This weekend’s Premier League highlight fixture is Arsenal versus Liverpool on Sunday evening. The two Premier League title contenders will face off in a game that will undoubtedly have far-reaching implications for the Premier League title battle.
Pat Nevin has sent the Gooners a spoiler ahead of that game. In his reaction to the Reds’ 1-0 triumph over RB Leipzig, the former Everton player revealed something that should concern Gooners. He stated that based on what he witnessed in the game, Mohammed Salah did not give his all, implying that he was reserving himself for the Arsenal game.For Liverpool, Nevin believes the game against Arsenal will be their toughest, and Salah will undoubtedly want to perform at his best.
The ex-Toffee admitted, “Players like Mohamed Salah, they know that, if they go all in, all of the time, they won’t last the season.
“You didn’t see the best of Salah at Leipzig; I suspect you might see the best of him against Arsenal, and he’s not the only one you can say that about.
“Liverpool are improving and will improve more, but their biggest test of the season [so far] will be Sunday.”
The forecast that Salah “could explode” against Arsenal on Sunday is not something any Gooner wants to hear. Ricardo Calafiori’s injury in Arsenal’s 1-0 win over Shakhtar Donetsk has already raised questions about who will play left-back. It is unclear whether Arteta will start the seasoned Oleksandr Zinchenko at left back in an attempt to limit Salah or if he would be daring and give Myles Lewis Skelly his first start.
Regardless, whoever starts at the left back will have to step up significantly to neutralize Salah’s threat. The Egyptian star has scored 10 goals in 16 competitive appearances against Arsenal; he should not surpass that statistic this weekend.
Darren N
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Clearly, Salah is always a threat – and seems to enjoy playing Arsenal. However, we’ll have to wait and see who actually plays (particularly for Arsenal but also for Liverpool) as there are several probable/possible absentees across the two sides.
Pat Nevin may very well have a point, but that’s the exact thing I have accused Arsenal of doing the game against Shakhtar Donetsk.
Arsenal was playing with rheir handbrake up if one can remember.
Am not sure to what extent it did affect our game at the Vitality, but it’s a well known fact players tend to play with one eye on an upcoming match, especially with back drop of the big pretender coming to town.
Salah, while still good, is not anywhere near as good as he was. Give him space and he can still punish you but close him and harry him, he is not as good. Maybe we have been resting in games as well🤔
Just maybe Reggie, just maybe and am not being sarcastic, sometimes players do try to preserve themselves.
If Arsenal should go on and put on a convincing 3 : 1 win as Dan predicted, it will open up a whole can of worms
Personally, I think Liverpool are in a false position in the league, to how good they actually are. But credit them, they have wrung every point out from most of their games. Unlike us, who haven’t.
Reggie,
Ill discipline has plagued us this season so far and injuries in important positions. I’m not unrealistic enough to think that other teams haven’t suffered from losing key players, however, the loss of Odegaard has been a disaster and I only hope that Saka is fit for Sunday. Whilst you may not think we have done enough in games, I maintain the naivety displayed from 3 red cards (which is what I presume you have referred to at times) is the root cause of the problem. Arteta has to fix that pretty damned quick
The disaster Sue has been Arteta not being able to adjust without him. He isn’t demi god and irreplaceable but the way we have played without him, has been like an hangover. Trossard should have been his direct replacement and the kid Nwaneri, should have been trusted more. Or changed the way we approach attacks. If we have missed him, its because Arteta hasn’t adapted, without him. Surely he must have a plan to replace every player in the squad and adjust accordingly. Even with Odergaard this season, our attack has been lacking because of the set up of our team and play. I am afraid Arteta has to be better. And get more out of his expensively assembled squad.
He is the one, who keeps playing Partey RB. He is the one who brings on a defender when we go downbto 10 men. He was the one who introduced Kiwior to the defence in a totally different position he had played before. He is the one who keeps playing Jesus as striker as an option to Haverz. He probably is the one, who didn’t bring in a recognised striker. He is the one who sends the players out to play slow, slow, slow slow slow football. He has been in charge of us while we have had more red cards than anyone, by some margin. His decision making, when you look back has been questionable. So saying Odergaard has been a miss, is correct but not the factor.
Sue, even when Odergaard has played, we have relied heavily on set pieces to win games.
Blimey!
I’m speechless… well almost 😂
What you have described is a manager who hasn’t a clue and I suspect- rightly or wrongly- that your view of Arteta hasn’t really varied over 5 years despite the rebuilding and finishing second twice.
I’m not so downbeat but I do recognise your viewpoint. It doesn’t matter to me that there is a reliance on set play and neither do I think that Trossard can be a direct replacement for Odegaard who is a considerably better player imo having far more flair. However, I agree that Arteta isn’t getting it all right and not everything he’s tried has worked, but until the balance shifts, he’s still my man.
Sue, I am not downbeat (but please god for obvious reasons) I am a realist. From the start, I said Arteta can not win the league but that is my opinion, I am an Arsenal fan and hope we do under him. But the more I see, the more I am convinced. He has not got the ability to deal with set backs, like top managers do. He is our manager Sue and we have everything in place to win big. He can not be afforded anymore time than this season. Because IF he doesn’t do it this, he never ever will. I don’t see that X factor in him Sue. He is a good manager not great. Prove Arteta you ARE great. Please!!!!!
