Arsenal v Liverpool Preview

RedOranje wrote:Henderson will almost certainly start over Allen.

VendettaRed07 wrote:Im excited for this game! I hope we get a good result but I have a good feeling it will be a fun match to watch either way.

Slightly unrelated, but our game vs west ham was the first match I ever watched with my girlfriend. But she didn't see the whole thing. It was 1-1 in the second half when she came over, and she isn't the biggest sports fan really and I was like "Oh, no, something exciting better happen. Anything other than a boring hour ending in a draw would be an awful first impression for her ever even watching this with me"

and then just suddenly a few seconds after she sat down they just started scoring non stop and she got all excited and was like cheering and jumping around with me lol

And shes gonna watch the game with me again tomorrow. Hopefully it wasn't just a fluke and shes a real good luck charm for us

sportsczy wrote:As much as we make fun of Liverpool... they would overtake Arsenal with a win.

In any case, i think top 4 is pretty much out. Spurs got Holtby and they are working on Capoue and Lisandro. I don't think they get the later two, but still ffs.

In recent weeks the manager has been priming a youngster to counteract the likes of Gerrard. Aaron Ramsey’s role for his last 180 minutes has had two steely components - a defensive shield but also a harrow, breaking up the opposition’s midfield fluency.

The Welshman performed well against West Ham and Brighton but Gerrard remains one of the ultimate tests. He has been one of the best British midfielders in the Premier League era and, in the past 18 months, has shown a mature side of his footballing character - the ability to evolve.

“Gerrard is more involved with distribution now,” Wenger said ahead of the game. “His passes are still deadly, his crosses are still deadly but he is a bit more at the start of things. Before he was more finishing things off. However for me he is still a great, great player.”

Ramsey has changed too and, like Gerrard, has altered his attacking instincts. The temperance of the Welshman, however, is because of the progression of the team, not the progression of time. Mikel Arteta and Francis Coquelin are injured so Wenger asked the 22-year-old to drop back. Reading between the lines, you sense Ramsey might not be merely keeping the seat warm.

“I believe Aaron has a fantastic engine and fantastic qualities, now he has to use them in a very intelligent way,” said the Frenchman.

“He is an bright player who understands football well and if he can bring his qualities to the team play he will be the outstanding player that I think he can be.

“He takes things on board and tries to do what you ask him to do. In the last two games I think you could see a really positive transformation in his game.”

RedOranje wrote:Gerrard will be sitting deeper than Henderson so it will be Suarez and Henderson that Ramsey has to deal with more often than Stevie.

Given our wide attackers both like to come inside Sagna and Gibbs could get a lot of space and time to push forward and join the attack.

srigooner wrote:I still trust Ramsey. My avatar is a testimony to that fact.

RedOranje wrote:Not sure that's something to be bumped, given the two players that scored and Ramsey's failure at stopping the second in particular.

Lex wrote:Both Liverpool goals were incredibly lucky. Don't know how many rabbit feet Rodgers had on his person, but it did the trick