Pre- match team news
With our captain Henderson and Lallana both out injured our manager was forced into changes and brought in Emre Can, forgotten midfielder Lucas Leiva and give a first start to Roberto Firmino as we decided to play a very exciting 4-3-3 formation with both Coutinho and Firmino supporting our Big Ben (Benteke) up front
We made a very positive start with Benteke dragging an early half chance wide which was closely followed by the magical Coutinho hitting the bar with a scorching shot.
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| Coutinho early shot hits bar |
Our defence then provided some anxious moments for the travelling away fans by failing to clear an Arsenal attack from this motion of play the home side scored a goal which was incorrectly judged to be offside - the Arsenal captain for the night Cazorla playing an excellent ball through to the on rushing Ramsey to finish well - luckily for us this was ruled out.
Benteke then has another shot saved by Cech and our captain for the night Milner hits a deflected shot wide - Arsenal were now looking distinctively shaky at the back with both their centre halves missing.
It was very clear that we were trying to play effectively on the counter attack with the excellent Benteke providing the hold up play and Coutinho and Firmino pressuring the Arsenal defence in their own half with the defensive pairing of Chambers and Gabriel spreading nervousness throughout their whole team.
We were pushing for a goal and it should have came about when a misplaced pass by Arsenal full back Bellerin gave Coutinho a chance to play a delightful slide rule cross for Benteke who should have scored but credit must also go to under fire Arsenal keeper Cech who produced a brilliant reaction save and pushed it wide. Fantastic opportunity missed there!
We then had one more piece of magic from Coutinho who produced a curling shot which Cech finger tipped onto the post - now that was a world class save and showed why he is still one of the best keeper in world football.
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| Great finger tip save by Cech from Coutinho curler |
Thoughts at the half time whistle
Arsenal fans will be unhappy about not being given the goal ruled offside but we as LFC fans will rightly be disappointed not to be at least 3-1 up at halftime with their keeper producing saves to keep them in the game. 11 shots on target away from home at the Emirates in the first half tells the tale of how well we had threatened the Arsenal goal. Our main concern now was that Arsenal would not be as poor in the second half and so they could make us rue the missed opportunities. Overall though we had performed well so far and looked a solid compact outfit throughout the first half and if this was a sign of things to come we could be optimistic about our future.
Arsenal needed a reaction and in the opening five minutes of the second half it looked like there wasn't going to be one with our team starting to display more control and possession with Lucas, Can and Milner playing very well as a midfield three.
Arsenal then proceeded to take control of the game with our team dropping too deep after 20 minutes of the second half Alexis Sanchez slices a great chance wide.
Jordon Ibe then came on for the tiring Firmino to try and inject some more energy on the break but disappointed the Liverpool fans by giving the ball away cheaply constantly putting our team under further pressure which meant that Arsenal were virtually camped in our half.
With our team tiring, a fantastic run by our young heroic full back Joe Gomez offered Milner a chance on the counter but he hit his shot straight at Cech.
Arsenal's Ramsey then had a curling shot saved by Mignolet, Benteke hit a long range shot over at the other end.
Then a potentially poignant wave goodbye to the travelling away fans as a tired Lucas Leiva came off for a first league appearance by Jordan Rossiter.
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| Rossiter replacing Lucas |
A tiring Gomez then makes it three bookings from three starts but this is to be expected from an 18 year old thrown in the deep end to swim at the very top level of the British game.
The pace of Arsenal's Walcott and Chamberlain were brought on late in the second half but our defence remained resolute.
Coutinho then had one final shot parried by Cech before he came off for Moreno, Ramsey then had a deflected shot saved and then Skrtel produced a great diving interception to divert a cross away for a corner when on another day it would end up in the back of the net as a calamitous own goal.
The final two chances of the game both fell to Arsenal with Chamberlain's shot being pushed over and Gabriel heading over from the resulting corner.
With the final whistle bringing an end to an entertaining game - we could safely say we produced a very good team performance with now three clean sheets to show for our start to the season - with 7 points from a possible 9 points. Very encouraging start so far.
LIVERPOOL (4-3-3): Mignolet; Clyne, Lovren, Skrtel, Gomez; Can, Milner, Lucas, (Rossiter 76); Coutinho(Moreno 88), Firmino(Ibe 63), Benteke
Subs not used: Bogdan, Sakho, Origi, Ings
Referee: Michael Oliver
Attendance: 60,080
Man of the match - Petr Cech - single-handedly stopped us from coming away with three points - special mention to our defence as a whole for fantastic organisation throughout, our defensive midfielder Lucas who may have played his final game for us but performed admirably despite not having any games for us so far this season. Coutinho was again a joy to watch and his understanding with Benteke and Firmino will get better with more games together.
