Arsenal fans everywhere were bemused by Arsene Wenger’s team selection even before the game started, with Alexis Sanchez dropped to the bench, Mesut Ozil out with the flu, and Walcott, Perez and Ramsey also sitting alongside Alexis.
And our fears were proved correct as Liverpool immediately took full control of the game and were easily 1-0 up after just 9 minutes through Firmino after pressurising the Gunners all over the pitch. Liverpool did not let up once they got the lead and if anything looked even more threatening. Giroud seemed to be limping around from about the 20th minute but all the action was in Arsenal’s half anyway and Coutinho came close to doubling their lead after half an hour but Cech managed to tip his blast over the bar.
But 10 minutes later Liverpool again cut Arsenal’s defence apart and Mane was unopposed to smash Klopp’s team into a deserved 2-0 advantage, and Coutinho even could have made it 3 just before half time but his shot was straight at Cech. At the end of the 45 mins I don’t think that Mignolet has had to break into a sweat once….
The Gunners suddenly looked like they had a mountain to climb in the second half, and Wenger had no choice to bring on Sanchez to try and inject some pace. It was Coquelin that was withdrawn and it was a sensible move considering Francis had been booked for a cynical foul in the first half.
Arsenal did improve a bit with Alexis in the side, and after 11 mins of the second half he managed to get the ball to Welbeck in the box to give the Gunners a lifeline. But Liverpool still are far from giving up their lead and the game became a box to box free for all but at least Arsenal started to show a bit of aggression at last!
As usual Wenger waits til there are only 15 mins to make his last two changes and he swapped Perez and Walcott on for Giroud and Welbeck to try and have fresh legs to get an equaliser, but within two minutes Cech had to make a brilliant save to stop ‘Pool increasing their lead.
Arsenal certainly seemed more attacking but yet again Liverpool nearly sealed it when Origi headed unluckily against the post and then the last 7 minutes became box to box again. With Sanchez on the pitch Arsenal were a match for Liverpool in the second half, but I’m afraid it was too little too late I’m afraid. It was inevitable that Wijnaldum would pop in the third to complete Wenger’s embarrassment. Le Prof is now in for a bashing from all Arsenal fans!
Arsenal now have only two wins from our last six games with only Hull and Sutton our victims. Suddenly I’m not looking forward to our return against Munich on Tuesday!
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Our two best attackers (Sanchez and Perez), only got 68 minutes between them today, so they’ll be nice and fresh for Bayern on Tuesday. Very clever move from Wenger to bench the pair of them, Bayern will be quaking their boots! Hahaha
Perez will be nice and fresh…..on the damn bench. All credits ti Wenger.
Wenger please ease don’t sign that extension
Please leave in the summer
Please
Please
Wenger has to die in order to leave mate. He’ll be here next year and we’ll see it again!!”
arsenal 0-2-5 against top 6 clubs, says it all… change needed
Arsenal are complete pants at the moment, I agree, but the least you can do is get your facts straight… did we not beat Chelsea 3-0 earlier in the season?
Hang your head in shame Mr Wenger.
What a bunch of panzys. Ugh, why do I even bother
Bellerin’s final ball leaves a lot to be desired.
Papered over by his pace.
Indeed, he’s mostly just pace at the moment. If he’s going to grow into the next Dani Alves (who was Messi’s number one assist creator) he needs to improve massively. Really disappointed especially as he got into great positions.
It hasn’t improved at all. He and Theo on the same side of the technical ability and quality final ball of one player. Hector can’t get his head up and pick the correct ball one bit.
Theo is much better at the final ball than Bellerin. No comparison. Many of RVP’s goals in his final season came from Theo’s assists.
I won’t blame the players. Clearly arsenal have the better players than Liverpool as a whole. However, we have a clueless manager.
Wenger has let this squad down with his stupidity with tactics, te selection and his ignorance. Goodbye Wenger. Goodbye.
That went well given the fact that we were utterly $hyte. What a joke we’ve become.
Weren’t you happy with Arsene? Don’t worry, this is now the standard, and he’ll sign an extention!
Wenger must go, he is going to leave club with no CL football, no Ozil , no Alexis and no morale.
Feel sorry for next manager, being setup to fail
good managers change things quickly,
And a good manager we’ll get.
Dropping Sanchez, our best player and the English premier league highest goal scorer against our top-4 rivals, is just shocking.
WENGER IT IS TIME TO GO!!!!!!
Who was expecting better?
Anyway, one more embarrassment at the Emirates on Tuesday before we start a good run to end the season on a high.
good run ain’t happening this season.
