It is ridiculous for Arsenal fans to blame Xhaka for Liverpool comeback

Admin Pat

3 years ago

There’s a lot of times Xhaka has done silly things which have been impossible to defend, including in the past at Anfield.

Yet to blame him for us throwing away a two-goal lead on Sunday? I’ll defend him all day long.

Some in the media have tried to create the narrative that his altercation with Arnold influenced the home crowd to make some noise having been subdued. The equivalent of waking a sleeping bear.
I would suggest that goals change games and momentum, and that it was Liverpool scoring that changed the atmosphere not anything else.

I think the home fans were relieved to still be in a contest they had been outplayed in and recognised their players needed help.

That’s why for years 2-0 has always been described as a vulnerable lead to have with the next goal vital.

There’s zero evidence to suggest that Salah only scored because of the Xhaka incident, and actually quite insulting to suggest a team would need something like that to motivates them.

The fact is Liverpool rarely lose in the league at their own stadium and have dominated this fixture for the last decade.

Man City, Man United and Newcastle all lost on their visits.

Liverpool have lost just one League game at Anfield since winning on this date last year.
That is ONE defeat in THIRTY-SEVEN games, so credit to Arsenal for giving the Reds a scare…@JustArsenal

— Just Liverpool Blogs (@JLiverpoolBlog) April 10, 2023

You don’t have that kind of home record without having resilience.

Unfortunately, we live in a world where there has to be a reason and someone to blame, it can’t simply be a case of a world class football match where both teams deserve credit.

I suggested at half time to my best friend (who supports Liverpool) that it was quite lazy punditry from Sky and maybe even bias.

If our player had picked up a needless booking so had Liverpool’s, with Trent the one to square up to our midfielder.

Given how he had defended, I’m sure Klopp wasn’t happy about Martinelli now getting to run at a right back on a yellow card?

What’s more needless? A player confronting one of his peers over a tackle, or a player confronting a linesman at half time (against the rules) and making such a drama that official’s job is now on the line?

Both of Liverpool’s full backs got yellow cards for off the ball incidents yet it’s Xhaka’s temperament which is questioned?

I actually commend the 30-year-old and his teammates discipline, because it was clear Liverpool’s game plan was to pressure the ref and get us sent off.

Liverpool went direct in the second half. That style of play and atmosphere is not easy to play in.

Especially when you’re having to time when to tackle or block or throw your bodies in the way.

Tierney coming on too late, Martinelli’s failure to find Saka when we were on the break, the occasion getting to us, all reasons why we failed to win at the weekend and all more crucial then what Xhaka did.

Dan

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