Liverpool 1 - 2 Arsenal: Smash and grab

Just as many Liverpool fans are scratching their heads in bemusment as to how they lost this game, I am also scratching my head in bemusement. Unlike last week's fantastic result over Spurs, we were outplayed and outfaught in today's game, yet still managed to pull out two goals from somewhere and win the game.

We've Liverpool to thank for this win. Although van Persie produced two great finishes, Liverpool squandered several opportunities, including a missed pen, at least two tap-ins and reacquainting themselves with their old friend Post. Szczesny had to pull out some great saves to keep us in the game. Defensively we weren't good and offensively we had zero presence.

Liverpool played a 4-5-1 and focused their play down the flanks. Predominantly, they played the ball long and pressured high up the pitch. When they won the ball back, they played quick passes and drilled crosses into the box. Arsenal didn't deal with this well. Suarez put himself about and got the better of the two central defenders too many times, Kuyt and Downing got in behind Sagna and Gibbs too often and the likes of Henderson and Adam were afforded too much space in front of our back four due to our midfield not offering enough protection.

This meant that Arsenal were often on the back foot. Van Persie was isolated up front, while Walcott and Benayoun neither dropped deep or got close to the striker. The midfield trio of Song, Arteta and Rosicky was overrun by Liverpool's trio of Henderson, Adam and Spearing. So Arsenal had no out ball, couldn't keep the ball and left defensive gaps everywhere. Yeah, this wasn't go well, was it?

A quick one-two between Kuyt and Suarez saw the Uruguayan in behind. Szczesny came to meet him, Suarez went down he and the ref awarded a penalty after some deliberation. Replays showed that contact was very minimal and was only noticeable after viewing slowed down replays. Suarez made the most of it, certainly. And how the ref could possibly spot the contact from his position I don't know. Gutting that this is the second this has happened to us in as many weeks, but what's done is done.

Kuyt stepped up and his penalty was saved by Szczesny. The big Pole than brilliantly got up and saved the rebound. A great double save to keep us alive in the game.

Despite that, we still went 1-0 down. Henderson popped up on the right and, again, we left him with far too much room. He played a very good ball across goal and Koscielny sliced his clearance into his own goal. It's an unfortnate occurence but at the same time it wasn't very good technique from Koscielny, who should've knocked it out of play with his right instead of wildly swing with his left. It was an avoidable goal, but Liverpool did deserve to be 1-0 up.

Arsenal didn't really respond and Liverpool could've easily taken a 2-0 lead into half-time. Kuyt turned Downing's low cross onto the post, while Suarez' shot was saved after brilliantly worming his way through the Arsenal defence.

But as we're all too painfully aware, if you don't take your chances, you run the risk of letting the other team back into it. Sagna produced an excellent cross in and van Persie, who had done well to get in between the centre backs and hold Carragher, nodded it in for a rare headed goal. 1-1 at the break.

The second half played out in similar fashion. There was one tactical adjustment from Arsenal. Alex Song was dropped a little deeper to help protect the back four. While this solved the issue of there being too much room in front of our back four, the issue of Liverpool's wingers getting in behind our full backs remained prevelant. They fashioned a couple more chances, notably Martin Kelly who failed to score from close range.

Liverpool had more possession, more passes in the final third, more crosses, more chances... but failed to score more than one. Arsenal, on the other hand, mustered more shots on target and more clinical with the chances they did get. In stoppage-time, Song chipped a trademark pass into the box for van Persie who volleyed home.

Performance not great, but result is all that matters
A large majority of us predicted we'd slip up here. Certainly, it would have been typical of Arsenal to be brilliant one game and then undo that good work the next game. We came close to doing that. Our performance, as a whole, was not of the standard to win the game. Liverpool were the better side, but we were, unusually, clinical. In the end, in these games that's all that matters. We're now 10 points ahead of Liverpool, 6 ahead of Newcastle, 3 ahead of Chelsea and 4 behind Spurs. Those sides all have a game in hand on us, but we're currently in a good position.

Arsenal picking up momentum
A 7-1 demolition of Blackburn, a comeback win at Sunderland, a fantastic comeback against Spurs and now a smash and grab against Liverpool. Four wins in a row, the last three with us coming from behind. Suffice to say, we're actually in really good form in the league. Amazing how that one defeat at Milan convinced a lot of us that Wenger was finished, and yet we're in great form and in pole position to take fourth place.