Lol but there always is ?? when the Wenger trophy is in danger, everyone knows the script by now ?
That’s right and it looks like 4 more years to go
Where are all the Ozil haters now? It’s not the players but the tactics which hurt Arsenal. Wenger is a clueless fool who is way past his prime. How can you play Xhaka and Coquelin together.
Keeping Iwobi and subbing Welbeck. Benching Alexis. Not giving Lucas a chance.
This fool needs to leave and I hope we finish outside the top 4 because if we don’t then we will have Wenger for another 2 years.
I think Ozil had one of his better games today.
Hahaha ??
Most definitely MOTM
he matched his bayern performance.
Hahaha and Chelsea and Watford
Let’s not start about the players. They share the blame with the manager and the board. If I was Wenger, but I am not, I would announce that I will quit at the end of the season.He will have to quit anyway because I don’t believe we will make UCL this year. But by announcing the fact that he will quit then it will achieve two things: fans will calm down and really get behind the team until the end of the season. But most importantly, it will move the heat on the players. Fans will murder them if they will continue to play like this because there’s no more reason to say they don’t play for Wenger. Wenger will be gone, so why don’t you play at least for the money you get? Wenger announcing he leaves will show exactly what players we have. Which is perfect for the next manager lined up for the job.
I can’t believe I feel absolutely nothing about this loss. Last year I would have been pi$$ed for one week but now I simply don’t feel anything. 34 years supporting this club and it feels like 1986 again. Man, oh man. How the mighty fall.
Well said Bud and I’m sure that every fan feels the same way about the losers.. ? I mean the losses… ? nah, Losers sounds better ?
Hey, Has the match kicked off yet??
don’t think so.. not able to see any player on the pitch… there are a couple on the bench though
Arsenal fc are an embarrassment . Do they deserve to be in top 4?Hell no.
Xhaka not an upgrade on Coquelin. Too slow, all one footed, takes longer to turn than Mertesacker. Start coquelin back at CDM. Stop playing him as a CM.
Arsene’s fault that Xhaka was brought it. Arsene’s fault that he doesn’t trust anybody else to play in the CM when Santi is out. Ramsey can’t do it but kept getting chances to do so. Jack couldn’t do it, but still gets chances to do so. The ox had been doing well there, but then moved out wide immediately.
Theo can’t dribble, or connect intricate passes. Hasn’t matured as a player one bit.
Monreal is having a rough season, yet under-producing Kieran Gibbs can’t beat him out because he hasn’t matured and can’t stay healthy.
Arsene must go the team needs a spark.
Actually the fans also really wanted Xhaka. Maybe because of his good look, athletic body, statistics and some YouTube clips. True gentlemen will admit their mistakes. So suck it. Arsenal should give him maximum another season to prove himself. If he doesn’t perform, I think Arsenal should sell him.
what it is the issue with Xhaka? when he scored two crackers at the start of the season everyone was talking wonders. the guy has been off the pitch for 7 games for silly tackles FINE. HE needs to adapt to the pace of the EPL and today for me he did OK But LeCoq on the contrary? please give me a break. For those who do not have any idea xhaka is an international player and captain of his national team. LeCoq was used at charlton where he improved but do you think the guy is to be our main DM? stop sentimentalism and loyalty because this is why arsenal has not improved. keeping so many average players and injury prone. we are losing our best player and sadly so for the lack of ambition. We should have got Rodriguez frmo wolsburg on the LB – Lacazzete / Huntellar / Aubamayang as ST and Kante or WC DM needed to compete in all fronts but our deluded coach rejected the idea becasue we got the best squad ever. I’m gutted how our beloved team is humiliated time after time.
Very expected performance and result.
yep. Felt like 3/4-1 before the whistle even blew.
What do you expect on Tuesday matey?
liverpool should have scored more goals tbh
Send a clear message to arsene and the board on Tuesday. Get all the banners out! Make a big enough protest and instead of the headlines being “arsenal crash out of the champions league” it’ll change to something about the supporters or stadium atmosphere, which should shake things up upstairs. If the media starts talking about how divided the fans are or how toxic the stadium is, the board will have to re think this situation. As usual…. WENGER OUT! try and have a good day :/
For the first time:
I wish we finished out of the top 4.
I wish we get knocked out of the fa cup.
Again I wish we get hammered again by bayern in our home grown.
All just to have a chance of having new manager.
Shame on you all who attend the match and did not raise your banner.
