On 30th January, Liverpool faced Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium. After going 2-0 up with 30 minutes to go, they conceded twice in three minutes and the game ended 2-2. This leaves us 7 points off 4th, the same as before the game.
The game started well for Liverpool. Suarez looked very lively, and Sturridge was making good runs. They capitalised on this in the 9th minute, with Suarez’s deflected shot looping past Szczesny and into the net. Arsenal were also looking strong in attack though, and Reina was forced into some excellent saves. Liverpool still looked on top however, and Agger saw his header cleared off the line. Minutes later, Sturridge was denied by a smart stop from Szczesny.
Liverpool came out for the second half and continued to play strongly, resulting in a great goal for Jordan Henderson in the 60th minute. He got through two Arsenal defenders (although to be fair, one of them was Andre Santos!) and after seeing his first shot saved coolly slotted in the rebound. However, Arsenal hit back quickly and efficiently. Giroud scored from free kick in the 64th minute, followed by a great hit from Walcott in the 67th. The game then quietened down until towards the end, when Arsenal had a huge chance to win it. The ball was crossed invitingly into Giroud, who couldn’t get the ball out from between his feet. Seconds later, Suarez had a chance to win the game, when he got clear of the defence after a nice ass from Downing and saw his shot saved by Szczesny. The rebound then almost fell nicely to be tapped into an empty net, but it didn’t quite go in.
Liverpool were playing better than Arsenal for the majority of the match, and on balance probably deserved the win. However, our defence was poor (although nowhere near as poor as Arsenal’s), and going into the game I think most fans would have said a draw would be reasonable. Fortunately, Tottenham could only manage a draw at Norwich, meaning Liverpool remain 7 points off 4th. Admittedly the gap will be hard to close, especially with a tough fixture against Manchester City at the weekend, but it is certainly possible. If we tighten up our defence for our game against City and become a bit more clinical with our chances, we should be able to manage a win.
Overall, I think that Liverpool performed reasonably, but there was definite room for improvement. The defence needs to tighten up a bit, and Sturridge especially needs to work on his finishing, but in general the signs are promising. Also, with Coutinho available for us next game, our midfield should be tightened up. Hopefully if we can make these small adjustments, and the new signings gel well with the team, then we will be able to make 4th place a reality.
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