January 14, 2016

Football Proper

By Michael Clements

Arsenal with the lead, and the momentum while Liverpool begin to tire and the three points seem all but guaranteed. And then we remember, we are The Arsenal after all and nothing is guaranteed. 
While the three points would have been nice, considering the City draw and the Sp*rs loss, I'm not completely convinced that we deserved the win. A draw was a fair result for both sides it seems.

The game itself was of the highest quality, goals galore and no lack of desire from either side - which is exactly what we expected from the Wenger vs Klopp matchup. No buses were parked, no long balls were hoofed up field just solid, entertaining football. If we always played against teams like that Liverpool team that took the field on Wednesday night things would be right with the world. To know that Liverpool matched Arsenal's desire and determination (except for Benteke, was he on the field the whole time?) makes the point easier to take, knowing that no bogus tactics were deployed, just quality football was played, proper like. 

Perhaps the only thing to complain about is the fact Liverpool haven't played a game like that all season, so just our luck that the beast awakens just in time for a visit from the Gunners. It could also be the target that is placed on our backs when we're top of the league, but generally the Arsenal Liverpool match ups are a good contest. 

If anyone can appreciate Klopp's presence in the Premier League now, it's Arsenal fans. We've had Wenger for almost 20 years, a manager who wants his teams to play football the right way, the attractive way without compromising quality. And that's precisely what Liverpool now have in their ranks and hopefully the two of them can set the bar for the rest of the Premier League bosses in the future. Let's allow Klopp to get his feet wet up north, then when Arsene is finally ready to hang up his big zipper jacket, we'll step in and take Klopp to a winning club. But for now, the future is bright if you're a scouser. Good game.

Come On You Gunners!