Arsenal title ‘choke’ coming after they ‘totally froze’ in ‘pathetic’ Liverpool performance | OneFootball

Viktor Gyokeres and Gabriel Martinelli come in for different criticism after ‘pathetic’ and ‘soft’ Arsenal ‘totally froze’ when Liverpool put on a ‘clinic’.

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Pathetic

That was pathetic from Arsenal. Cowardly and pathetic. Totally froze. Massive opportunity to go 8 points clear and they barely laid a glove on Liverpool, who were well deserving of the point and comfortably the better side.

Embarrassing. Blok

So let’s look at that lucidly.

The so called champions elect, at home, fully fit squad, chance to effectively kill the league off after City’s draw yesterday.

Playing a team that was totally out of form (forget the 10 match unbeaten run, most of the performances have been shite), riddled with injuries up front to the point they played Szoboszlai as a false nine, with one of the worst defensive records in the league.

So what happens? The Gunners come out hungry, unforgiving, and they maul the vulnerable opposition, making a huge statement, right?

Er, nope.

Arsenal were so devoid of ideas against Liverpool’s stubbornly parked first half bus, that it in fact encouraged Liverpool to come out in the second half and starve them of the ball (despite them not looking remotely dangerous), their midfield putting on a clinic of how to retain and recycle the ball to get a very well deserved point that just about keeps the title race alive for City.

And we’re meant to believe Arsenal are still lifting the trophy in May? Pull the other one. They’re far more likely to choke again. Andy H, Swansea. 

@Gyok

The good news is that 6 points is still a healthy lead and thats still only 2 losses this season but my word that was rubbish.

Unfortunately I can’t defend Gyokeres anymore, it’s not just that he doesn’t look like scoring, he doesn’t even look like he’ll get the chance to score. So many crosses were put into the Liverpool in the first 20 minutes or so and he was no way near any of them. Once Havertz is fit he’ll be on the bench and I can see him leaving on loan in the summer before being sold for a loss.

It’s not all his fault though because Arsenal just seemed to give up on playing after the first 30 minutes. They couldn’t keep the ball, couldn’t string any kind of passes together and just seemed to pass the ball from side to side. I don’t know if it’s tiredness or not, but that sort of performance can’t happen too often. Liverpool were absolutely there for the taking and they barely tried. Andrew (God I hope we don’t get Dycheballed next match)

Likeable Arsenal

Martinelli deserved a red (and significant, significant, further retrospective action). Trossard deserved a red, for yet again losing his head and risking a second yellow. Their hate preacher of a manager. Their ludicrous fanbase fringe.

It says a lot when you have Saka, Rice, and now Eze in your squad who are just utterly brilliant and hugely popular players, and you’re still loathsome and there’s so many comments about people hoping Man City* still win the title despite years of (potential) cheating having such a detrimental effect on the league.

Gamestate. Postcodes. PGMOL. Technically Correct.

More money than god spent and Arteta still can’t demonstrate his side can score in games they dominate; Blames everyone else because of it. Tom G

Martinelli fanmail

How is what he does worthy of the same punishment as taking too long over a goal kick?

What a c***. Neil Raines

Tense game, most important thing was to keep points ticking over. Onto the next one Rob A (hope Bradley’s ok) AFC

Martinelli needs to have his yellow upgraded to a three match ban. That is just disgusting behaviour to a fellow pro who looked seriously injured. I’m rarely that shocked watching football any more but that was just horrible to see. Badwolf 

Angel Gabriel

Just love the hypocritical faux outrage from Roy Keane and Gary Neville over Martinelli trying to push Bradley off the pitch especially considering the things they got up to on the pitch. Andrew Goonerabroad Brown 

Slot was scared but Arsenal were soft

That game is the best evidence you’ll see that the quality of the league this season is total shite. We are rubbish. We are the worst we have been in a decade more or less. Arsenal didn’t have a shot for 46 minutes against us. We looked shaky against Wolves defensively. They will go down as one of the worst teams to ever grace the league. The league champions couldn’t lay a glove on us for about 70 minutes at their own home.

And in truth we should’ve won it. Trossard body checked Wirtz in the box and only the VAR knows why it wasn’t a penalty. Saka kicked Kerkez in the midriff and didn’t even see yellow. Martinelli threw a ball on an injured player and then tried to push him off the pitch when he was clearly in serious pain and only got a yellow despite two clear yellow card offences in the space of a minute. A real disgraceful lack of sportsmanship (even when they played on when Frimpong was clearly hurt in the first half) which I guess emanates down from Arteta who made his name as the guy coaching tactical fouling as a strategy for Man City.

I’d love the insane fans who kept insisting Arsenal had some ref conspiracy working against them to write in and explain it. If they want to stand by that opinion then the only logical conclusion is that Arsenal bribed the refs this season to finally get their glory. Or maybe they’re just incompetent…which was always the point. It was remarkable how soft the entire team plays; they go down at any and every slight touch and then act astounded whenever a free kick is given against them. More shocking is how the refs seemed completely taken in by it.