We are just a joke led by an old clown…
Yes, I wish Arsenal will keep getting beaten till no Arsenal executives, manager and staffs lose their faces (if they still have one). If Arsenal is really a great club, ran and supported by great people, it should be able to rise from the bottom, like what Leicester City, Manchester United and Juventus did.
shame on you mr aw for you selection – everything can happen in a football mtch but to score four without reply on tuesday you’re asking for miracles – sorry to say but with the squad we have no way to beat the elite. i dont want to mention players but everyone knows what we have = gooner for ever
If only we can have more than half of the Emirates empty on Tuesday,that would be a message to the board. Those that would come,would do so with a big banner.
While I agree that a half empty stadium would be a stronger message to the Board than a noisy protest, it should never have to get to that. Arsene if you are the principled man that I believe you are then announce you are stepping down at the end of the season. Let us thank you for everything you have done instead of forcing us to feel like we have to hound you out of the club that we all (including you) love.
As long as Wenger remains the manager, Arsenal cannot win anything anymore, not even wine cup. He’s lost what it takes to win.
And Once again, Wenger’s delusional starting lineup messed things up.
It’s not as if we have any chance of progressing in the champions league and it’s not as if we were playing away to some mid table team today.
It’s like wtf is Wenger on man? …. ?? £8 million… ? it will be £10 million next season.
He does this every season, resting players for the hard UCL match just to lose all of them and fall out of all the competitions in 1 or 2 weeks
But we are already out of the UCL ? unless Wenger was planning on giving the whole Munich squad food poisoning,… ?? Nah, like I said, we’ve got no chance ?
We can only repeat, Wenger lost the plot.
Its really painfull,why do we have to go through all this,but theres nothing i can do…really painful!
And the commentator screamed, look at the space for Sadio Mane……Please who have Arsene Wenger phone number, email address, house address or any form of contact? I really need to talk to Him about his reign at Arsenal.
Wonder why Alexis started from the bench.
What has happened to Coquelin. Is he desperately missing Santi?
This performance really does show that Arsene Wenger needs to get his coat and f@ck off!!!! Start your game with your strongest squad and then swap the players when your in front Giroud was not worth a pot of cold p!ss, Sanchez who clearly lifts the team was sitting on the bench for half the game I mean WTF ?????
surely anyone who doubts that Wenger has had his day has had proof positive that it’s time to go
Just shows what the team is like without sanchez
We are sh!t and it’s not about the quality of the players it’s Thier manager and Thier attitude
Its a total disgrace
2 summers ago he could not find an outfield player to improve our squad, to day he could not find a starting role for his best player by a mile, tomorrow he won’t find the extra 70k a week needed to keep Sanchez.
Sanchez should have been given his 250 a week in Septemeber, now he will probably not stay no matter what we offer.
in his interview on dropping sanchez, wenger said his strategy backfired, really? how could it do anything but backfire? we could have gone up 4 pts on pool w a game in hand, now we are one pt ahead of manutd from being in 6th,
That’s funny, your telling me after all these years, Wenger waited for today’s important game to actually try out a strategy? ?
It is an excruciating pains watching Arsenal play week in week out season after season, the players dont play wt some intensity enough that is required when they play big clubs. Its time for a change for f***k sake
I watched the game with an ambivalence that I’ve never experienced before. I can’t be bothered to get angry anymore when I see us constantly outworked and out-coached. I have become a comfortably numb gooner. At least the pain is receding…
Bragging rights go to Liverpool. They did they double over us. Embarrassing!!!
What has become of our club. Its even more intresting reading fans comment than watching the team play. They make an old man like me wana cry.
My thoughts about the Arsenal players, manager and fans tonight:
– Wenger : He did not assign Sanchez in the first half. Is it because Sanchez was sulking or acting up? Bad team selection tonight. I always says on this forum, that Sanchez should play behind Welbeck as a central attacking midfielder/ playmaker. Apparently Wenger preferred Iwobi in that position, despite of there is a more skilled and experienced player in the bench.
– Giroud : He was supposed to be the target man or our lamp post tonight, but he lost most of the aerial battles. If he cannot win the ball in the air, he would be useless.
– Iwobi : Still young and needs to learn more under a better system.
– Welbeck : He should have played as a striker tonight. I think his talents are wasted on the wings. Faster and more skillful than Giroud and Walcott.
– Chamberlain : Has a good technique, stamina and driven. But still needs to learn more under a better system.
– Coquelin : Really ordinary tonight and in this season. Really different than what he was in last season. Is it because of the lack of confidence and motivation in the team? Or because of the wrong training system?
– Xhaka : He did not look like a 30 million plus player tonight. Should give him maximum another season to prove himself.
– Koscielny : Easily bypassed by Liverpool’s attackers. This happened a lot, no matter who his partner is. Maybe it is because of the bad system, or he is not actually that good.
