Liverpool vs Arsenal match thread

Pepe LeFrits

Sunday, 15 August 2010
Barclays Premier League
Liverpool v Arsenal, 16:00

'Pre-season' warm-up

Liverpool 2 - 0 Rabotnicki Kometal ... Legia Warsaw 5 - 6 Arsenal
Borussia M'gladbach 1 - 0 Liverpool ... Arsenal 3 - 2 Celtic
Rabotnicki Kometal 0 - 2 Liverpool ... Arsenal 1 - 1 AC Milan
FC Kaiserslautern 1 - 0 Liverpool ... SC Neusiedl 1919 0 - 4 Arsenal
Grasshoppers 0 - 0 Liverpool ... SK Sturm Graz 0 - 3 Arsenal

Arsenal team news:

Aaron Ramsey and Nicklas Bendtner are injured. Cesc Fabregas, Robin van Persie, Alex Song, Denilson and Abou Diaby are doubts. Carlos Vela travelled to Mexico so may also be a doubt. However, Andrei Arshavin should be fit.

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I'm a little concerned by this one and generally speaking would be happy with a draw. The defense is a concern but with so many injury doubts it is possible Wilshere and Frimpong could could continue their pre-season partnership in central midfield. Song, Denilson, Diaby and Fabregas have not played a minute of pre-season with the club and I'd be worried about them being caught cold against Liverpool, who've played some marginally competitive football already. One cause for optimism I suppose is the form and burgeoning understanding of Nasri & Chamakh. Samir has played in the advanced Fabregas role in pre-season and has been excellent, while Chamakh looks made for the central pivot role in the 4-3-3. If Poulsen starts for Liverpool in the DM role he'll need to be on his game.

cson

The 6-5 demolition of Legia gives me great confidence going into this match. :pac:

I'll go with 1-1 unless Liverpool spring another Mellor type wunderkid off the bench to blast in a 40 yarder in 93rd minute.

Kess73

Pepe LeFrits wrote: »

Sunday, 15 August 2010
Barclays Premier League
Liverpool v Arsenal, 16:00

'Pre-season' warm-up

Liverpool 2 - 0 Rabotnicki Kometal ... Legia Warsaw 5 - 6 Arsenal
Borussia M'gladbach 1 - 0 Liverpool ... Arsenal 3 - 2 Celtic
Rabotnicki Kometal 0 - 2 Liverpool ... Arsenal 1 - 1 AC Milan
FC Kaiserslautern 1 - 0 Liverpool ... SC Neusiedl 1919 0 - 4 Arsenal
Grasshoppers 0 - 0 Liverpool ... SK Sturm Graz 0 - 3 Arsenal

Arsenal team news:

Aaron Ramsey and Nicklas Bendtner are injured. Cesc Fabregas, Robin van Persie, Alex Song, Denilson and Abou Diaby are doubts. Carlos Vela travelled to Mexico so may also be a doubt. However, Andrei Arshavin should be fit.

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I'm a little concerned by this one and generally speaking would be happy with a draw. The defense is a concern but with so many injury doubts it is possible Wilshere and Frimpong could could continue their pre-season partnership in central midfield. Song, Denilson, Diaby and Fabregas have not played a minute of pre-season with the club and I'd be worried about them being caught cold against Liverpool, who've played some marginally competitive football already. One cause for optimism I suppose is the form and burgeoning understanding of Nasri & Chamakh. Samir has played in the advanced Fabregas role in pre-season and has been excellent, while Chamakh looks made for the central pivot role in the 4-3-3. If Poulsen starts for Liverpool in the DM role he'll need to be on his game.

The bit highlighted is the only bit that would concern me. The little so and so loves playing at Anfield, and seems to reserve his MOTM performances for when he gets there.

lord lucan

I'll be very happy with a draw tbh.

ShamoBuc

This really could go either way but as Stevie is in such good form, Cole's and J'vic and Roy's first lge game at Anfield - pool to win 2-1!! This is our year...the league is coming home... maybe.... possibly.... hopefully ( I say this every year... Eventually I will be right !)

mike65

A bit early for this?

Arsenal look a bit thin so after the happy clappy wins over Robotink and Gerrard "Captain England" performance last night I think Liverpool should be in decent order. I'm assuming Poulson will start or at least that Masch will not.

