MATCH REPORTS: Liverpool 1 – Arsenal 2

A Liverpool-Arsenal encounter has always been a thrilling entertaining ride, partly due to Arsenal’s open game complimenting Liverpool’s counter-attacking exploits.

A game of 2 halves, and depending on which side of the fence you’re on, you might want to forget one or the other.

Leading 1-0 at half time, I was in a buoyant mood, confident that the Arsenal backline will be having a nightmare second half, but Arsene Wenger seemed to have prepared the perfect script to turn the tide around.

An unfortunate ricochet off Johnson led to their equaliser and a bullet of a snapshot from Arshavin killed off the home team effectively.

While Johnson may take the blame, space on the left flank wasn’t closed down enough to prevent the cross from causing any damage, and it’s a team game ultimately, and the team just didn’t do enough for a win.

But Arsene Wenger and his boys certainly did enough.

What he said remains indefinitely within the walls of the dressing room and whatever words were used, they effectively sealed Liverpool’s fate to another loss, and condemning the Red’s into a stupor induced performance — cue criticism from all corners of the web.

Yet again, a lacklustre second half Liverpool performance was enough to raise the ire of the manager and fans alike — but it’s good to know that we’re strongly behind the team.

You’ll never walk alone is the motto, and judging by the lightning pace of the first half, you can somehow sense that this unwelcomed storm is nearing its end.

You begin to wonder what happened to the Liverpool of season past, where they, more often than not, anxiously made us wait into the injury time for a respite in the form of a last minute equaliser or game winner.

The Liverpool of this season somehow presents itself as a team that is just not willing to fight back or keep possession and up the tempo for that much needed equaliser.

It is as if everyone stalled and was simply hoping for someone else to provide that game-winning inspiration, and just too bad that Gerrard and Torres, both fresh from injury and not fully fit to play the role of saviour this time round.

There was not to be any saviour last night, and deservingly Arsenal brought home the 3 points gleefully.

But there was a glimpse of silver lining decorating the boots of Aquilani as his 30 minutes or so worth of gametime exposed sneak previews of things to come.

Next up Wigan, a game where you can expect the unexpected, from a team that is consistently inconsistent.

There’s a light at the end of the tunnel — but I’m hoping that it isn’t just another train of bad dreams.

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AUTHOR BIO: Mar may be a supporter of countless football teams but he’s a Kopites through and through. His views may not necessarily reflect the subject’s opinions, but its much more balanced than most. Do catch him at his personal blog.mar.sg and say hi.

MATCH REPORT: Blackburn 0 – Liverpool 0

This result probably didn’t come off as much of a surprise as when the teamsheet was announced.

You would be forgiven for thinking that the likes of Riera and Benayoun on the wings, backed by Insua and Johnson would shred the Blackburn defence mercilessly.

Well, Blackburn defended mercilessly for certain, throwing bodies unapologetically all over the place, and when they do got possession, the ball would be launched long into our penatly box, hoping for a certain Italian to weave his magic, and no, not Aquilani mind you, but young Franco Di Santo.

If Di Santo had a couple of years of experience under his belt, he would have easily converted a few half chances, but to depend on the inexperienced striker against the colossal Carragher, is simply asking too much.

Indeed Carragher may have placed a few feet wrong, but his experience made up for it, while Agger provided enough cover to provide stability in an already leaky defence.

The central pairing of Carragher and Agger has yet to mature and blossom, but they are looking good these days, along with the safe pair of goalkeeping hands of Reina too.

Thanks to Reina’s quick thinking and superb keeper-sweeper display, the Blackburn sucker punch never came, fortunately enough.

If you had witnessed the first half of the game, you would probably daze away in a stupor, after an uneventful period.

The substitution of Ngog for Riera turned out to be the catalyst for Liverpool’s second half waves of attack.

Though it may seem adequately impressive that Liverpool’s attacking plays finally kickstarted the engine, it was extremely annoying that Red’s approach play is still littered with mistimed passes, poor dribbles and sorrowfully inadequate off-the-ball runs.

Where a simple one-two would work, instead the ball was held in possession for far too long.

Where a quick layoff was needed, instead the pass was delayed, thus causing a breakdown in the attacks.

Overall, Liverpool’s reluctance to run at Blackburn’s defence came off as annoying, but fortunately Johnson came to the rescue with some timely penetrating runs on the right flank.

Just when the opening goal was inevitable, the uneven pitch came to Blackburn’s rescue as Johnson’s low cross bounced off the ground, causing Ngog shins instead of boots to connect with the ball, which eventually hit the bar instead of the back of the net.

That was probably the only time that Blackburn allowed Liverpool’s players to get behind them, and so to say that the Reds would have deserved all 3 points is an overstatement.

Blackburn deserved their point, and Liverpool’s lethargic display surely begs the question of just how inventive their midfield is?

Although Lucas’ rare foray into the penalty box almost allowed Gerrard to earn a spotkick, that was the only play worth mentioning for the Brazilian, who was largely ordinary throughout the game.

Sure we know that Torres’ return is a couple of games away, but just where was Aquilani?

Why didn’t Rafa play him instead of Lucas, and in a game where the hosts were simply content to sit back and absorb all the pressure that it can, surely Aquilani deserves a run out?

If any good were to come out of the game, it was the team’s clean sheet that’s worth mentioning.

If any bad were to come out of the game, it was Rafa’s insistence on not using Aquilani, yet again.

Perhaps mid week’s Fiorentina game might see him making a full debut?

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AUTHOR BIO: Mar is a passionate, understanding and tolerable Reds fan through and through. Until he gets to visit Anfield and experience the KOP end, he’s not quite the perfect Kopites as yet, but he’s getting there, nevertheless. Catch him at his personal blog.mar.sg and say hi.