Arsenal-Liverpool: 10 Things We Learned From Sunday's Matchup
The 2010-11 EPL season kicked off with a bang on Saturday, but it was the Sunday match which had fans salivating.
Arsenal, title hopes in hand, faced off against a Liverpool side that had high hopes for the season after last year's disappointing finish. The two elite clubs didn't disappoint, going toe to toe in what was a thrilling match featuring a red card early, a red card late, a pair of goals (one at the death), and the rare feat of a player being carted off before halftime only to resume play in the second half.
Despite it being the first match of the season, there is still quite a bit to be learned from this match about both sides. Let's get started with the coaches, shall we?
10. Roy Hodgson Can Coach
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Despite transfer rumors blowing about Anfield like snowflakes,players known to be unhappy with the Reds, and a team with a dearth of new faces due to a lack of funds, Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson doesn't seem to mind or care.
The new Reds manager got a superb effort from his squad for the majority of the game, getting a sublime performance from disgruntled Argentine midfielder Javier Mascherano, as Liverpool pushed the Gunners to the brink of yet another early season loss. As if this were not impressive enough, consider that Hodgson was forced to play the entire second half with just 10, thanks to Joe Cole's exuberance in a tackle just before halftime.
Add everything together, and it draws you to one conclusion: Roy Hodgson can coach, plain and simple.
9. Rumors of Liverpool's Demise Are Greatly Exaggerated
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Many people believed that dark days were ahead at Anfield; with Torres hurt and possibly seeking a transfer, Mascherano sulking, the club in financial disarray, things looked bleak.
But they forgot one thing: when this team takes the field, it's still pretty talented. With the likes of Gerrard, Mascherano, Kuyt, Carragher, Reina, Cole, and Agger, this team is full of power and it can still get it done when it wants to. And with Roy Hodgson as manager, the Reds have someone who can keep the club on course if things go south (which is more than the melodramatic Rafa could say).
How long those names will stay at Anfield is a matter of some speculation, but while they are, don't expect Liverpool to go quietly into that good night.
8. Arsene Wenger Has Work Still to Do With Arsenal
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It was a rough game on Sunday for Arsene Wenger; his Gunner squad saw their position as pre-match favorites quickly vanish, as Liverpool's offense tormented them throughout.
Wenger's squad failed to live up to their potential on Sunday, meaning Wenger still has work to do in order to make everything click the way it should. Despite their strong passing efforts, the Gunners failed to deliver until the final minutes of the game. Much of the teams struggles can be chalked up to youth and unfamiliarity with their teammates, but it doesn't change the fact that Arsene has to try to get this team to gel quickly. They got away with it this week, but danger looms down the road.
7. The Gunners Need Another Big Defender
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One thing became crystal clear for Arsenal during Sunday's match: the line of defenders Wenger used at Anfield won't cut it over a full season. They found themselves beaten on a regular basis, and outjumped for balls by taller players. In short, Arsene Wenger needs another big, bulky defender to take up space in the middle.
The Gunners have one on roster, in 6'4" Johan Djourou, but he was nowhere to be seen on Sunday. Perhaps Wenger wishes to make a move outside the club, and sign a big man to clog the middle, but he needs to do something, if they want to make a run at hardware this season.
6. Javier Mascherano Can Be a Force When He Wants to Be
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There has never been any doubt about Javier Mascherano's ability; the 26-year old Argentine midfielder has talent that ranks with the game's best.
But the talented midfielder has often fallen short of expectation for a number of reasons, primarily loss of focus, lack of discipline or general sullen behavior. Most recently, it came to light that Mascherano wanted out of Anfield, and the expectation was that his play would suffer because of it.
But Roy Hodgson somehow managed to convince Javier to turn in one of his all time gem performances, setting up the Reds' lone goal while being a thorn in the side of the Gunners' haggard defense. When Joe Cole was sent off just before halftime, it was Mascherano who stepped up and delivered the effort and skill necessary to keep his team at it's best.
With performances like this, it's no wonder Hodgson wants to keep the talented midfielder at Anfield.
5. David Ngog Will Provide a More Than Adequate Fill-In for Torres
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The Anfield faithful were not fond of David Ngog last season. The 21-year old Frenchman replaced the injured Fernando Torres for 24 games last season, failing to earn the respect of the Liverpool fans with his lack of touch around the net.
