Arsenal answered their critics with a massive shrug of their shoulders as they capitulated at Anfield thanks to another poor first half display.
The shock was, of course, Alexis being dropped, not so much what happened after that.
Treated like a toddler who refuses to share, Arsene Wenger took the Chilean’s favourite toy away from him. It was a bold call from the Arsenal manager, but not one he was making arbitrarily. Despite all his running around, Alexis has been generally poor since the turn of the year. His selfishness more a liability than a help. His attitude towards his teammates coupled with the constant Juventus stories can’t have helped either.
Still, this seemed a strange game to leave him out, especially given how vital it was. What a mistake it turned out to be, but let’s not pretend like we’ve been good in first halves when Alexis has started.
He’s off in the summer, I think that’s perfectly clear now.
Before the game, Wenger said that it was a tactical decision, that we were going to have to go long. That excuse didn’t really cut it. There were no footballing reasons behind his benching.
Despite Wenger saying we would go to Anfield to play and not park a bus, we started the game with a bus firmly parked up. First do not lose was the mantra that had clearly been drilled into the team since the last played. Then, if you can, hit on the break down the flanks and cross it to Giroud.
It took less than nine minutes for Liverpool to find a way past our defence.
It was at this point I decided that I’d just do the rest of the match report using tweets:
10 – 20 mins
They had four on three… FROM A GOAL KICK
— Gingers for Limpar (@Gingers4Limpar) March 4, 2017
Make that four now. Arsenal's last four forward passes have been hoofs by Mustafi that are lost. Ugly, ugly football.
— AFC_Andrew (@PR_WhoRu) March 4, 2017
https://twitter.com/7amkickoff/status/838082641505079297
I wasn't nervous ahead of this game. I'm numb to it all now and just exist in a permanent state of disappointment with Arsenal
— Daily Cannon (@DailyCannon) March 4, 2017
20 -30 minutes
Feels like we're waiting to be picked off. Can't go gung-ho but we've got nothing going forward.
— Matt (@MattArsenal1) March 4, 2017
@7amkickoff Sanchez looks amused
— Kaizer (@IndianKaizer) March 4, 2017
20 minutes and not a single serious attacking threat from Arsenal. A sleepwalking start and they need to wake up fast. Corner now though.
— Phil McNulty (@philmcnulty) March 4, 2017
Giroud limping. You can't make this stuff up.
— Daily Cannon (@DailyCannon) March 4, 2017
Don't know what's annoying me more, my commentator reading Iwobi's name like "aiwobi" or the fact Iwobi is playing
— Anita (@arsenaloFka) March 4, 2017
Great save from Cech after Coutinho's shot with power
— Daily Cannon (@DailyCannon) March 4, 2017
Arsenal are drifting here. No sense of purpose. Nothing from Wenger in technical area either.
— Mark Ogden (@MarkOgden_) March 4, 2017
30 mins
#afc fans: "We've had a shot, we've had a shot." Expectations pretty low by the sounds of it.
— James Olley (@JamesOlley) March 4, 2017
This is clever from Arsenal. They've identified that Liverpool can't beat mid-table teams, so have set up to play like one.
— Rory Smith (@RorySmith) March 4, 2017
We've had this long break and for what? To look even less like a coherent whole than before? Great.
— Hayley (@HayleyWright) March 4, 2017
They want it more than we do.
— Panda Monium (@arsenalpanda11) March 4, 2017
They know they just have to close Coquelin and they will get the ball
— Michael Sheehy (@JamrockRover) March 4, 2017
literally what I'm feeling right now, I'm not even bothered by the result, just waiting for the season to be over
— Josip Kolarić (@josipkolaric) March 4, 2017
When you're leaving in the summer and realise it isn't your problem anymore. pic.twitter.com/i2bDhJaUr8
— BetBright (@BetBright) March 4, 2017
How damn good is Santi? Santi made Coq look like a decent CM for nearly 2 seasons.
— TorontoGooner (@TorontoGooner) March 4, 2017
Watching this in a pub. Minus the commentary, I imagine I'd be finding it a lot more annoying with sound on. We're shit, aren't we?