With Newcastle at home our next game in the league, we've good a very good opportunity to distance ourselves further from our rivals and continue this form.

Player Ratings
Wojciech Szczesny - 8. He's not been in the best of form recently but today was a good indication of how good he can be. Kept us in the game with some very good save, and that stunning double save really summed up how well he played.

Laurent Koscielny - 6. Had a poor first half, being outmuscled by Suarez and scoring a horrible own goal. Improved in the second half, however.

Thomas Vermaelen - 6. Solid game.

Bacary Sagna - 7. Great performance. Defensively solid and produced a fantastic assist.

Kieran Gibbs - 6. Bit of a mixed game. Constantly caught too high up the pitch but made a couple of good recoveries and attacked well.

Alex Song - 6. Looked sloppy and tired for most of the game, but still managed to produce a great pass that set-up the winning goal.

Mikel Arteta - 6. Wasn't having a great game, one great pass aside. Hopefully his injury is not too serious.

Tomas Rosicky - 6. Didn't have much of an influence on the game, though wasn't horrible by any means.

Theo Walcott - 6. Wasn't very effective overall, but didn't play badly.

Yossi Benayoun - 5. Was anonymous all game.

Robin van Persie - 8. Scored two great goals to up his tally to 31 for the season.

As pissed off and demotivated I am after this clash, I must say, one full congratulations to Arsenal and Wenger's world class 2nd half tactics. You boys played a clean and classy game, and I can't argue that much as I am only disappointed with my own sub-par team.

Win or lose. This was one of the best matches of the season, if not the best.

Good luck on 4th spot. I will be rooting for Gunners to take it and no one else.

Liverpool will genuinely feel hard done by. If it wasn't for their poor finishing, they'd have certainly scored 2 more goals.

What we have learn't, is that Suarez is a compulsive cheat. He is not world class. Liverpool's best player is Bellamy. And for the life of me, how has Dalglish flown under the 'pressure- radar'. Please don't tell me last weeks cup win had bought him more time...

Ty Arq, what a game easily one of the best games of the season. Liverpool played great but RVP is just unstoppable and what a pass by song and Sagna.

What a dive by Luis Suarez, I am glad we save the penalty.

Van Persie is from another planet. 2 chances, and 2 goals.

Liverpool were the better team and they could have put the game to bed in the 1st half.

Van Persie nicks MOTM, but Szczesny was incredible as well. Made 4 massive saves and kept us in it.

And Diaby The sad thing is, he was very good for the 20 minutes he was on.

Thankyou to song for tht wonderful assist and shoutout to Robin Van Perise for playing that Song. lol

I feel sorry for mikel i hope hes alright. didnt look to good on the stretcher

And thats one less team to worry about for forth spot?

Szczesny
RVP
Song
Sagna

Those 4 were on a different plane of existence today, especially the top 2.

Diaby was smooth when he was on, can't wait till he's match fit. Hoping for the best for Arteta.

Diaby was playing great, I hope he will get more minutes and not another injury. I think Wenger took him off cus he is not match fit, he was playing well and a good chance to score.

everyone gop to Rawk and liverpooltvforum

get ready to laugh ur ass out from butthurts

*I hope he's alright

MOTM

As you see most of our players where crap, don't know how did we manage to win this. Liverpool were wasteful, but Szczesny was great too. MOTM IMO.

van persie scored the same goal vs everton

and guess what another 90+ minute goal we scored against liverpool

Epic XI urbaNRoots

How the heck did we win the match ?

Me at the 98th minute:

our passing was shit, couldn't keep possession. We got battered all game but managed to hang on and won. Arteta had a horrible day..not only he was shit but he got concussed as well. Hope he is aaight

Chez is a bit rash when he comes off his line, he needs to work on that apart from that he had a quality game.

LOL URBAN this suits gibbo as well
theo

loooool eman, of course its entourage

only suarez(3) had more dribbles than diaby(2)
abou zidane

An entertaining game and goals are what count.

Hope you get 4th rather than Chelsea.

I don't want to sound like " i tyold you so"

but was I the only Arsenal fan who smelled a victory from this after 80 minutes?

you never know spuds may GTFO of top 4

aleumdance wrote:I don't want to sound like " i tyold you so"

but was I the only Arsenal fan who smelled a victory from this after 80 minutes?

I thought the game was there for the taking but we were unable to get momentum because we kept giving the ball away times and times again, could have gone either way.

Sweet victory, RVP is our Ken