Arsenal 0 Liverpool 2
8 minutes of inspiration. 9 consecutive league wins. 1 point from the lead in a 2 horse Title race.
8 minutes of inspiration. 9 consecutive league wins. 1 point from the lead in a 2 horse Title race.
Two nights ago at a raucous and passionate Selhurst Park in London, you’d have been forgiven for thinking that the all whites of Real Madrid were visiting the red and blues of Barcelona in a neutral venue for their seasonal footballing bout in “El Clasico”. The team in all white pressed, counter pressed, dominated possession of the ball and came within inches of dismantling the castle of the team in the red and blue stripes. They in turn had counter attacked brilliantly at times but rather ran out of steam and despite the white hordes huffing and puffing, they couldn’t blow the Crystal Palace castle down. For they were gallant and stoic in their customary red and blue shirts and fully deserving of the one point gained in their 0–0 home draw but not with the famed Real of Madrid, but league leaders Manchester City.
City were phenomenal, umpteen shots on and off target, constant pressure and a constant, nagging threat, but Palace did not buckle, and City’s point gained gave them a four point advantage at the top of the Premier League.
City’s 0–0 draw yet again left Liverpool with a game in hand and this evening was perhaps their toughest looking league game in a couple of months. Taking the kick off, the Reds in their alternative strip of all yellow pummelled Arsenal and for the opening three minutes the hosts barely got a touch of the ball as Liverpool forced three consecutive corners, the second of which was headed powerfully toward goal by Virgil van Dijk forcing a good reaction save from the “Gunners” goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale. From this strong start the remainder of the first half was rather a non-event as the game stop started it’s way to the Referee’s half-time whistle but was thoroughly dominated by the London hosts and Arsenal’s Brazilian striker Gabriel Martinelli. The South American striker was at the heart of everything that was good for Arsenal in a first half in which they played particularly well, were attacking, progressive and fully in control but never really threatening Alisson Becker in the Liverpool goal.
Their main goal threat came at the start of the second half and with the score still standing at 0–0 it was a crucial passage of play that should have resulted in their taking an equally crucial lead. Instead, and no more than eight or nine minutes later they were 2–0 down and Liverpool had finally started playing, and eight minutes later they were two goals to the good and the game was over. Firstly, tonight’s Liverpool “Man of the Match” Thiago gave away a sloppy pass inside the Reds penalty area that Alexandre Lacazette should have scored from before setting up the impressive Martin Odegaard who’s shot was brilliantly tipped over his crossbar by Alisson Becker. Becker would only be troubled once more, in the eighty eighth minute of the game with the aforementioned, and Arsenal star player tonight Gabriel Martinelli, who’s shot flashed narrowly wide of Becker’s goal. But eight inspired minutes from the 54th to 62nd minute both opened and indeed ended tonight’s contest and yet another three valuable points were bagged by Liverpool.
From his howling error around his own penalty area, Thiago more than made up for his mistake with a sublime slide rule pass that set Diogo Jota free on the Arsenal goal, but running wide. Jota’s flashing left foot shot from a narrow angle beat Aaron Ramsdale at his near post with a shot he should have saved but didn’t, and from nowhere, and against the run of play, Liverpool had a priceless lead. This was doubled within eight minutes and it was all Roberto Firmino, aided and abetted by teammate Andy Robertson. Firstly the Brazilian Firmino refused to allow Arsenal to play their way out of defence and hunted down a loose ball before his cross set off a goal mouth scramble that was cleared, but immediately hunted down (again) this time by Scotland International Captain Andy Robertson. The Reds left back sprinted to the by line before fizzing a low cross that Firmino deftly flicked past Ramsdale in the Arsenal goal and the game was effectively over with 28+ minutes remaining.
In all honesty the first half should be immediately written off, the two goals should be rejoiced and the remaining 28 minutes should be appreciated as a team finally finding their straps and in the footballing vernacular “killing off” the game so beautifully, and so goddamn well.
Football is a numbers game: 9 consecutive league wins. 27 maximum points. 17 goals scored. 1 conceded. And tonight it was simply 8 minutes of genius, 2 well taken goals and 3 invaluable points that ensures the Reds are just 1 solitary point behind the League leaders Manchester City. The Reds play before City next play a league game and hence, when taking all of these numbers into account, a victory will take Liverpool to the top of the League for the first time since October 2021.
With 9 league games to go and 27 maximum points to be played for I still foresee, as I predicted at the very outset of the season, that both Manchester City and Liverpool could feasibly table over 90+ points and still not win the “Bread and Butter” of the League Championship that so many Reds had conceded prior to Christmas. There’s no concessions now!
It’s a numbers game, and come May, the League Title could be decided by the smallest number of all. Time will tell.
It always does.
Thanks for reading. Please find below my 3 previous match reports on the Mighty Reds of Liverpool and should these pique your interest there are umpteen more articles on Liverpool within my archives.
Brighton 0 Liverpool 2
Sadio Mane and Luis Diaz star in yet another stroll in 3rd gearmedium.com
Liverpool 0 Inter Milan 1
On yet another crazy European night at Anfield, the Reds squeak into the Quarter-Finals of the European Cupmedium.com
Liverpool 1 West Ham United 0
The “Scouser in our Team” with a Man of the Match performance and the Reds remain in the Title Race.medium.com