Pre Match - Arsenal (a) - Weds 20:15

[Brizzle]

Huge game this one. Arsenal one of the form teams in the league, and I'd love nothing more than to take them apart at the emirates.

I think we win this one in midfield - and to do that I think we need our two best pressers, Thiago & Naby.

-------------Alison-------------
Trent--Matip--Virgil--Robbo
--------------Fabs---------------
------Thiago------Keita-------
Salah-------Jota--------Diaz.

Diogo loves playing against Arsenal, and i'd like to see Diaz down the left. Mane as an impact sub to kill the game off.


Interestingly Arsenal have started the same XI for the past 5 matches.
Ramsdale
Cedric White Gabriel Tierney
Xhaka Partey
Saka Odegaard Martinelli
Lacazette

 

[MomoWASright]

I think the front 3 will be Mané, Jota and Diaz. Salah (if fit) and Firmino coming on from the bench.

Other than that it’ll be the best we’ve got as we will make some changes for Forest at the weekend.

Alisson

Trent
Matip
Van Dijk
Robertson

Fabinho
Henderson
Thiago

Mané
Jota
Diaz

 

[LeTallecWiz]

Agree with @momoWASboss - hendo will start this imo.

 

[jon545660]

This is our game in hand, and then a 17 day break before the next league game (international break), so huge in terms of putting pressure on City.

 

[MomoWASright]

This is our game in hand, and then a 17 day break before the next league game (international break), so huge in terms of putting pressure on City.

Kind of. City play tonight so the status quo will remain.

 

[My_Blood_Bleeds_Red]

Huge huge match this.

We have got to win. If we play like we did in the league cup final, we should be able to win it. But if we played like we have done in the last couple matches, we’ll be in danger of dropping points.

 

[Modo]

We play Nottingham a few days after the Arsenal game, so I'm expecting our strongest possible XI.
Salah might be rested.

 

[MomoWASright]

Huge huge match this.

We have got to win. If we play like we did in the league cup final, we should be able to win it. But if we played like we have done in the last couple matches, we’ll be in danger of dropping points.

I have a feeling we’ve been playing just do enough in those games. Rarely we got out of third gear.

 

[Brizzle]

Huge huge match this.

We have got to win. If we play like we did in the league cup final, we should be able to win it. But if we played like we have done in the last couple matches, we’ll be in danger of dropping points.

True - but same could be said for Arsenal. Had to win late in the game against Wolves and almost got caught out by Watford. They look a lot more resilient of late, but they've been playing Watford, Brentford, Burnley, Leicester recently.

 

[jon545660]

Kind of. City play tonight so the status quo will remain.

This Arsenal game was postponed due to us getting to the league cup final, so yea, it's our game in hand.

 

[Modo]

We have another postponed game, the one at home against Man U. Would have been this weekend if we weren't in the FA cup.

 

[jon545660]

We have another postponed game, the one at home against Man U. Would have been this weekend if we weren't in the FA cup.

Yea but City also have a game postponed for the same reason, so it keeps us level on games.

 

[Frogfish]

We are going to start what Klopp considers our strongest team ... and that includes Hendo, Mane & Mo.

-------------Allison
Trent--Matip----VvD--Robbo
--------------Fabs
-----Hendo ------Thiago
Salah-------Mane--------Diaz.

 

[RedStar]

Huge game, Arsenal are playing well and we've gone a bit cold. We need to be sharp from the outset, strongest XI required I'd like to see Jota back up front and Thiago in the middle.

 

[Mystic]

I'd drop Salah and play Diaz, Jota and Mane, just feel Salah's been a bit shit recently and is getting a bit of a free pass.

 

[Modo]

I'd drop Salah and play Diaz, Jota and Mane, just feel Salah's been a bit shit recently and is getting a bit of a free pass.

He might be injured.

 

[Markeh]

Diaz v Cedric is a big mismatch on the left if Tomiyasu is injured and that plonker Xhaka still plays but aside from that it’s good Arsenal team. They’ve now matured sufficiently to be a big danger.

Any chance we can convince Mane and Mo to skip these internationals?

 

[Farkmaster]

I think if both of these teams are equally well rested, Arsenal have very little chance, even on good form.

That's not the case though, even though they have had a days less rest, we're at the end of a stupid run of fixtures, while they dropped out of everything. I can see us dropping points, as there have been many games in the last run where I've thought "if this team had more quality, we'd have conceded there." A large part of it has been leggy recovery running from midfield after tired passes, and down Trent's side.

 

[Modo]

Diaz v Cedric is a big mismatch on the left if Tomiyasu is injured and that plonker Xhaka still plays but aside from that it’s good Arsenal team. They’ve now matured sufficiently to be a big danger.

Any chance we can convince Mane and Mo to skip these internationals?

Skip the world cup qualifying games between Senegal and Egypt?
Lol.
But I get what you're saying.
I hope some of the others who are only playing friendlies can somehow skip them.

 

[Buddha]

Defensively we’re much stronger than Arsenal - don’t let a run of kind fixtures for them fool anyone.

0-2 or 0-3 for me.

 

[refugee]

I'd drop Salah and play Diaz, Jota and Mane, just feel Salah's been a bit shit recently and is getting a bit of a free pass.

Jotas not been great either

 

[MomoWASright]

I think if both of these teams are equally well rested, Arsenal have very little chance, even on good form.

That's not the case though, even though they have had a days less rest, we're at the end of a stupid run of fixtures, while they dropped out of everything. I can see us dropping points, as there have been many games in the last run where I've thought "if this team had more quality, we'd have conceded there." A large part of it has been leggy recovery running from midfield after tired passes, and down Trent's side.

I think we’ve been playing within ourselves because we know this is a mad fixture list to the end of the season. If we go full throttle we will batter these useless twats.

 

[rubans]

Jotas not been great either

Nor has Mane. It’s just they have done enough to get a few goals I guess…

 

[Markeh]

Skip the world cup qualifying games between Senegal and Egypt?
Lol.
But I get what you're saying.
I hope some of the others who are only playing friendlies can somehow skip them.

Scrap all internationals

 

[Hansern]

Salah wasnt in the training pictures today.

 

[Brizzle]

Diaz v Cedric is a big mismatch on the left if Tomiyasu is injured and that plonker Xhaka still plays but aside from that it’s good Arsenal team.

This is the match up I want to see down the left.

 

[Fabio]

Disappointed that we're dropping points tbh. This is what life will be like without salah i guess

 

[tomasjj]

Ramsdale can be got at, even if Arsenal have been better at the back.
Ødegaard is keeping things ticking over going forward, and is much improved. Shut him and Saka down, and there aren't much outlet.
Tierney might look to overlap and provide something, but apart from that, not too much apart from Martinelli's direct running.

 

[Frogfish]

Ramsdale can be got at, even if Arsenal have been better at the back.
Ødegaard is keeping things ticking over going forward, and is much improved. Shut him and Saka down, and there aren't much outlet.
Tierney might look to overlap and provide something, but apart from that, not too much apart from Martinelli's direct running.

So their whole front line then.

 

[MomoWASright]

Ramsdale is shit.