Liverpool maintained their unbeaten start to the Premier League campaign after playing out an enthralling 0-0 draw against a misfiring Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Monday night.
In a game of two halves, Liverpool had the better of the chances during the opening interval with Coutinho rattling the bar inside three minutes, before summer signing Petr Cech proved his class by making two stunning saves to keep the Reds at bay.
The goalkeeper spared the home side’s blushes as they continually, inexplicably relinquished possession in dangerous area’s of the park. Liverpool’s press harassed the makeshift Arsenal defence into committing sloppy errors, gifting the likes of Coutinho and Christian Benteke clear openings toward goal.
The Gunners would rue their luck, however, as Aaron Ramsey had a goal wrongly disallowed for offside, replays showing the Welshman was at least in-line with defender Martin Skrtel.
The second-half was a much improved performance from the North Londoners, upping the tempo in an effort to find a winning goal. Alexis Sanchez came closest to breaking the deadlock after his shot cannoned into the post.
Liverpool defended stoutly to earn a deserved point and recorded their third consecutive clean sheet, while Arsenal will feel like it was two points dropped as they continue their stuttering start to the new season.
Formations
In a double blow prior to kick-off, first choice defensive pairing Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny were both ruled out through illness and a back complaint respectively, forcing Arsene Wenger into making two enforced changes, Gabriel and Calum Chambers coming in to fill the void.
Aside from the defensive reshuffle, it was the same lineup that defeated Crystal Palace last time out with, Ramsey continuing to operate on the right-flank.
Arsenal XI (4-2-3-1): Cech, Bellerin, Chambers, Gabriel, Monreal, Coquelin, Cazorla, Ramsey, Ozil, Sanchez, Giroud.
Brendan Rodgers made three changes from the team that overcame Bournmouth last Monday night with club captain Jordan Henderson, Adam Lallana and Jordan Ibe making way for Emre Can, Lucas, and summer acquisition Firmino, who was handed his first start for his new club.
Henderson failed to recover in time after sustaining a reoccurring foot issue, while Lallana picked up a quad injury. Rodgers continued with the same back four that have served him well thus far, with Can and Lucas solidifying the midfield and Coutinho shifting to the left flank in a 4-3-3 system.
Liverpool XI (4-3-3): Mingolet, Clyne, Skrtel, Lovren, Gomez, Lucas, Milner, Firmino, Benteke, Coutinho.
Makeshift pairing leaves hearts in mouths
It is less then an ideal situation to lose your two premier central-defenders before a game of this magnitude. The absence of the ever present Koscielny and Mertesacker handed starting births to Gabriel and Chambers, who have both seen playing time hard to come by due to Wenger’s reluctance to tinker with what is a settled back four.
Gabriel has shown glimpses of his raw potential during his limited role after joining the club in January, while Chambers has mostly been utilised at right-back, although his future lies in the centre of the defence. This would be the first time the two have joined forces in a competitive match, with no-one really knowing as to how the stopgap duo will fair against a lively Liverpool attack.
The two looked nervous from the outset as they continually gave the ball away, particularly in the first-half. In total, the pair misplaced nine passes in their own half in the opening 45 minutes alone, with Chambers culpable for six of those, inviting the likes of Coutinho, Firmino and James Milner to break quickly and zero in on the Arsenal goal.
If it was not for Cech’s heroics and Francis Coquelin’s last ditch challenges, Liverpool could have had three or four goals next to their name by half-time. Mertesacker and Kosicelny’s ability to play out from the back and begin the chain of a foray forward is an under-rated quality. Their calmness and sureness on the ball was sorely missed.
Somehow, the two were able to walk away with a clean sheet next to their names after a more assured second-half display, but it could of been a much different story if Benteke and company were more clinical.
For Chambers, this will be a major learning curve if he wants to forge a career as a central-defender, while Gabriel will be better for the run and depending on the fitness of Koscielny, could feature against Newcastle this Saturday.
Rodgers learned from last year’s mistakes
Following last season’s 4-1 thrashing to Arsenal in the corresponding fixture, Rodgers was berated for implementing a 3-4-3 formation, leaving the Reds outnumbered in central-midfield and allowing the home side to dominate proceedings.
The key to going to the Emirates with the hope of getting a positive result is matching Arsenal in midfield numbers wise. That extra body is crucial in disrupting the Gunners’ passing game and also congesting the space in which they have to work in, starving their forwards of any enticing service.
On this occasion the manager opted for a three man midfield featuring Can, Lucas, and Milner, with the trio working tirelessly to great effort, curbing the influence of Santi Cazorla who was largely anonymous throughout.
Lucas was instrumental for the Merseysiders, completing five tackles and four interceptions, the most of any Liverpool midfielder. The Brazilian showing he still has something to give after being linked with a move away from the club throughout the summer.
The discipline of Lucas, the physicality of Can and the industry of Milner complimented eachother perfectly as they stifled the usually innovative Arsenal midfield. It wa a sensible alteration from Rodgers, who deserves a lot of credit after coming in for harsh criticism in the past for his tactical choices.
Wenger continues to let games drift with prolonged substitutions
It is an irritating habit that riles Arsenal fans, especially when a game is crying out for a spark to ignite a change of fortunes. The Frenchman’s first substitution was not until the 73rd minute when he decided to unleash Theo Walcott into the fray. Oliver Giroud was largely ineffective throughout his shift, so why the manager waited that long to introduce a fresh target was mystifying.
The same can be said with the use of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who finally hit the field with just eight minutes to play. The 22-year-old is being made to pay for criminally giving the ball away cheaply in the build-up to the West Ham’s second goal two weeks prior, also committing the same indiscretion which lead to Monaco scoring their decisive third goal in the Champions League round of 16 tie last term.
With Arsenal needing a goal scorer, square peg Ramsey trying to fit into a round hole on the right and an underdone Sanchez on the left, the situation of the game was crying out for Oxlade-Chamberlain’s direct pace to stretch the weary Liverpool defence. When you have this type of armoury on the bench, it is perplexing as to why Wenger does not use it to greater effect.
Arsenal Conclusion
It is now five scoreless performances in their last six home matches for the Gunners, continuing to look toothless going forward and struggling breaking down opposition who defend deeply. The team looks unbalanced in attack, while the same defensive frailties still linger. Already five points behind leaders City, Arsenal must get their act together or face playing catch up once again.
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Liverpool Conclusion
The Reds can take tremendous heart from their display and would probably feel they should of taken all three points. This new found solidarity will hold them in good stead for tough away assignments of similar reputation during the season . A good start to 2015-16 is what Rodgers craved and seven points from nine is just what the doctor ordered.
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