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Pre Match: Arsenal (A)

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Brizzle

Brizzle

Deposed match thread starter
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Arguably too soon for this, but we can at least start to consolidate our thoughts ahead of this. I'm particularly excited as I'm going to this one, and Arsenal is the team that I probably have the most mates who support so I'm especially keen for a drubbing.

Watching Arsenal this season they have followed a number of key traits:

  • Flat in every first half, seemingly playing just to see the lay of the land
  • Their ability to play out from the back is still getting them in trouble (see Palace game yesterday)
  • When they turn it on, they look powerful and slick. They seem to do this in bursts of about 6-8 minutes, score a couple and then shut up shop.
At present it looks like Sokratis is out for the weekend, Bellerin is a doubt and they have been playing Xhaka at LB because Lichsteiner is crumbs.

Torreira in DM looks useful to break up play but generally they aren't offering huge amounts from the middle other than improving on being a complete walkover last season.

I'm torn on the team I want to see, I think we will dominate this game in the middle and our attacking press will catch them out on multiple occasions. I would love to see us go for the juggular from the start which would be Shaq starting in the CM 3, and if we need to tighten in the second half we can bring Millie in to that middle.

--------------Alisson-----------
TAA---Gomez--VVD---Robbo
-----------Gini----Fabs-----------
--------------Shaqiri--------------
--Salah----Firmino---Mane

I think we will score multiple goals here, and really hope we can keep Auba/Ozil quiet.

Another bonus is that they play in the Carabao Cup in midweek so a chance for our players to come out really rested and fresh in comparison.
 
Can't afford to drop points at the Emirates. I really like your line up, but the exclusion of Milner worries me. I mean it's a bit of a balancing act who to go with, right? Milner gives us a stronger, more defensively stable midfield. Shaqiri on the other hand gives us more in attack.
Lucky I'm not the one who has to decide, but I really want to see us attack Arsenal so I'm leaning towards Shaqiri.
Klopp will probably surprise us all and start Hendo, though.
 
Modo said:
Can't afford to drop points at the Emirates. I really like your line up, but the exclusion of Milner worries me. I mean it's a bit of a balancing act who to go with, right? Milner gives us a stronger, more defensively stable midfield. Shaqiri on the other hand gives us more in attack.
Lucky I'm not the one who has to decide, but I really want to see us attack Arsenal so I'm leaning towards Shaqiri.
Klopp will probably surprise us all and start Hendo, though.
Click to expand...

The good thing is that Millie is also great at the forward press. I feel that Shaqiri really demonstrated his ability to bring the team together. The first half is where we need to strike hard, I hope Klopp realises that and goes full heavy metal football.

For me Fabinho needs to start in the middle to disrupt Ozil and anyone else who comes deep to try and act playmaker.
 
Brizzle said:
Arguably too soon for this, but we can at least start to consolidate our thoughts ahead of this. I'm particularly excited as I'm going to this one, and Arsenal is the team that I probably have the most mates who support so I'm especially keen for a drubbing.

Watching Arsenal this season they have followed a number of key traits:

  • Flat in every first half, seemingly playing just to see the lay of the land
  • Their ability to play out from the back is still getting them in trouble (see Palace game yesterday)
  • When they turn it on, they look powerful and slick. They seem to do this in bursts of about 6-8 minutes, score a couple and then shut up shop.
At present it looks like Sokratis is out for the weekend, Bellerin is a doubt and they have been playing Xhaka at LB because Lichsteiner is crumbs.

Torreira in DM looks useful to break up play but generally they aren't offering huge amounts from the middle other than improving on being a complete walkover last season.

I'm torn on the team I want to see, I think we will dominate this game in the middle and our attacking press will catch them out on multiple occasions. I would love to see us go for the juggular from the start which would be Shaq starting in the CM 3, and if we need to tighten in the second half we can bring Millie in to that middle.

--------------Alisson-----------
TAA---Gomez--VVD---Robbo
-----------Gini----Fabs-----------
--------------Shaqiri--------------
--Salah----Firmino---Mane

I think we will score multiple goals here, and really hope we can keep Auba/Ozil quiet.

Another bonus is that they play in the Carabao Cup in midweek so a chance for our players to come out really rested and fresh in comparison.
Click to expand...

I watched them against Leicester last week, and it was Iwobi that really surprised me. He was full of power, explosive runs, and with great work rate. Not the player I remembered at all. I agree that Arsenal are a team that should allow us to create loads of chances, but we need to limit their opportunities, because Lacazette looks incredibly sharp. Auba is more regularly being introduced as a second half sub and is generally having a real impact when he does so.
 