Getting back to something you said. Tell me Sue, what Arteta has done over and above the expenditure afforded to him. The squad we have alone, should be capable of big things. What has Arteta done to compliment the vast sums invested in the team. Yes we have finished second twice. But blew it both times. How have we done in cup competitions. You don’t have to answer that, I will tell you, terrible. Apart from the investment what as Arteta achieved with it that no other manager couldn’t have done. Would Wenger have done better with that investment Sue? It would have been interesting to see. Would Emery have done better, with that investment? The reason I ask is, they both achieved more but not on a big budget. I expect results and trophies Sue. Sorry if that sounds excessive.
Reggie
I find it strange that Arteta gets pelters about the investment the club has given him and yet £200+m was spent by Emery. He has also had considerable investment from Villa. I also can’t imagine any club nowadays repeating Leicester’s feat.
Arteta won the FACup with Wenger’s and Emery’s team as if that is some sort of crime. What did Emery win and yet he’s being given plaudits right, left and centre? Whose fault was it that the players could only get 4 or 5 points out of a possible 18 in the closing stages of that season? Whose fault was it that they imploded in Baku? Yet Arteta has ‘failed’ by finishing second twice without a long body of work behind him. . You may well think I’m blinkered – perhaps I am a bit or even a lot, however I haven’t brushed under the carpet the excellent football that has been played under him in recent years and the revolution of replacing mediocrity with the likes of Odegaard, Rice, Havertz, White etc. It has been expensive so far but Wenger didn’t spend big and there were no league titles for years
Missing out on the league was hugely disappointing I readily agree. The first time particularly so. Inexperience at all levels is the only excuse I can offer.
I would though, like to know how it’s possible for anyone to airbrush the considerable investment made by City over many, many years where they spent, spent, spent in their quest for domination The same applies to their employment of Guardiola (who I wanted when he was available as I would have called time on AW) Pep has been as formidable as Fergie and so few have ever been close to that level. So yes, I agree that Arteta isn’t and may never be, but he is still very good. Guardiola has won 6 league titles which is remarkable even with the investment bestowed upon him. . It’s been the perfect storm for all the other clubs and their managers since his arrival. Newcastle supporters no doubt thought they’d won the lottery but that hasn’t materialised yet. I liken it to Djokovic; any other time, the spoils would have been shared around
There has been a hiccup with injuries and unnecessary red cards. That will be laid out against Liverpool later. I get the feeling that the panic button has been pressed in some quarters a bit too early but that doesn’t mean I like the situation we find ourselves in.
I have a question for you Reggie. You want to win trophies – don’t we all – so would you have been happier under Ten Hag?
Sue, i want to win the league or CL then we can enjoy the jolly of the FA cup. No ten haag is an awful manager and probably shows, that you don’t need to bee a great manager to win the FA cup. The cups are a bonus and on their own are a great day out. You can win them without playing any top team or full strength team. The league is a marathon that tests the manager and the team. The CL is against your peers from all over Europe. Both those competitions are won by the best teams and the best manager. You easily dis Emery, but he is a winner Sue and has won many European competitions and a league. He has never won the CL but has generally, except us, got more out of the team he has managed than most.
When was the last time Villa was in the CL? Was he afforded the same level of patience as Arteta? No I don’t think so. So Arteta needs to show, he can do what he was brought to the club to do. How long should we wait?
Reggie
I knew you would bring up Emery’s record elsewhere but the reality is that at Arsenal as my post suggests, it was a total disaster. He imo didn’t deserve patience that you and many others think he was owed. Being on the cusp of top4 and losing in Baku was a sackable offence from his history of winning – particularly in European competitions. He lost the dressing room so there was no way back and no point in the board retaining him
I’m actually not anti Emery and can see he has fine attributes as is being shown at Villa. I will be interested to see if they can maintain their position through the course of the season. You describe the league as a real test and I agree with you. We came up short so Arteta has his work cut out but let’s see what all the other aspiring managers can do this season.
What did you think about my views on Pep and City being the perfect storm as you avoided that part? Only Klopp has tested him in recent years and money bags Chelsea haven’t won in approximately 8 years either.
A lot of people have come out with various “talking points” since we lost to Bournemouth. Much of it is based on very superficial analysis and strongly held opinion.
None of the alternatives suggested are definite solutions yet people keep bringing them up as if they would have guaranteed a win.
David
I believe it’s not easy to change long held views and Arteta’s appointment has been divisive unfortunately from the outset. He has been criticised for being over supported financially, showing his unwillingness to use the academy players, being unnecessarily ruthless as well as tactically naive. His “success “ so far in developing an all for one mentality and an upward trajectory is overlooked in favour of finding fault the second there’s a blip.
Because he wasn’t the preferred choice by the majority, and it took time to assemble what we have now, there is a feeling that I have that the knives will be out if the result today is unfavourable. Sack the manager. Bring back Emery and so on. Context is often forgotten