It is three games and no goals
conceded now for Liverpool. What was it Brendan Rodgers said about defence
being easy?
Except this was no desperate
rearguard action. Well, not all of it, anyway. Three points here would not have
flattered Liverpool, even though Arsenal placed them under immense pressure in
the second half and had a perfectly good goal by Aaron Ramsey disallowed in the
first.
Liverpool dominated the remainder of
the opening 45 minutes and, if they failed to maintain that momentum, it was
only because Arsenal came out with renewed vigour having no doubt seen Arsene
Wenger’s less professorial side in the home dressing-room at half-time.
The eventual champions may be elsewhere, but five into
four doesn’t go – and five into three even less so if English clubs do not buck
up their ideas in Europe – so at least one elite team is going to miss out on
the Champions League again next season. That considered, this was a strong
performance all round from Liverpool, and Rodgers will have been happier with
the result.
Indeed, before the game, with
captain Jordan Henderson and Adam Lallana missing from midfield, and Jordan Ibe
considered in need of a rest, there were some inside the travelling party who
admitted they would have gladly shaken hands before kick-off on a 0-0
draw.
Looking at the shakiness of
Arsenal’s defence, however, by half-time 5-1 to Liverpool might have been a
fairer outcome. Arsenal were all over the place. They were very unfortunate to
have Ramsey’s goal erroneously disallowed in the ninth minute, but after that
they fell apart.
To be fair, the pessimists in the
Liverpool camp were not to know that Arsenal’s two first-choice centre halves,
Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker, would be ruled out prior to the game; or
that Calum Chambers had seemingly forgotten how to defend since leaving
Southampton. These factors then combined to create 45 minutes of mayhem.
Liverpool hit the bar, a post, were
kept out by at least one wonderful save from Petr Cech and several last-ditch
tackles, one of which could have resulted in a booking, or worse. Chambers and
his partner Gabriel had never played together in a competitive fixture before,
but that was no excuse.
They have both been at the club long
enough to adjust to Arsenal’s style of play, and the speed and physical presence
of elite Premier League forwards. By the end, Gabriel had found his feet,
however. Not so Chambers, who was by turn bullied and beaten by Christian
Benteke, at one stage contriving to lose a challenge in the air, before being
nutmegged on the flat. It really wasn’t his night.
Full credit to Liverpool for earning the point, though.
They were a significant attacking force early on, and resilient in the later
stages as Wenger introduced fresher, quicker legs in the form of Theo Walcott
and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
For a team that many tipped to be
plunged into the first crisis of the season, seven points from nine, including
visits to Stoke and Arsenal, is a hugely positive start. Yes, Liverpool were
clinging on by the end but that was to be expected. Having lost their first
home game of the season to West Ham, Arsenal were always going to throw the
kitchen sink at victory here. That they came so close to defeat was a worrying
sign, even with a makeshift defence. It was 1949 when Arsenal last lost their
first two home games of the league season. Wenger wasn’t even born then.
Rodgers’ team announced its
intention after just three minutes when a fine run by Emre Can ended with a
pass to Benteke and a shot just wide. A minute later, Benteke found space on
the right and his cross was lashed towards goal by Philippe Coutinho – striking
the underside of the bar and somehow staying out with Cech beaten.
There then came an all-too-brief
spell in which Arsenal could have taken the lead. Alexis Sanchez came close
with a header from a Nacho Monreal cross and then Martin Skrtel and James
Milner got into a terrible tangle trying to clear, before Sanchez poked the
ball wide. The next chance should have been the opening goal, Ramsey played
onside by at least one Liverpool defender, and possibly two, when he sped
through to slide the ball past Simon Mignolet. Linesman Simon Bennett raised
his flag for offside, an atrocious decision considering the benefit of doubt
should go to the attacking player. After events against Bournemouth last week,
it must be said Liverpool are also riding their luck right now.
Although not for the remainder of
the first half. It was Liverpool, Liverpool and more Liverpool, all the way to
half-time, Arsenal’s uncertainty clear from the 15th minute when Chambers
struck a simple pass out from the back to Coutinho, who was clear on goal but
rendered off balance at the vital moment by pressure from Francis
Coquelin.
There was less to admire about
Coquelin’s challenge on Benteke in similar circumstances eight minutes later.
He didn’t appear to get any of the ball, but referee Michael Oliver didn’t see
a foul. If he had, given the lack of defensive cover, the Frenchman could have
been in serious trouble.
It was Gabriel’s turn to intervene
in the 25th minute, after a fabulous ball to Milner from Coutinho, and the
defender was needed again nine minutes later, when first Can then Benteke won
headers and Coutinho sped on goal only to collapse under the pressure of
Gabriel’s challenge.
In the 39th minute, new signing
Roberto Firmino – starting his first game – hit a pass across the face of
Arsenal’s goal, met by Benteke at the far post, yet somehow kept out by Cech.
Two of the 10 points he is meant to be saving them this season right there, one
thinks. From the resulting corner Cech had to be equally alert, saving a low
shot by Firmino with his feet, late and unsighted. With the final attack of the
half Coutinho left Hector Bellerin bedazzled from a wide position before curling
a shot which struck the far post.
And then it was Arsenal’s turn.
The second half belonged to them,
but not in quite the same way. They had all the possession, and the lion’s
share of chances, but not as many that were as clear-cut as Liverpool’s. Sanchez
shot just wide after Olivier Giroud laid the ball back in the 60th minute, and
Dejan Lovren did enough to put Giroud off as he readied to shoot from close
range nine minutes later, Mignolet clawing the ball clear. Liverpool’s
goalkeeper made fine stops from Ramsey and Oxlade-Chamberlain, the last in the
90th minute. Nine goals have been scored in the final minute in the last 11
meetings of these sides, but it was not to be. Rodgers also took off the
brilliant Coutinho for a defender, Alberto Moreno. See, easy.
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