LOCO GUNNER BLOG: Liverpool, Transfers, and Mounting Injuries
A trip to Anfield has never been an easy task. Liverpool have won the top flight title more than any other club–including their triumph last term. Throw in some strong work in the transfer window and the Reds went into the top of the table clash with Arsenal looking at least as daunting a prospect as last season.
How you view the eventual outcome of the match, a 1-0 Arsenal loss, probably says a lot about how you approach supporting your team. The pessimist might look at the result and suggest that Arsenal, despite all the strengthening done in the summer, are still likely no better than second best in the Premier League.
That pessimist may be further inclined to think that Arsenal have something of an injury-related curse brewing after last season’s injuries to key players, and the early stages of this season have accelerated the trend with William Saliba going early with an ankle injury.
Finally, the pessimist might complain that Mikel Arteta’s approach to the match was a bit too conservative, with Mikel Merino replacing Martin Odegaard, and Gabriel Martinelli playing on the left with Noni Madueke moving to the right to replace Bukayo Saka. Supporters looking for a more aggressive approach might have preferred Ethan Nwaneri for Odegaard, or Eberechi Eze instead of Martinelli/Trossard from the start.
While there are certainly times to be pessimistic about your team, I have a more optimistic view of this particular match. In particular, I was impressed by Cristian Mosquera’s turn replacing Saliba, as well as the extent to which Arsenal was able to contain Liverpool’s exceptional attack with three key starters missing.
As far as the flow of the match went, possession was close to even–as were the chances. And while I would have liked to see Nwaneri from the start and Dowman sooner than the 89th minute, would that have changed anything? Perhaps not, but it would have signaled intent to win rather than to draw.
In the end, the difference in the match was a miraculous free kick from 30-ish feet out by Dominik Szoboszlai that would have beaten just about any goalkeeper in the world.
A disappointing result for sure given how well the team played away from home, down a few key players, and facing excellent opposition. But it’s definitely not the end of the world only three weeks into the campaign.
The Transfer Deadline
If Sunday brought disappointment, Monday and the transfer deadline brought continued change to the club. Arsenal brought in their eighth signing of the summer window as they acquired Ecuadorian Piero Hincapie from Bayer Leverkusen in Germany. The defender can play both a left-sided center back as well as left back and will replace Jakub Kiwior (who confirmed a move to Porto on Monday). Also leaving the club with Kiwior were Albert Sambi Lokonga (Hamburg), Fabio Vieira (Hamburg, loan), Oleksandr Zinchenko (Nottingham Forest, loan), and Reiss Nelson (Brentford, loan).
One of the bigger criticisms of Arsenal’s transfer market dealings in recent years has been their inability to sell players for good fees in an effort to “balance the books” when they bring in expensive new players. The Kiwior and Sambi Lokongo sales both netted small profits from the prices paid a few years ago, but the failure to conclude permanent sales for Nelson, Zinchenko, and Vieira underscore the ongoing problem.
Since it isn’t my money, I can’t say I’m TOO concerned about the money recouped in the transfer market so long as the club can continue to buy like they did this summer and they keep developing talent like Nwaneri, Lewis-Skelly, Saka, and Dowman at the Hale End Academy.
The Women’s Turn
With the men heading to the first international break of the season, the women get next weekend to themselves for their season debut. Their opponents for the curtain-raiser will be the London City Lionesses. The only independent (not owned by a Premier League side) club in the Women’s Super League after promotion from the Championship last season, the Lionesses are owned by Michelle Kang who also owns the Washington Spirit in the NWSL and OL Lyonnes in France.
While Michelle Kang has a history of success, facing the reigning European champions in the club’s first match in the top flight seems like a lot to ask. Arsenal will be close to full strength as the players who featured deep into or won the European Championships over the summer return to the pitch after late-summer vacations. All of the Euro competitors played at least 45 minutes in the pre-season-ending 2-0 win over West Ham last Wednesday.
The match will be played at 8:30 AM on Saturday, September 6th and can be streamed live for free on the FA Player app found in
Google Play and
Apple App Store.
The Result: Week 3
Starting Line-up: Raya, Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori, Zubimendi, Rice, Merino, Madueke, Martinelli, Gyokeres
Substitutes: Mosquera (Saliba), Odegaard (for Merino), Eze (for Martinelli), Dowman (Madueke)
Arsenal Result: 1-0 loss away to Liverpool
Goal(s): Dominik Szoboszlai
Assist(s): none
Place in the Table: 3rd (3 points behind leaders Liverpool and one point behind 2nd place Chelsea)
Title Contender Round-up:
Liverpool: I think we covered that sufficiently above.
Manchester City: For the second consecutive weekend, Manchester City looked out of sorts against seemingly so-so opposition. They dropped a 2-1 decision to Brighton and Hove Albion at the AmEx Stadium.
Chelsea: Chelsea got a bit lucky having an early Fulham goal wrongly disallowed by VAR but managed to score two against their West London rivals at home to extend their winning streak to two after an opening weekend draw. Not particularly convincing but they did what they had to do against solid opposition.
Up Next
Women - 9/6 8:30 AM: Arsenal host the London City Lionesses including former Gunners Danielle van de Donk and Nikita Parris at the Emirates to start their season.
Men - 9/13 7:30 AM: Arsenal host former technical director Edu and his new side, Nottingham Forest at the Emirates to kickoff Match Week 4.
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