Before Liverpool. First world problems
A short preview before the big game on Thursday.
This week, I was accused of playing dumb and gaslighting when I asked why so many people actively celebrate Liverpool’s failures. It sent me down a bit of a rabbit hole.
I’m not a fan of any of the traditional “Big Six”. To be honest, I can’t stand most of them. The only real exception—the one club I don’t actually hate—is Liverpool. I’d never given it much thought until now, but things have become quite clear.
They aren’t our local rivals.
They didn’t rely on massive cash injections to buy their way to the top overnight, only to act arrogant about it.
They don’t behave like thugs on the pitch and get away with it.
Liverpool is none of those things. They built their squad gradually, improving results and upgrading the players. They haven’t just splashed out on established superstars (until perhaps last summer), and they don’t sack managers every five minutes. You could argue that, in terms of values, they are the closest side to Arsenal. For that, they have my respect.
However, respecting or hating a team is different from the “hate watch” during a season. As an Arsenal fan, I focus my negative energy on our actual title rivals. We are 14 points clear of Liverpool, 17 ahead of Chelsea and United, and miles ahead of Spurs. They aren’t rivals this season; we are on a completely different level. I loathe United with every fiber of my being, but I know they were struggling against mid-table sides under Amorim and weren’t supposed to finish anywhere near us.
Even Villa, who are only six points behind, aren’t true contenders. We all know they lack the squad depth to last the distance. Maybe if they get knocked out of all the cups, including in Europe, it would be interesting, but it’s still a long shot.
Our only rival for the title is Manchester City. They are also six points back (not anymore), but they have that rare ability to fix any problem in the squad by just throwing money at it … and a bit more money on top of it. They are the sole focus of my “hate watch” right now, and I get no joy from it. Like many Arsenal fans, I’ve got PTSD from the 23/24 season when City just won every single game in the run-in. That trauma makes me feel physically sick whenever they take the lead. I just can’t fathom seeing that smug smile on Guardiola’s face when they win the game.
We used to have a team or two ahead of us, with others nipping at our heels trying to keep pace, all of whom deserved a bit of stick. But not anymore. Now, I can’t even get a buzz out of seeing a rival drop points. That’s just what league dominance does to your old habits!
The same goes for Liverpool. I admired their style last season, but it’s now clear that Slot has failed to transition them away from their Salah-dependency or rebuild their attack. Their level now is a scrap for a Champions League spot—nothing more, nothing less. Some claim they are finding their form again, but I think it’s a myth. Just look at their Premier League results since October:
The only winning run they’ve managed to put together consists of:
A home win against a side stuck at the bottom of the table.
A home victory over Brighton, who are hardly known for keeping things tight at the back.
An away win at Spurs, who played half the match with ten men; even then, Tottenham had plenty of chances to claw it back to 2-2 after being two nil down.
Hardly impressive by any stretch of the imagination.
In the past, Liverpool always seemed to find a way to score against us, usually through Salah—arguably the toughest winger in the league to keep quiet—or Jota (may he rest in peace), who stepped into Firmino’s shoes. Both of the Brazilians had that uncanny knack for being in the right place at the right time, with the kind of composure that lets you clinically finish chances when the pressure is on.
They won’t have that luxury tomorrow. Their best attacker now is Ekitike, and there’s no guarantee he’ll even start. Even if he does, he’s exactly the sort of forward Saliba should be having for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Their full-backs look unsettled and the backline is still shaky. The only world-class talent standing between Arsenal and three points is Alisson. For my money, he’s in the top three keepers on the planet and, on his day, he can be virtually unbeatable. That said, we’ve managed to find the net against them at home recently.
The last time we failed to score at home was back in 21/22, nearly four years ago. Contrast that with five or six years back when the roles were reversed: we’d head to Anfield ten or more points behind, absolutely dreading the trip. And usually with good reason—we’d often leave having taken a proper hammering. I sincerely hope their travelling fans are feeling that same sense of dread before kick-off tomorrow.
Quite frankly, we owe them a thumping. City got their 5-1 last term, Chelsea were hit for five in 23/24, and both Spurs and Villa have been brushed aside 4-1 this season. Yet Liverpool and United have somehow escaped a proper hiding from us. There’s no better time than tomorrow to finally give them the spanking they deserve!
P.S. As I’m wrapping this up, the final whistle has gone in the Wednesday games, leaving us with a massive chance to go eight points clear! I am confident the players will be buzzing today! I can’t wait to see how the table looks by midnight tomorrow!!!