I thought, from the replays, he definitely didn't look. He was more concerned with controlling the ball and as has been said, thought the FB would have attempted to dispossess him, hence the attempted fend off that went wrong.
Liverpool v Arsenal - Match Thread
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They don't call the last goal scored the winning goal for nothing...
No idea what he was doin there.
Only mitigating factor perhaps is that the defender backed off so maybe Mane thought he’d be closer and it would’ve been more of a shoulder barge / chest push.
I didnt think he looked, or it was an initial elbow (more wrist/forearm), but was worried VAR would make it a red
Yeah I'm not saying Mane is suddenly a dirty angry bastard, but it was a minute after a separate lunge. He was defo worked up and mistimed a couple of things. Sorted it out from then on and was the best player on the pitch. But if that was the other way round you'd have at least expected a var check and be hoping for a red
I'm with you here. I was shitting myself until I saw it was a yellow and not a red.
Mane did look a little bit over motivated in those early stages, and I really feared he'd see a red card.
I'm glad he did sort it out from then on.
Agreed, I thought he could get a red there. Great to see we went out fired up though.
What a great cameo from Jota. Movement, skill, execution. He found space in a way that none of our other forward options seem to do. Not only will this be excellent when we need to change the personnel in a game but this can really help reduce the workload of Mane & Mo too in what is going to be a very compact and full on season of games.
Thought Gomez & Trent dealt with Auba very well, didn't give him much room for much of the game. Naby & Gini were all over the CMs giving them no time at all.
Domination.
Thought Gomez & Trent dealt with Auba very well, didn't give him much room for much of the game. Naby & Gini were all over the CMs giving them no time at all.
Domination.
Really happy for Jota but got the feeling Arse were knackered and let him have more space because Mane had gone away and they could stop worrying. This is based on nothing of any substance, stats or even observations. Just thinking what I'd probs do as an Arsenal player seeing Mane walk off the pitch.
Yeah, that was my initial thought as well. Seeing as it was after 2 mins, the ref let him off with a yellow.
If that happens later in the game then that is probably a red after VAR checks it.
I know we've only had a couple of players in and a couple out but the bench looks stacked this year compared to last. I think probs because Keita is finally decent, Minamino too, Jota obv, Jones is looking boss, and then Thiago. 5 players you couldn't really consider as options last season, all of which you wouldn't mind see starting now. I was worried about the squad this year but the only weakness really is CB, with Gomez and Matip being so injury prone. Obv there isn't cover for the fullbacks, but there also isn't any way you could have that.
He was always in the right place though, which counts for a lot with me, that's so hard to get right in a new side.
Also, it's his first goal, that usually helps a players confidence no end, so fingers crossed he kicks on from here.
Also, it's his first goal, that usually helps a players confidence no end, so fingers crossed he kicks on from here.
I thought that foul by Xhaka, just before we scored, was a definite Yellow, he literally grabbed Keita by the collar and threw him to the ground. Linesman was flagging furiously and the only reason he got away with it was we scored.
The Daniel Agger Memorial Elbow.
On Saturday City were even money and us around 2-1. Now we are odds on.
Just so I can keep up Gary, does this mean that “we’re a fucking embarrassment” no longer?
Varying play. That's the key. Passing along the back four, nice and swiftly, fine, but if VVD sometimes ignores Gomez and just fizzes a pass straight across to Trent - that's when we're varying play. Or if Gomez moves forward with the ball instead of VVD hitting that left to right diagonal long ball, or one of them plays a quick ball down the line to Robertson or Gini or Mane - that's when we're varying play. And in most games that's what we do. But I'm not going to be told that how we played from the back in much of that first half was 'varying play'. If you play to our template, which is analysed to death by opposing teams these days, and you stick to it rigidly, and do it at a relatively steady and slow pace, then it IS predictable and it IS of open to exploitation by the opposition, who know how to block any movement further up the field to keep it going. It might tot up the pass and possession stats but in the real world it does fuck all. It's not a case of praising it blindly or damning it blindly, it's a case of wanting it to be done well.
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