Poor Bradley I hope he’s ok. Would be such a shame for him to face a spell out again. Thought Frimpong looked great but got a nose bleed whenever he was too far up the pitch. Slot was too scared to make a sub but Rio should’ve come on for Gakpo. If we are going to be shit the rest of the season let’s at least bring that fight every week. Minty, LFC

No more Mo

60 in to Arsenal v Liverpool and I see a team who have left Mohamed Salah behind .

Salah needs a Bundesliga behemoth to show soemething before his sun sets .

Even his mate Luis Diaz could coax him to Bavaria , as long as he’s prepared to take 30 % of his current wages though .

I messaged my Gunners mate saying they were just tenderizing the pool for the  kill .

Lets see . Peter . Andalucia .

On that performance Liverpool are the second best team in England .

It also highlights why Arsenal will struggle to win the European Cup .

All things considered , Arsenal have played one of their toughest  home games and have a healthy points lead .

The Champions elect look like they can stroll the rest of the way from here .

I simply plea with the suits/ money men to let the coaching team prioritize winning the ‘kin league , forget the domestic cups and build a squad to conquer Europe over the summer .

Finally, that was as good a nil-nil as when I took my NZ/Deutch girlfriend to Highbury in late ‘88 . Possibly league cup semi final , we were on our way to the Amazon and I was begging for a nil-nil as I’d just had an anti yellow fever injection in my arm and squeezed into the side of the North Bank , was absolutely dreading the limbs if Arsenal scored.

Little did I know that when we emerged from the basin and Peruvian Andes the ‘it’s up for grabs now’ moment had arisen .

History is sure to repeat itself . Peter ( ShortWave doesn’t work in a basin ) Andalucia .

Assorted thoughts

I’ve often said that while I think Saka is a good player, I’ve always felt him quite a one trick player when I’ve seen him.

But watching the Arsenal Liverpool match, that cut and dribble around the back of the defence was very very nice. He then followed up with his usual one trick to make me feel better but still, credit where it’s due. Even if it was the only good thing he did all match.

Frimpong was also good, but my god he can’t pass. At least three times he could have been guaranteed an assist but fluffed it. Like a faster Dalot.

Also, wanted to write in to celebrate Sesko for his two goals. If you play good passes for him to use his pace and strength to reach, he will probably score or at least threaten. Who knew?

Also, a quick one on VAR. I know I’m not the first to say it but either do it properly or stop using it at all. The disallowed Martinez goal was an absolute joke dive by Walker while three other United players were getting actually wrestled in the same shot. And the Trossard on Wirtz one… look I’ve no skin in that game as I hate both sides equally, but Jesus wept guys, what is the point if you can’t get these right? Literally game and potentially season (and career) changing moments. And that’s just two from two matches I’ve watched in 24h. The whole point was to *stop* these mistakes, not compound them. Badwolf 

United pundits

So, I’ll get this out of the way from the start – I am biased. I was just old enough to remember our first league title under Ferguson, and spent the next 20 years thinking this was normal. Obviously a part of me knew it wasn’t, but it also takes a bit of time to get over that ingrained sense of superiority.

That being said the constant bashing of ex United players for criticising the club/managers/players does seem a bit out of touch to me. I thought, in general, we had agreed that you didn’t have to be a great player, or even a player, to be a good manager or pundit? Surely, by the same logic, you can be an excellent pundit (only my opinion) without having to be a great manager?

I understand that their platform means that anything they say is amplified, and as such, has the potential to be more damaging. However, they are employed by a major news network to air their views on football, which, given the reach of and their association with, often focuses on United.

Only my view, but if people think that getting pundits to stop criticising United will somehow lessen the pressure and therefore improve performance, then I simply can’t agree. Jack (It’s their job!) Manchester

Just have a little patience

I don’t know who Keith Reilly is addressing in his email. Who is trying to sell you a pup, mate?! Is it all Liverpool supporters? How do you know all of our opinions and everything we think, say and have said? Is it the Liverpool board, Arne Slot, the players, the Liverpool-aligned pundits or the pundits who aren’t Liverpool-leaning?

I know you’re really addressing Liverpool supporters. I understand, buddy. But you’re getting angry about things that lots of groups have said, then whisking it all together, then sloppily extruding them all over the shop.

You are the old man shouting at clouds and flinging cats at buses. You are Don Quixote tilting at windmills. Try to be less angry and more cohesive.

Now, if you’ll allow me to share a portion of my opinion (remember, we are not a hive-mind; the opinions presented here do not necessarily reflect those of every Liverpool affiliate. Other opinions are available). Slot planned for this current season given the facts in front of him; the team, their ages, their skill sets, how opponents played against Liverpool… and he bought accordingly. For various reasons, I don’t think he’s had a single match where his expectations and plans manifested. So, sure, Liverpool look quite mid-level and sometimes I cannot believe how low the quality has become; but I’m patient and I understand that for my team to be winning everything every season (a la Bayern) is not fun.

What I said is pointless though, right? You just saw me write that Liverpool are amazing. I want Slot’s bald babies. Suarez crosses to Torres who nods down to Fowler. Rush scored five. Liverpool treble rar rar rarr. This Means Sigh… Hesh (LFC)