However, if Sunday's effort was any indication, it would appear that Ngog's net nerves have dissipated since last season. After taking a perfect pass from Mascherano (see? I told you!), Ngog buried a strike on the high near post, past Gunner keeper Manuel Almunia in the first minute of the second half.
The 6'2" striker still needs work on his first touch, but he's getting better. Until megastar striker Fernando Torres is healthy, Liverpool fans can rest easy knowing Ngog is capable of shouldering the load.
4. Arsenal Cannot Win the Premiership With Manuel Almunia in Goal
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If Arsene Wenger wants his young team to live up to its potential, he has to start at the back. Goalkeeper Manuel Almunia has done a decent job in goal for the Gunners since he took over for Jens Lehmann in 2007, but the 33-year-old Spaniard is too inconsistent in the back to give Wenger's defenders the confidence they need in their keeper.
Never was this more true than on Sunday, when Almunia made a pair of superb stops before halftime only to concede Ngog's goal less than a minute into the second half. The striker's shot was a tough one to stop, but was certainly doable for the goalkeeper of an elite English club with aspirations at home and abroad.
The short term fix is a veteran keeper like Manchester City's Shay Given, but Wenger needs to start grooming a successor now, like 22 year old Vito Mannone.
3. Arsenal Need to Get Their Stars on the Pitch
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It's widely believed that the fate of the Gunners 2010-11 campaign rides on the shoulders of talismanic stars Cesc Fabregas and Robin van Persie. Fabregas is a scorer and facilitator; when he plays, the 23-year-old makes the Gunners' offense run smoothly. Van Persie fulfills much the same role for Arsenal, although his talent is more in scoring goals than creating chances for teammates.
If Sunday proved nothing else, it is that Arsenal need these two players back at full strength if they hope to take the EPL this season. When van Persie stepped onto the pitch, scoring opportunities began to appear, and eventually, the Gunners got their equalizer. Perhaps if Fabregas had come off the bench as well, the Gunners might have pulled out a dramatic victory, rather than a dramatic draw.
2. Liverpool Can Get to Europe if Pepe Reina Gets His Head Straight
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Make no mistake about it: Pepe Reina, Liverpool's 27-year old keeper, has the talent to be an elite level goalkeeper.
So he doesn't start for Spain? That's because Iker Casillas, arguably the best keeper on the planet, is from Spain. Reina has all the tools and ability to be one of the best keepers never to be his home country's no. 1 goalkeeper, he just has to put it all together.
Through one game of 2010, it appears he still has some work to do. While he made several fantastic stops, his howler resulted in his team losing 2 points it essentially had in the bag. When your team is trying to recover from a disappointing campaign, that's not the kind of thing you want to have happen.
If Reina fixes the leaks and keeps concentration, he has the skill to keep the Reds in a lot of games they should have no business being in, and this team could finish top-4. If he doesn't, if he gets in his own head and makes more bad decisions? It could be a looooooong year at Anfield.
1. Arsenal Can Still Lift the Cup at Season's End
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I can already hear the angry comments this slide is going to get: "What?! The Gunners were barely a title contender before the season started, and now that they've tied an undermanned Liverpool, this whack job says that they can win the thing?! You're crazy! You're an idiot! You're a crazy idiot!"
Well, before you leave angry seething posts on the comment section, hear me out. The title this year is Manchester United's to lose. They've got the talent and experience to make serious noise everywhere they play.
But consider this: in terms of raw offensive talent, Arsenal is on par with teams like Man U, Tottenham, Manchester City, and yes, even Chelsea.
They played well below their potential on Sunday against a Liverpool team many expected to struggle this year. But, they showed incredible toughness, pressing on against a team who was outplaying them. They ended up with a draw in one of the toughest venues in the EPL (Anfield is brutal even when Liverpool is brutal), against a highly motivated team (out to prove that last season was a fluke) on a day when they failed to fulfill their vast potential.
That sounds like the kind of thing champions do: get good results on days when they aren't at their best.
Granted, this team isn't perfect; it needs a keeper and at least one more defender to be a legitimate force to be reckoned with in the EPL. But, rest assured, this team will be around at the end, and when that happens, anything can happen.
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