics, Keane went invisible in the second, i was one who said to take him off. Instead of Kuyt moving up top, it should have been Ryan because Dirk was brilliant on his wing this morning and Ryan was itching for that extra bit of space to run in instead of being on his wing, you could actually see him playing almost central midfield at times.

Overall, still very disappointed we didnt win because we could have but i think the fact we came so close from El Zhar, Agger, Dirk and Stevie makes me feel worse as they didnt have much opportunity. Still, a point at Emirates is something Chelsea and Scum couldnt get so i'm happy. (Also means that Villa are in the top 4 at Christmas by 3 points! )

Wenger sounds like a man on the edge. His job is definately in scrutiny now. He said they'd be up for this and they didnt take advantage. Yeah sure, they went down to 10 but it was a striker FFS and thats what is frustrating me reading some posts. They did NOT lose a defender or midfielder, but a striker! That does absolutely nothing to swing momentum IMO when you still have Robin Van Persie up top.

That's what I've been saying - we've always slaughtered teams whenever they go 1 down:

Wigan, City, Everton, United ...

They all lost key defensive or midfield players.

That's what I've been saying - we've always slaughtered teams whenever they go 1 down:

Wigan, City, Everton, United ...

They all lost key defensive or midfield players.

Definately. Sure they lost Fabregas as well but that made it harder IMO, Diaby is not very attack minded meaning they have 2 players that arent very adventurous in the middle and leave it to Nasri to make the plays. Very hard to break through. Going back to what i said, i think our missed chances made this draw harder to take.

The gap from the top continues to be reduced significantly. I have not been impressed by our recent results:

1. Liverpool FC 39

2. Chelsea FC 37 (One game in hand)

3. A. Villa FC 34

4. Man U 32 (two games in hand)

5. Arsenal FC 31

We have continued to draw all games. Even Villa is 5 points off the top.

If we are going to lift No 19 at the end of the season, we need to start increasing the gap NOW. Are we to continue to rely on other teams to help keep up on top? Last week, West ham held Chelsea FC, today Everton (without the yak) will seek to stop Chelsea.

This is not good enough.

yesterday's opponents were too "scared" to go for broke.

That would be Arsenal then? A dozen points adrift, drawing 1-1 at home and afraid to take the game by the scruff of the neck.

Sammy Lee revealed how Rafa Benitez was in constant contact during Liverpool's 1-1 draw at the Emirates - and rang to congratulate his players after the final whistle. 
Benitez, who stayed on Merseyside to recover from his kidney stone operation, was reportedly delighted with his team after Robbie Keane cancelled out Robin van Persie's opener with a sweet half-volley.
 
Lee joked: "His phone bill will be quite big! Technology meant it was never going to be a problem. It's testament to his professionalism because he was in a lot of pain.
 
"Our hope now is that he can settle down for a while and get himself 100 per cent right so that he's ready for the really busy schedule that's coming up."
 
Asked how Benitez had responded to the result, Lee added: "He was pleased. He wanted the lads to know what a good point it was against a very good football team."
 
Lee admitted there was a tinge of disappointment among the players themselves after failing to capitalise on Emmanuel Adebayor's 62nd minute dismissal.
 
He explained: "There's all kinds of clichés but we'd have settled for a point before the game. The lads are a bit disappointed but great credit should be given to Arsenal for the way they fought when they went a man down.
 
"They organised themselves right and made sure they kept shape and kept tight. We worked hard to use a numerical advantage but we don't feel we did that - that's maybe why there's a bit of disappointment among the lads.
 
"Great credit should also be given to our lads because we felt we took control of the game after going a goal down. We got ourselves back into it.
 
"We would have been happy to come here and come away with a point beforehand, but being Liverpool Football Club means we never settle for a draw. We always go out to try to win the game.
 
"So, to that extent we are a little bit disappointed."
 
Lee was quizzed on whether Keane's goal would boost his confidence after missing out on a starting place in recent weeks.
 
The assistant boss said: "Ask anyone - goals always give you confidence. But I'm being honest when I say Robbie hasn't been lacking in confidence.
 
"We pick a team for any given match and opposition. We're fully aware of the programme we've got ahead of us and we're going to have to use all our players. If sometimes certain players don't get picked, it's because it's a long, arduous season. We have to make sure we have everyone ready.
 
"I think he looked superb today. And if you saw him out there, he certainly wasn't lacking in any confidence."
 
On whether Arsenal were now out of the title race following another home draw, Lee added: "I have got far too much respect for Arsenal Football Club to say that and I don't know of anything that's won in December. There's no way they're out of the title." 

Well I think that we played good towards the end of the first half but I think that we should of won it because Ade was sent off and that was a big boost! We looked liked we needed Masch back ... but I'm not that satisfied with a draw .. I think that we should really buy another proper striker if Nando will keep on getting injured  ! But insua was good though ... i think he should be our 1st choice left back ..at least rafa got not playing doss in his head !



But I honestly think that we should be like some 10 pionts clear ! We're at the top due to chelsea's and Scum utd's mess ups ! Drawing at home is sad and really fustrating  !!!! Nando please come back !!

First off I have to say it was a wonderful goal from Van Persie only bettered by Keane's sublime finish...what a corker.

Was absolutely gutted when half time came...we were right on top and had all the momentum and if Stevie had have got to Dirks cross, we really could and should have been 2-1 up. If we had 5 more minutes...I really think we would have gone in at halftime with a lead.

2nd half, they had Adebayor deservedly sent off.....studs up twice, the f**ker.....and him and the Voyeur are complaining.

Really didn't do much after that, went back into our shell with some curious and frustrating substitutions from Benitez (what's new?)

Before the game I wanted 3 points, when we went down 1-0, I thought we'll win this 2-1 ...we seem to love a good comeback but to end up with a point is totally guttering, if that's a word.

I agree with Venison in that I don't think Lucas was too flash at all today...the game I was watching, he easily gave away more than 10 free kicks....3 in the first few minutes and most of them in dangerous positions and most if not all of them were totally unnecessary....sure he had a nice shot on goal but straight at the keeper when I thought he could have done better. I thought we really missed Masch today....I feel a hell of a lot more comfortable with him out there instead of Lucas.

Praise to Insua...fantastic game, hope he keeps it up and can cement his place as our new Number 1 LB for years to come.

At least we're still top of the league for now but I honestly think come tomorrow we'll be second. Can't see those cu*ts from down the road doing us any favours. I'm sure they'll role over purposely, those dogs. 

Well if ever we had a chance to prove our credentials it ws yesterday but what do we do against 10 men...wait until 86 minutes to bring on a second striker. Its ok saying we played well or whatever but the fact is against 10 men we were afraid to go for it incase we got caught on the break. Our last 5 games is won 1 drew 4. Thats 8 points dropped almost the same as losing 3 games. If we lost 3 games in the last 5 there wouldnt be many happy people on here. Not only have we let utd and Chelsea off the hook but weve let Villa in now as well and Arsenal

4 4 2 as soon as they went to ten men yesterday to at least look like we wanted the 3 points would have shown intent. Babel up top instead of on the left wing where he rarely produces anything from and maybe Yossi on the left? Look Id have taken a point before hand in all honesty but against 10 men its points dropped and worst of all its the fear to really go for the throat thats doing my head in

By the way can anybody here explain to me how we had 72% possesion in the second half until the sending off? Is it fair to say that we hadnt a clue what to do again to break a team down?

The poorest sub yesterday was Babel. Replacing Riera with Babel was a disaster. Babel did not have any impact on the attack. He was totally off. Benanyun would have been much better.