Brizzle said:
The good thing is that Millie is also great at the forward press. I feel that Shaqiri really demonstrated his ability to bring the team together. The first half is where we need to strike hard, I hope Klopp realises that and goes full heavy metal football.

For me Fabinho needs to start in the middle to disrupt Ozil and anyone else who comes deep to try and act playmaker.
Click to expand...
Agreed and reg Fabinho...he's somehow managed to turn himself into a key player in two games. I think people have quickly realised what we're lacking in midfield thanks to him. His most important trait? He's not afraid to make a challenge. Also he runs with the ball, he starts one-two passing moves etc. It's so fucking refreshing.
 
@doctor_mac Agreed, at the moment I feel that if Laca gets the ball in the box, it will find the back of the net. I would like Gomez's pace and composure at the back rather than Lovren but I wonder if Klopp is trying to get Lovren and VVD back together?

They've been very lucky not to be 2 or 3 goals down at HT in a few games lately, Leicester included. We need to be clinical and I keep having flashbacks of that 5-1 game when we were 3 up in about 15 minutes!
 
Modo said:
Agreed and reg Fabinho...he's somehow managed to turn himself into a key player in two games. I think people have quickly realised what we're lacking in midfield thanks to him. His most important trait? He's not afraid to make a challenge. Also he runs with the ball, he starts one-two passing moves etc. It's so fucking refreshing.
Click to expand...

MOTD annoyed me as they said he was keeping his passing "simple", but I think he just makes it look simple. 10-15 yard passes through the centre of the oppositions midfield and into the feet of our strikers are invaluable and put us straight onto the front foot. I think we've been too guilty this season in games of high possession of passing the ball out wide and hoping to get the ball in the box and cause mayhem. Fabinho is so frequently looking to get the ball straight into the attackers in the middle. I love him already - i need to find the guy who made my Avi and ask him to do a Fabinho one!
 
Brizzle said:
@doctor_mac Agreed, at the moment I feel that if Laca gets the ball in the box, it will find the back of the net. I would like Gomez's pace and composure at the back rather than Lovren but I wonder if Klopp is trying to get Lovren and VVD back together?
Click to expand...
Pretty sure it's just been rotation. Gomez vs Auba and Lacazette is a no-brainer, he can keep up whereas Lovren would be burned and left without trace.
 
This is oddly the first game this year I'm worried about.
We've given up a lot of good chances in games - bar the Man City one (Chelsea - Alisson saved us a point).
Arsenal are a really good attacking team - and when they start playing in the 2nd half - they will create chances. Aubamadingdong and Lacazette are really good strikers, and on form too.

So my keys:
1) Klopp has to go with Gomez-VvD pairing.
2) Target Xhaka as LB non-stop - he is a weak link, as will Liechsteiner be if Bellerin is out.
3) We need to end this game at half time. A 1-0 or draw at half time will give Arsenal the feeling they can get something out of the game.

That being said, a win on Saturday will be massive ... it will knock their belief they can be a contender for the title (they clearly think they are) and improve our belief we can keep up the pace (as City will be 3 points back after tonight's loss inshallah).
 
Agree on targeting the full backs. Both are awful for giving fouls away and getting yellows - get on that early and this could be very fruitful. This is why TAA has to be RB for me.
 
Our normal game is to attack wide through the best pair of wingers in the League combined with agrresive attacking fullbacks, so targeting their fullbacks is our default game as I see it.
 
I can see klopp going with hendo, wij and milner as the midfield 3. This is the perfect game for our last season high pressing style. Arsenal are still in transition and making lots of mistakes passing from the back. They always plays shit in the first half and strong in the 2nd so we need to go at them early.
 
We win this game in midfield, Ozil is a clever player, and dangerous when given time, however he offers nothing towards the fight of controlling the game, and I feel our midfield three, even if one of them is Shaqiri, can absolutely boss their midfield, which I don't think is that strong physically, and not sublime enough technically to compensate. If we do that, they suffocate, and rely on pacey counter attacks, which will be a big concern, thankfully Gomez and VVD are the best two centre backs in the league for dealing with that pace imo, still, we'll require discipline from Trent and Robbo, only one can go, and they can't make stupid passes to leave themselves exposed.