– Mustafi : Good spirit but needs I think he needs a calmer and taller defender as his partner, because of his defending style.
– Monreal : Lack of pace.
– Bellerin : He is getting worse. Still very fast, but often created wrong passes. Maybe because of the lack of internal competition?
– Sanchez : Looked lack of interest tonight. I think he should play behind Welbeck as a central attacking midfielder/ playmaker.
– Fans : Why do you keep coming to the stadium? Let Arsenal executives know that we are angry.
If Arsenal is really a great club, ran and supported by great people, it should show a great ambition and mentality. If a club like Leicester City can show it, Arsenal should act soon. No more excuse for Arsenal players, manager, staffs and executives that cannot bring the club forward in two seasons.
Wenger the fraud of a manager the
I’m sorry but arsene wenger no disrespect “please leave at the end of the season “!
Allegri anyone?
If wenger doesn’t leave at the end ofthe season,he clearly only cares about filling his pocket with £8M every year.he has totally lost it with his tatics and can not inspire or motivate the players anymore.
He should do the honorable thing and resign at the end of the season before his image is totally tanished with the fans.
PS: Please let there be an empty stadium on tuesday,the fans can not continue being robbed paying the highest priced ticket to watch a team managed by a coach who has refused to move with the times.
You all deserve this. I dont blame Wenger neither the board, i blame the fans who are beyond deluded for tolerating failuare and making excuses for years. Not only that, but also trying to shut people up for pointing out the obvious.
I told you all that this day would come.
This is not the Arsenal i have been falling in love with as a kid. Our club should give us joy and make us proud, and not turn us into a miserable bunch of old F343cks.
Yes, we all deserve this! Why do we keep giving Arsenal money? Do not be a fool everybody. Tonight Arsenal executives, manager, staffs and players can sleep well, because of their huge salaries.
what does xhaka offer this team? why was Sanchez benched? .. why takeoff welback and leave iwobi on.. how can a manager be this clueless
Turned the game off after watching 10 minutes.
The game was only going to finish one way.
No Alexis or Perez in starting line up.
Xhaka and Coquelin is an awful partnership, both players have been dreadful recently.
Iwobi somehow is STILL starting every game???
Where is the leadership on and off the pitch!?!?
What is going on with this club at the moment ??
And the hit song “Wenger out” has hit the billboard top 40 top spot… we can only hope that this time it makes the impact it should have made years ago
As soon as I saw our starting line up I knew we had lost the game had Wenger started the players that needed to be started maybe we could have got a result cause clearly we have no tactics that would have beaten pool today
Simeone is our last hope, he could convince Sanchez to stay never mind he would be the perfect choice for Arsenal….we need to stop whining and take action we need to make a stand to get rid first of Le Fraud and then the owner, how to do this??? stop supporting this debacle with your hard earned money….we demand the ownership to immediately start looking for a replacement to Le Fraud….we can’t wait till the Summer while the senile decides what he wants to do, action is needed NOW….otherwise we will stop buying tickets and will not attend games……is harsh we Fans will pay a price by not watching our beloved team…..but there will be a reward at the end, we will stop the mockery we’ve been subjected for the last 12 years…..this must stop and must stop now ….WENGER OUT
Enrique went out and told his players and the board he will be leaving at the end of the season. i just finished watching barca v celta 5-0 and the players went out to show the fans they play for them no matter what. decent from the man who won 6 titles in 3 years to leave with his head up. We on the contrary, will end up fighting between us those against wenger to remain and the ones who want him to leave. We are a failure, we can not compete, we are losing our best player. it is time to STAND UP and BE COUNTED. Alexis to stay , wenger to go and bring Simeone/ Allegri or Sampaoli PLEASE.
Fans complain without taking action
Fans in London come here to demonstrate their frustrations without taking actions
Do you think the manager and his board read or listen to what goes on in the media or some unknown website?
Foolish Londoners!!!!
Do you want to say this humiliation won’t hurt the confidence of our players but bringing out Wenger out banners or not showing up on match days will?
If you Stupid Londoners can’t f@cken take proper actions ,don’t come here to complain about Wenger and his board.
Don’t complain about paying highest tickets.
You London fans are disappointments to football and the rest of Arsenal fans.
I went to work and didn’t really have the desire to watch the match today. I’m glad I didn’t. I would’ve just yelled at the TV for 90 minutes and would’ve been frustrated the whole day. Seems like I didn’t miss much.
AW OUT
The way we keep starting games so slowly it makes you wonder what sort of team talk Wenger gives before the game. I think also Iwobi needs a rest and what on earth does Perez have to do to get a start.