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Reina
Johnson-Carra-Agger-Aurelio

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Lucas---Gerrard
Kuyt

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Cole----Jovanovic

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N'Goal

Could just as easily be

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Cav
Johnson-Carra-Skrtel-Kelly

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Lucas-Poulson
Maxi

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Gerrard----Cole

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N'Goal

PHB

Whoot, match threads With Arsenal's injuries, it will be different to what I expect, but I'd still expect a draw I would say.

froog

i expect a comfortable win here for liverpool. arsenal leaky as usual at the back, missing RVP and fabregas, arsh not fully fit, playing at anfield. Added to that Cole and Gerrard both looking lively. Of course there is the N'Gog factor. Will he be played or will Kuyt or maybe Jovanovich be up front?

2-0 liverpool.

Joeyjoejoe43

From an Arsenal perspective, its as good a time as any to go to Anfield, and if they can nick a point Id be quite happy, especially given our current injury crisis. It looks like we'll have a fairly lightweight midfield, but I'm hoping Nasri can work some magic. I'll go with a 2-2 draw with Chamakh and N'gog both on the scoresheet.

keano_afc

Would settle for a draw at this stage, with our injuries.

1-1, Arshavin and an Arshavin own goal.

Paleface

I have no idea how Liverpool have been in pre-season but apart from the Legia Warsaw game Arsenal have looked decent.

I'm concerned about injuries which is why I would be happy with a draw which lets face it is a decent result at Anfield for any team.

Hopefully Arshavin plays as he worries the Liverpool defenders!

If Arsenal are to win then a MOTM performance is needed from Nasri.

Its great to be talking about an upcoming game of importance again!

noodler

Can't wait.

slingerz

I think Liverpool can sneak this.

Reina
Johnson - Carragher - Agger - Aurelio
Lucas - Gerrard
Kuyt - Cole - Jovanovic
N'Gog

Cav - Skrtel - Kelly - Poulsen - Torres - Aqualini - Pacheo

*sniff*

Not looking forward to this.

But it's great to have the footy back!

2-0 the pool

Eire-Dearg

Will Djourou start for Arsenal, or is the new French guy now first choice with Vermaelen?

amacachi

Happy enough with a draw as an Arsenal fan tbh.

Pepe LeFrits

Eire-Dearg wrote: »

Will Djourou start for Arsenal, or is the new French guy now first choice with Vermaelen?

Frenchie.

Mister men

1-1 draw

_Bella_

I think Arsenal could sneak this 2-1. I've never been convinced by Johnson in defence and Carragher has lost a lot of his pace. I think if Arsenal attack down the left with Clichy, Arshavin and Nasri we can get some goals. I'm worried about Frimpong and Wilshere being too inexperienced but Wilshere played well against AC Milan and if rumours are to be believed Frimpong has been undergoing intensive tactical training. Hopefully they can step up to the mark.

N'Gog has not been convincing in the centre foreward role. He seems to make bad decisions in front of goals and against Rabatonicki he should have scored 6. Yes Arsenals defence wasn't good against Legia Warsaw but hopefully that was because they were told to take it easy. Our main weakness is set pieces but Liverpool had about 14 corners against Rabatonicki and didn't make anything of it. Hopefully Koscienly plays like he did against Milan rather than how he played against Legia. Vermalen, Clichy and Sagna should step up to the mark.

So I am going to hopelessy optimistic and predict an Arsenal victory

—————–Almunia——————–
Sagna—-Koscielny—Vermaelen—-Clichy
—–Wilshere—–Frimpong——-Nasri—-
—–Walcott————————Arshavin-
—————-Chamakh———————

sweetie

is this on sky sports?

iMuse

sweetie wrote: »

is this on sky sports?

Yes.

Would be delighted with a point but i think it will be 2-0 Lpool

Boskowski

sweetie wrote: »

is this on sky sports?

ye

JimsAlterEgo

Has Chamack got any pace?

Frisbee

Gonna go 3-1 Pool, our midfield is a shambles at the moment.

DB10

This game is as unpredictable as it comes between top sides IMO. I wouldn't be surprised if either side thumped the other 4-0.

Until I see our line up, I would be in no position to judge the result since certain players can lower the quality rapidly.

However since we have no real goalkeeper and our defense is a farce, I find it hard to see us winning.

SDTimeout

I think Wilsh is going to show Capello why he will be taking J Coles " place " in the England team on Sunday.

stumpypeeps

SDTimeout wrote: »

I think Wilsh is going to show Capello why he will be taking J Coles " place " in the England team on Sunday.

I think Poulsen might eat Jack Wilshere.

opr

SDTimeout wrote: »

Also...I don't want to get to excited over the Jones to pool thing and what it could mean for Pepe. OptaJoe right on Q there.

71.6% -Brad Jones managed to save 71.6% of shots faced in the Championship for Boro in 09/10. 7th best in the league

wtf are you talking about ?

Edit - Meh you edited the post for some reason.