Brizzle's team is the right one, our back four is solid, and Wijni and Fabinho can help control Ozil and the runs from deep, however the extra physicality of Henderson or Milner wouldn't be a bad choice either. For Arsenal, they'd be mad not to drop Ozil and bring in Ramsey (I expect Ozil to start though), this game isn't about controlling the ball and cute clever passes, their best bet is to play fast and try and bypass our midfield, that will play right into our hands, and Mane and Salah should have an absolute field day.

I think we'll win this game scoring three or four goals in the process, maybe thats just my uncharacteristic optimism though. Only way I see it going any other way is if Arsenal beat us at our own game and play fast and sucker punch us for two or three goals in the first half, or we squander all our chances first half and let ourselves get nervous going into the second.

Christ I hope we absolutely cunt them.
 
Brizzle said:
--------------Alisson-----------
TAA---Gomez--VVD---Robbo
-----------Gini----Fabs-----------
--------------Shaqiri--------------
--Salah----Firmino---Mane
Click to expand...

This is my first choice 11 right now, but if Klopp wouldn't start Shaq at home against Cardiff I dunno if he will away against Arse. Might start Milner instead.
 
Woland said:
This is my first choice 11 right now, but if Klopp wouldn't start Shaq at home against Cardiff I dunno if he will away against Arse. Might start Milner instead.
Click to expand...

Agreed, I think thats the team. Klopp said that the reason he rested Shaqiri was because he had played a lot of games in a short amount of time with both the international team and us, and they didnt know him well enough as a player to whether or not the could push him further.
It kinda makes sense.
 
Woland said:
This is my first choice 11 right now, but if Klopp wouldn't start Shaq at home against Cardiff I dunno if he will away against Arse. Might start Milner instead.
Click to expand...

Yes, I like that team too.

But I think against the "better" sides, who play a more expansive game, we are more likely to see a more compact CM trio, from Wijnaldum, Milner, Henderson, Fabinho, and not risk an AM.

So if Shaqiri plays, it will be as part of the front three. So he probably won't.
 
What about the recently used 4321 with Shaqiri out right, Firmino at AM, and Salah up front?
 
Mystic said:
What about the recently used 4321 with Shaqiri out right, Firmino at AM, and Salah up front?
Click to expand...

If Shaqiri does play, it will be in this system surely (because 4-3-3 with him in the middle was proven too unbalanced against Southampton). I think it’s 50/50 whether it will be this or the usual formation with Milner.
 
rurikbird said:
If Shaqiri does play, it will be in this system surely (because 4-3-3 with him in the middle was proven too unbalanced against Southampton). I think it’s 50/50 whether it will be this or the usual formation with Milner.
Click to expand...

I think it is too early to prove anything after 1 game only. Look like Gini and Fabinho can Balance the midfield well. So the Whole midfield combination is important. Maybe against teams like Arsenal a Shaquiri can add movement to our midfield that force Arsenal to sit further back than if Gini/Hendo/Milner Plays.
 
manwithnoname said:
Yes, I like that team too.

But I think against the "better" sides, who play a more expansive game, we are more likely to see a more compact CM trio, from Wijnaldum, Milner, Henderson, Fabinho, and not risk an AM.

So if Shaqiri plays, it will be as part of the front three. So he probably won't.
Click to expand...

I agree with this take completely - but I would also question the effectiveness of Shaq in this game as he will be up against 2 players that know him well from his national team. I am sure he will get his chance at some point but I think it will be a compact midfield - I think between Fabinio and Gini there will be enough attacking intent.

On another point I actually hate Arsenal for being complete 2nd half merchants - probably a reflection of their managers ability to actually figure out what to do during the half time break. So my view is - we need to make that first half absolutely count and put away our chances - I would feel comfortable if we were like 4-0 at half time, then with our current defense (all being well and fit) - we could get away with a 4-3 win.

In this game we will either batter them or we will lose - I cannot see this game being a draw and if it is - it will feel like a loss. I just don't think Man City will lose this season - the way they are going. It really is between City, Chelsea and us - who blinks first ?
 
Guendouzi suspended for Arsenal. Mixed feelings on this as his inclusion would have seen Xhaka at left back against Salah, and I think whilst he is quite dynamic in the centre, he can be easily overpowered.
 
MERSON

People will say: 'Oh Arsenal will score goals...' but Liverpool's defence has been superb. I watched Arsenal win 11 games on the trot, and they could have easily lost four of them, let alone drawn them.
PAUL PREDICTS: 1-3
 
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