Our manager's views
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| Our manager reflecting on the game - post match |
“We definitely could have had all three points,” the boss reflected afterwards. “Certainly performance-wise, I was very happy with how we worked.
“The first half in particular we created chances and should have been in front. Second half, you expect some pressure in the game, but we defended that very well and always looked a threat going forward.
“Our performance level is growing all the time, you see our defensive organisation was very good against a top-class team. The overriding feeling is we get a point, a clean sheet and we move to the next game.”
On his pleasure with another shut-out, the boss continued: “With my teams the focus is always very much on the football element.
“But anyone who has followed my career as a youth coach through into senior management, it's very much about the intensity of how we press and that cohesion as a team.
“That was something that drifted last season, for sure, so it was very important, especially with a number of new players coming in, that our defensive organisation was super organised. That'll be the platform for us with all our creative talent.”
Final thoughts
We are showing intestinal fortitude and the fight for the cause which has made us a different proposition this season. There's more direct play but also more organisation within the side. An excellent point and now home to West Ham next. Let's see if we can continue this very good start to our season.
We are showing intestinal fortitude and the fight for the cause which has made us a different proposition this season. There's more direct play but also more organisation within the side. An excellent point and now home to West Ham next. Let's see if we can continue this very good start to our season.
I heard the game on the radio, but what I summed up was that we seemed organised and dynamic in the first half, a much improved team from last season. Cech making some amazing saves could only have been from the way we attacked, Coutinho, Benteke turning up the heat. We should have won, but a fair point, which we did not drop point.
ReplyDeleteGreat credit to the whole team for working so hard to gain a vital point.
DeleteAbsolute love watching our full backs both offensively and defensively – Lovren was very solid throughout and Skrtel was immense.
Side played better with Lucas in there marshalling the defence but I fear that is his last game in our red shirt – his wave goodbye to the away fans was the saddest moment of the evening.
As a £32 million striker Benteke really needs to convert those sorts of clear chances to show he can make the real difference to our team – apart from that he had a very good game
Coutinho was again outstanding in the first half – tired in the second half but is now clearly our best player.
We take the positive point and move on with confidence to play West Ham at home on Saturday.
I would have settled for 0-0 before the game but during the game it was clear,that we should have had the game buried by half time. Wow - 3 clean sheets in a defence that includes Lovren and an 18 year old. That's amazing.
DeleteI really enjoyed watching Benteke leading the line, whilst he should have scored, he's allowing players to be anticipating his knock ons.
All of a sudden, with the absence of Henderson,and Jo to injury, and the imminent departure of our senior midfielder, we're a little thin in midfield.
Good resilient performance with some frills against a side that we conceded 4 goals to last season. That shows we're moving in the right direction.
Seems like BR has finally grown-up managerially and realised its not always about outplaying the opposition. We controlled the first half like I haven’t seen a team do at the Emirates in an age and even though Arsenal gained more possession in the second half our defence was so well marshalled we rarely looked in trouble.
DeleteIf Lucas performance doesn’t convince BR there’s still a role for him at the club then he’s obviously got a better defensive midfielder hidden at Melwood.
We played well. After their opening gambit we basically controlled the first half and but for the Cech could have had the game sown up by half-way. They had plenty ball in the second-half, but hardly a chance of note in the second-half (admittedly we fell lucky with the disallowed goal).
DeleteThought Gomes was imperious at left-back defensively and picking the ball up and driving forward and Can grew into the game - Clyne gets better each game, although the full-backs could do with more protection (but guess can’t have everything after a good performance like that). Lucas was studious and how he can think of letting the boy go when the only other option Joe Allen is barely capable of going a few weeks with being injured is beyond me. Benteke led the line well and Firmino looked good in patches especially holding the ball up and his close control was good, allied to his awareness (lovely cross for the Benteke chance) it says he is a very good player and once he really gets up to speed will be a strong addition. Coutinho on another night would have had two in the onion bag.
Thought Skrtel was excellent. Jordan Ibe seemed as though he was trying to hard when he came on, but his day will come. Nice to see Rossiter make his entrance this season.
All in all Brendan’s seems to have given the invertebrates of last season a spine.
What a point!! The team was fluid … again Gomez , wow the guy is reminding me of Rob jones, calm in defence.
DeleteOn Lucas, just hope the brodge does not shoot his own toes…
DeleteThe good news is:
ReplyDeleteLiverpool outcast Mario Balotelli signs for AC Milan on loan: 'I just have to work and not speak'
I just have to work and not speak …so the penny finally dropped…what a bright marble.
DeleteHe must be one if the luckiest guys in the world. About time he stop the talking and start doing the doing.
DeleteAll hail the committee for finally finding a gem…
DeleteCome to think of it, if that guy only played 16 games for Charlton a whole last season and he is performing at this level with such amount of calmness, then who so ever spotted him did a great job.
Delete