gunnersayit.com

Where to begin? Well, though the question is partly rhetorical, it’s also a genuine question that I’m posing to myself.

I rarely know how to convey exactly what I’ve witnessed, when Arsenal face Liverpool at Anfield, and today isn’t any different.

Arsenal, without Bukayo Saka, and Martin Odegaard, set out to collect all three points at Anfield, for the first time since 2011, when we beat them 2-0.

I deliberately waited a couple of days before writing my incredible, in depth analysis, as I always mourn after an Arsenal loss, and have only just stopped sobbing uncontrollably, and wiping my nose on my sleeve. Please respect my privacy at this difficult time.

Now, I was already nervous before the match, due to injuries sustained to the aforementioned key players, but Arteta decided to increase my nervousness one hundredfold, by leaving Eberechi Eze on the bench. He was signed to be the difference in big games such as these, and Arteta leaves him on the bench. It’s been two days, and I’m still outraged, and in total disbelief by that decision.

Yes, hindsight is twenty-twenty, but why was Arteta’s foresight impaired? It couldn’t of been more obvious! It was staring him in the face, like a toddler watching you open their favourite snack, and not sharing it.

Reluctantly, I’ll move on. To leave Eze on the bench though.. ON THE BENCH! Ok, ok, now I’ll move on.

Mutual respect was written all over the early stages of the match, with players on both sides afraid to make a mistake. Within the opening five minutes, my body was riddled with crippling fear, as William Saliba went down injured. What made this scarier, is that the injury wasn’t sustained during a sprint, or the impact of challenge, so naturally I thought the worst… (Here we go, yet ANOTHER long term injury to an important player) This thought however, evaporated rapidly, like steam in the wind, as Saliba was replaced by Cristhian Mosquera. He grabbed his unexpected opportunity with both hands, and wouldn’t let go, like he was making a citizens arrest.

After a few nervous early touches of the ball, Mosquera settled into game, and quickly looked like he’d been in this Arsenal team for years, and had played at Anfield many times. His footballing intelligence, his refusal to panic when being closed down, in addition to his clean tackling, and productive passing, makes him the perfect modern day defender.

Christhian Mosquera’s performance was one of the few positives, on an otherwise disappointing day for Arsenal.

Both goalkeepers were underworked, and goalmouth action was as rare as a wino with a full set of perfect teeth. The battle was all in the midfield, and both teams lacked creativity, and the forward line on both sides looked like peripheral figures, begging for their attacking prowess to be activated. The first half continued this monotonous pattern, and maybe Arsenal just about had the upper hand, but only just. It was to no avail anyway, as the teams went in 0-0 at the half-time whistle.

In the second half Liverpool looked more dangerous, and it seemed that they were reminded that they’re not only the home team, but also the current champions.

Arsenal however, were more tentative in their play, and though Noni Madueke looked dangerous, with his direct runs against a terrified Milos Kerkez, that efficiency in the final third eluded us.

We had a string of corners, that barely qualified as “Nearly moments”… and It was evident that even our set-piece potency, had abandoned us.

It wasn’t until the 70^th minute, that Arteta decided to try and change the game in our favour. He brought on the not fully fit Martin Odegaard, and the player who most certainly should’ve started the game, Eberechi Eze. How late these substitutions were made angered me, and this fury was quickly added to my previous fury, because.. ARTETA LEFT EZE ON THE BENCH IN THE FIRST PLACE!! I may of mentioned that, once before. Ok, ok, let me breathe. Breeeaaaathe.

The change in personnel had zero impact on our fortunes, and an unshakable feeling that the game was slipping away from us, got me in a headlock, and began to squeeze. It’s vice like grip was unrelenting.

In the 83^rd minute, Martin Zubimendi gave away a free kick, and was booked for his troubles. Dominik Szoboszlai placed the ball down 32 yards out, and hit the ball like it had previously insulted him, and only a kick with such ferocity, would give him restitution. The ball flew into the top left corner at godlike speed, giving David Raya no chance to even get a fingertip to it. Unfortunately, Liverpool went 1-0 up, and finished 1-0 up, in a game that seemed destined to end 0-0.

We didn’t do enough to win the game, but we definitely didn’t deserve to lose the game. A draw would’ve been a fair result, but football isn’t fair, and that’s why we both love, and sometimes hate it.

On the “Love” side of things, I love that Max Dowman made a five minute cameo, and had his first taste of the atmospheric cauldron, that is Anfield. It’ll definitely do wonders for his football education.

Hopefully, Mikel Arteta learns from this defeat, and as the season progresses, picks more ambitious team selections. It’s early in the season, so this defeat isn’t a disaster, as league titles aren’t won, or lost, in August.  It’s how we respond to this setback that’s important, and I’m confident that we’ll respond positively, and make this defeat a distant memory.

I called this piece ‘Anarchy at Anfield’… Not for what happened on the pitch, but for the internal, emotional civil war that takes place in my body, every time these teams play each other. It’s wreaking havoc on my heartrate, and blood pressure, and Arsenal have a flagrant disregard to my health. (I’m good health wise, so please don’t worry. I’m referring to my football health. Now laugh, a joke was made)

The rude interruption of the international break, brings the Premier League to a grinding halt, and Arsenal will now have to wait two weeks, to right that wrong. This makes the pain of defeat more intense, and also gives pundits, and the “Arteta Out” mob, more time to overreact, and more time to create false narratives. I can already feel an unscheduled nap approaching, caused by the ridiculous, repugnant, repetition….That’ll inevitably spew from the, incapable of independent thought, brigade.