Opr

Chardee MacDennis

Frisbee wrote: »

Gonna go 3-1 Pool, our midfield is a shambles at the moment.

so are cesc, RVP and bentner out then?

gandalf

Not feeling very confident about this game at all. A draw would a good result.

Finical

Feeling confident about this game but thats probably just some early season hope that we will have a good season.

2-0 Liverpool.

Pepe LeFrits

Johan Djourou (hamstring), Nicklas Bendtner (groin) and Aaron Ramsey (leg) will all miss the trip to Anfield, while Alex Song (calf) is almost certain to do likewise.

However Denilson (abdominal) and Abou Diaby (calf) face fitness tests before the team travel north. Meanwhile, Robin van Persie and Cesc Fabregas are not injured but do lack match fitness after a long World Cup campaign. Wenger will wait before making a decision on either. Despite missing the trip to Poland last weekend with a muscular injury, Andrey Arshavin is available.

"Alex Song has a calf problem and will be short," Wenger told Arsenal TV Online on Thursday afternoon. "Denilson will have a test on Friday or Saturday on an abdominal problem. Diaby has a calf problem but he is back in full training. He might be available and Andrey Arshavin is alright.

"But I still have to make a decision about whether I will include Van Persie and Fabregas in the squad."

ffs, what a way to start the season!

MonkeyTennis

Hopefully a great game. Arsenal look a bit lightweight (physically not skillwise) in midfield.. havent much of a clue how Liverpool will line out . Looks like we have a fully fit squad bar Torres for the first time in ages.

An exciting draw?

rossie1977

without torres in attack i can't see liverpool scoring unless a penalty/own goal or something of that manner

0-0 for me or arsenal winning 1-0

stumpypeeps

rossie1977 wrote: »

without torres in attack i can't see liverpool scoring unless a penalty/own goal or something of that manner

0-0 for me or arsenal winning 1-0

Gerrard is 3 in 2.

L'prof

As I've already stated in the Arsenal thread, I'd be over the moon with a draw...even though I keep telling the Liverpool fans in work they'd be lucky to get it

rossie1977

stumpypeeps wrote: »

Gerrard is 3 in 2.

one was a penalty against a pub team and 2 against a country ranked 62nd in the world just ahead of the all conquering cyprus, lets not get carried away here, he won't get that space against arsenal

fabregas, arshavin and rvp will all start too i bet

Columbia

I'll be watching hoping Liverpool get taken apart every bit as badly as we did on the first day of last season, but somehow I don't think that will materialise.

1-1, Gerrard and Arshavin.

internelligent

As a pool fan, I'm feeling strangely confident about this one. I don't think Mascherano will play but not too worried about it. Only injury concern is Torres who may be on the bench but with the way Arsenal's defence is I believe we'll have enough to score 2 goals and concede none. Of course Arshavin might just screw me over something serious on this little prediction of mine. Never a bad captain on FF when he's in Anfield!!!
Still, I'm sticking with 2:0

Nailz

I have a feeling that this one is going to be fairly nip & tuck, not too many goals in my opinion, but I imagine an injury riddled Arsenal team should be good enough to atleast get a draw.

0-0 or 1-1 or 1-0 to Arsenal.

DB10

So going to Anfield without a keeper, only 2 CB's and a midfield missing several players.

Fantastic. Brilliant management once again.

Le King

Liverpool 2-1 Arsenal

Cole, Gerrard and Arshavin.

Can't see Arsenal winning tbh.

Either way I just want to see a good football match.

MementoMori

Update on Torres, Reina and Masch

Torres could face Arsenal
13th Aug 2010 - Latest News

Fernando Torres could feature against Arsenal on Sunday despite not playing any part in Liverpool's pre-season preparations.

The striker returned to Melwood late following Spain's World Cup triumph and his time since then has been spent largely with the sports science team as he continues to recover from an adductor injury.

Roy Hodgson must now decide whether to throw his star striker into his first game since the final in South Africa.

The manager said: "Yes, there's a chance he could play. He's made a remarkable effort to get himself fit and ready for Premiership football. He's worked extremely hard in the two and a half weeks he's been back. I haven't ruled him out but I haven't ruled him in either.

"His chances were rightly being played down by the sports science people. They said, quite rightly, that in an ideal world he'd have a longer preparation period.

"It's quite simply a balancing job. Do we take the risk of putting him in early or do we hold him back and put him through a more strenuous pre-season programme?

"The player's feelings also have to be taken into account, so it's a delicate mixture.

"But the bottom line is yes, he could be considered for Sunday. The same goes for Pepe Reina."

