Liverpool 0-0 Arsenal: Player Ratings as Reds fail to punish Xhaka and Arsenal
Takumi Minamino missed a glorious late chance as Liverpool limped to a goalless draw with Arsenal in the first leg of their League Cup semifinal.
It was by far the best of the few opportunities The Reds fashioned following Granit Xhaka's two-reds-for-the-price-of-one dismissal 24 minutes into the game.
Liverpool of course missed the threat, and above all the movement, of Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane, but this shouldn't be considered an inevitable mid-AFCON slump.
Like the game against Chelsea in …
Marko Grujic vs Denis Zakaria - who suits the Liverpool midfield?
Liverpool’s midfield is a divisive topic, but one thing most fans can agree on is that reinforcements will soon be needed. Jordan Henderson is 30 at the end of the current campaign, Gini Wijnaldum turns 29 this month, James Milner is 34 in January and Adam Lallana is 32 in May.
Of the current crop of midfielders, only Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Fabinho and Naby Keita are closer to 25 than they are 30, and two of those have had injury troubles.
…
A Comedy of Emirates: Tough Goalkeeping Decisions Needed
"We’re defending really well at the moment, we’ve been solid.” – Simon Mignolet, 20th December 2017.Hubris: noun – excessive pride or self-confidence. – the Oxford English Dictionary Simon Mignolet played his 199th game for Liverpool on Friday at the Emirates Stadium and was largely responsible for the Gunners securing a draw when Liverpool were coasting with a 0-2 lead. While the first goal can be put down to a Joe Gomez error borne of inexperience, the goalkeeper …
Key Stats From Arsenal 3-3 Liverpool
Liverpool were in total control. And then they weren’t. And then they salvaged a point. An absolutely bonkers game and statistically it’s hard to look at games like this. But nevertheless, here are my statistical highlights from Liverpool 3-3 Arsenal.
Away Day Entertainment
Liverpool have scored three or goals or more in seven of their ten league games. They’ve only won five of those. They’ve now also conceded three goals in four of those away games. 27 scored, 20 conceded. …
It's Not How Much You Spend - But How Wise You Spend
Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Paul Pogba, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Michy Batshuayi, Granit Xhaka, Ilkay Gundogan and Leroy Sane are among the names that are highly known across Europe for their quality, talent, and hefty price tag and/or wages, and they all have one thing in common with each other – they’re not currently associated with Liverpool Football Club.
Jurgen Klopp clearly envisioned a plan in this previous transfer window, and while we aren’t privy to some of his ideas, the plan was in …
Arsenal vs Liverpool Preview: London Calling As The Reds Kick-off 16/17
Liverpool travel to the Emirates Stadium to face Arsenal on Sunday, as their 2016/17 Premier League season finally gets underway, 88 days after last season ended with the Europa League final defeat to Sevilla.
Pre-season form
Much has changed since then, not least in terms of transfers, with Jürgen Klopp seeing a huge overhaul in terms of personnel, and even staff, at the club. The likes of Martin Skrtel, Jordon Ibe and Joe Allen are no longer Liverpool players, with …
Are Liverpool Dark Horses for the Title?
It's a new dawn in the Premier League.
Not just in terms of more money than ever being pumped into the league effectively evening the playing field somewhat, but more importantly, never before have people been able to find a collection of the most influential managers in world football today within the same league at the same time. It's a who's who of managers as Antonio Conte and Pep Guardiola join Jurgen Klopp, Jose Mourinho, Arsene Wenger, Mauricio Pochettino, Slaven …
Jurgen Klopp, Fans, and the Transfer Window Fume
The synchronization of pistons that makes an engine run smoothly, percussion which provides the soul of music, a dance performance completely in sync with a song, or a football team consisting of eleven individuals playing a game in perfect coordination. That’s chemistry. A complex emotional or psychological interaction between people is an element vital for a group of people in order to perform to the highest level.
FC Barcelona is a great example. The chemistry their players provide causes such …
The Champions League Isn't Needed for LFC to Strengthen
Lucky number Slevin is a good film. If you haven't already seen it then you should put aside two hours of your life and give it a watch. There will be no spoilers in this piece but the plot is built around a con named 'The Kansas City Shuffle'. It's hard to really put into words what this con revolves around but Wikipedia does it's best -
In order for a confidence game to be a "Kansas City Shuffle" the …
Liverpool's Defensive Midfield Search - Part 2
A few weeks ago, this writer published his ideal choices for a midfielder, shopping outside of the Bundesliga (which can be found here). Here, encompassing the homeland of Liverpool’s new manager, are this writer’s four picks from the Bundesliga to strengthen Liverpool’s midfield, in part two of our search for a defensive midfielder.
Granit Xhaka
Though the Bundesliga has pumped out midfield talent like a machine; a trait shared with the midfielders themselves, none have quite captured world football’s attention …