4-0. 20 minutes in. Remember that? It was the moment Liverpool decided to show the entire world that they were better than them. Better than everyone. How we miss those games now…
Whether or not we’ll get those moments back anytime soon is yet to be seen, but this Sunday Liverpool face Arsenal at Anfield in what has become a must-win game for both sides, really. Two managers who are each under increasing pressure face off, and to get an opposition perspective on the event I spoke to Dean Spyrou of @FlaresFussball, who you can follow at @DSSFootball.
Can you tell us about the main dangers Arsenal can pose to Liverpool on Sunday, and who you think the real danger-men for your side are?
Well, the obvious one would be Alexis Sánchez. The Chilean has been in red-hot form this season and possesses phenomenal flair, lightning pace and a real cutting edge in front of goal. Olivier Giroud is also an asset of ours; he has shown his quality since his return from injury. Theo Walcott is reportedly on the bench, too, and you know what to expect with him.
There’s been a fair bit of coverage surrounding Arsene Wenger this season, so in your own words: Are you Wenger-in or Wenger-out, and why?
Well, the abuse that Arsène has received, whatever the view on him, is unacceptable. The things he has done for Arsenal Football Club will remain unmatched and, thus, the boos are classless. As you guys know, chopping and changing managers isn’t ideal and, as a result, I’d wait until the end of the season and make a decision. For now, Wenger-in.
In turn, what is your take on Brendan Rodgers’ Liverpool future, do you think he has one?
Rodgers has done an excellent job bar this season and I feel that, if you keep him, there is real potential at the club. Dealing with the departure of someone of Suárez’ ilk is always a challenge and, although you could have spent the cash more effectively, patience is crucial. He has a future, but only if the club and fans allow him to.
Do you have any particular areas of your squad you’d like to see strengthened in January?
There are two clear positions that we need and, annoyingly, these are two positions we’ve required for a long time. A strong man in the midfield would be nice as Arteta and Flamini are both past it. Elsewhere, we need a centre-back — playing Monreal and Debuchy is unacceptable if I’m honest — and Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker are both ageing. In an ideal world, a goalkeeper and a world-class forward as well.
This fixture has thrown up some incredible moments over the years, for both sides- do you have a personal favourite Liverpool vs Arsenal moment?
Two words: André Arshavin. He gave us some nice moments at Anfield. We also won the league at Anfield in ’89, which was nice considering the fact that Liverpool were so strong at the time. Júlio Baptista had a field day up in Merseyside if I remember rightly, too. There are a few.
When looking at the current Liverpool squad, who do you feel poses your side the most threat on Sunday?
For starters, the fact that Daniel Sturridge is unavailable is as much an asset to us as it is a problem for you. On his day, he can cause any defence problems and ours isn’t solid by any means this season. From the players you do have available, Raheem Sterling is probably the biggest threat. Marković, Lallana and co. also have potential though.
Having seen Liverpool suffer a 3-0 defeat to Manchester United last weekend, do you think now is a good time to be playing us?
Certainly. Morale will be relatively low at Liverpool right now, whilst we’ve won five of our last six in the league. Alternatively, however, the Reds need a reply from that game, so it could add incentive for the home side. We’ll learn a lot about your team’s mentality come Sunday at 4.
Finally, can we get a score prediction from you?
Put your mortgages on both teams to score. I’ll put my neck on the line: 1-2 Arsenal.
Positivity is a hard thing to come by at the minute from Liverpool fans, but I always begin a game thinking we can win it, no matter our current situation. I agree with Dean’s expectations that both teams will score, and predict a 2-1 Liverpool win. Not as spectacular as last year, but then is anything? The three points are key.