Roy: No Masch movement
13th Aug 2010 - Latest News

Roy Hodgson today confirmed he does not anticipate any imminent move away from Anfield for Javier Mascherano and admitted the midfielder is in contention to face Arsenal on Sunday.

The boss last month revealed Mascherano had expressed a desire to leave Liverpool - but Hodgson insists no offers have been received for the midfielder and stressed new signing Christian Poulsen hasn't been brought to the club as a replacement for the Argentina captain.

Hodgson told a press conference at Melwood: "I don't want to let Javier Mascherano go. At the moment, Javier Mascherano has shown no signs of going, so it's not a question of replacing him.

"I believe Javier is going to play for us and I believe Christian is going to play for us. I am happy to have both players.

"This is a big club, a club with hopefully a lot of games to play this year and we're going to need a lot of players.

"We didn't bring Christian in to replace anybody. We brought him in to improve the size and quality of our squad."

Asked whether he felt Mascherano was in the right frame of mind to face Arsenal, Hodgson said: "Yes."

He added: "There is no point in me commenting on things Javier has either said or supposedly said.

"I work with him whenever I can. Obviously he came back very late from the World Cup and has been away on international duty, but I've had seven or eight training sessions with him now.

"We talk about football and he's made no indication (of wanting to leave) since our very early meeting, where he made it clear if possible he'd prefer to leave. Since then he's been getting on with his work and training and playing properly.

"As far as I am concerned, he is a Liverpool player and will be until the day somebody signs him - that day does not seem to be imminent.

"At the moment I can quite categorically state there has been no offer from any club for Javier Mascherano and, as a result, I don't see why I should put his loyalty or desire to play for the club in doubt every day.

"We made it clear to him that if the offer he wanted came along, we probably would not stand in his way. But that offer has not come along and he's working hard to play for Liverpool."

Reporters quizzed Hodgson on the reception Mascherano could receive from Liverpool fans should he feature against Arsenal.

"I think the fans will judge him by what he does on the field on play," said the manager. "If he plays well, does his job and is part of a winning Liverpool team then he'll be very popular.

"If he plays badly and costs us games then no doubt he won't be too popular at all. I don't think it is much more complicated than that."

Hodgson continued: "He is a realistic player and is playing at Liverpool Football Club. He is not looking for a move to a Spanish second division club. There are very few clubs in the world that could even consider having Mascherano on their books - but one of them is Liverpool Football Club.

"If he wants to leave Liverpool, he'll be expecting a club of similar stature and ability to come along. At the moment, that club hasn't come along so I am presuming he's very happy to stay here, but you'd have to ask him."

L'prof

MementoMori wrote: »

Update on Torres, Reina and Masch

The manager said: "Yes, there's a chance he could play. He's made a remarkable effort to get himself fit and ready for Premiership football. He's worked extremely hard in the two and a half weeks he's been back. I haven't ruled him out but I haven't ruled him in either.

I read this in my in-head Rafa voice.

The Rooster

Rumours that Mascherano will start for Liverpool. That's a nice surprise. Torres won't start, but hopefully will be on the bench. Reina missed the Spain match due to injury, hopefully he's okay - he'd be a big loss.

No doubt our 4th best centre half will keep his position. He's Liverpool's obvious weak link.

I'm hoping Jovanovic and Cole make decent debuts.

Yellowledbetter

Id be much happier if it was Arshavin that was a doubt than RVP but even so,and with the renewed optimism around Anfield,I reckon we can do this one 2-0/2-1.With Stevie's form I reckon he will get at least 1 of the 2.
Heres hoping anyway!!

thorbarry

as a gunner i wont be happy with anything other than a win. Lets get liverpools bad season under way

tony1kenobi

4 nil to Arshavin as long as we don't field a keeper......otherwise 4-4.

doc_17

I reckon all the Arsenal big guns will be lining out tomorrow despite all the talk about knocks and fitness. The only way to get fit is to play them.

Hopefully they do...it'll give Liverpool more confidence when they win!

therokerroar

stumpypeeps wrote: »

I think Poulsen might eat Jack Wilshere.

I'm not a supporter of either team, but Jack Wilshere has more talent in his toe than Poulsen does in his whole body.

The Rooster

The Rooster wrote: »

Rumours that Mascherano will start for Liverpool. That's a nice surprise..

I don't see why he shouldn't. Not one of the predicted teams on the thread include him which surprises me. Even if he does leave he should still play while we have him.

therokerroar wrote: »

I'm not a supporter of either team, but Jack Wilshere has more talent in his toe than Poulsen does in his whole body.

I would imagine the comment referred to Poulsen kicking Wilshere around the field at which Poulsen would be the more talented of the two.