— Paul (@rockthecasbah77) March 4, 2017
Wenger can't get the best of his team it's so obvious.
— Osman (@OsmanZtheGooner) March 4, 2017
When Arsenal don't have the ball Alex Iwobi worries me. Then again Arsenal worries me anytime they don't have the ball.
— Tony Leen (@tonyleen) March 4, 2017
Go fuck yourself Arsenal. Just leaving Mane standing in three acres of space in the box FUCK OFF
— Daily Cannon (@DailyCannon) March 4, 2017
40 – 45 minutes
Apart from defending badly and not having the ball, we've been ok.
— JB™ (@gunnerpunner) March 4, 2017
Mané against boys
— Daily Cannon (@DailyCannon) March 4, 2017
You have to coach players. You have to drill them into some sort of organised whole. You need to have a tactical plan. I'm done with this.
— Hayley (@HayleyWright) March 4, 2017
Lincoln be fancying their chances next week.
— Paul (@rockthecasbah77) March 4, 2017
Coquelin, Iwobi off, Ramsey on to #10, Ox alongside Xhaka, Sanchez wide
— Daily Cannon (@DailyCannon) March 4, 2017
45 – 55 minutes
Alexis on for Coquelin. Wenger admitting he got it wrong. Fair play, at least he's not being stubborn until the 71st minute
— Daily Cannon (@DailyCannon) March 4, 2017
Alexis better do something after spending 45 mins laughing at us.
— Billy Dunmore (@Dunmoreorless) March 4, 2017
“Better”
— Swiss Ramble (@SwissRamble) March 4, 2017
https://twitter.com/arsenaloFka/status/838095744112414726
Alexis makes immediate impact, who'd have thought?
— Bergkamp & Bergkamp (@Orangeiceman10) March 4, 2017
Gave Coutinho all the time in the world to control that, miscontrol it, get it back again. On the edge of our box.
— Daily Cannon (@DailyCannon) March 4, 2017
55-65 minutes
YES! Alexis to Welbeck!
— Daily Cannon (@DailyCannon) March 4, 2017
Danny Welbeck only scores when he falls over. So cool.
— Lewis (@LGAmbrose) March 4, 2017
It's that hope again
— Anita (@arsenaloFka) March 4, 2017
There's still something in this game for us if we can continue to put their defence under any sort of pressure
— Michael Sheehy (@JamrockRover) March 4, 2017
Alexis Sanchez has now contributed to 34 goals (20 goals, 14 assists) in 33 games this season. #afc pic.twitter.com/EsKWvwsMn6
— afcstuff (@afcstuff) March 4, 2017
Jurgen Klopp's reaction to Alexis Sanchez coming on…#LIVARS #LFC #Arsenal pic.twitter.com/WENdrzz7Ld
— FourFourTwo ⚽️ (@FourFourTwo) March 4, 2017
11 – Danny Welbeck has scored his first-ever Premier League goal against Liverpool in his 11th appearance against them. Timely. pic.twitter.com/eydbXb9szV
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) March 4, 2017
65-75 minutes
https://twitter.com/6Gooner/status/838101050301247488
Lucas and Theo on, Welbeck and Giroud off
— Daily Cannon (@DailyCannon) March 4, 2017
Iwobi has the receipts. In a Dropbox folder. Shared with coq.
— YankeeGunner (@YankeeGunner) March 4, 2017
Bobbby Madley. Bottler. No way Can should escape a second yellow for that on Theo
— Daily Cannon (@DailyCannon) March 4, 2017
Bobby Madley booking Granit Xhaka when he should be sending off Emre Can.
— Daily Cannon (@DailyCannon) March 4, 2017
How long before Xhaka starts getting yellows for fouls committed by teams in La Liga too?
— Ryan De Freitas (@ryan_defreitas) March 4, 2017
The more attacking players we've got on the pitch, the more Sanchez seems to have drifted out of the game.
— Matt (@MattArsenal1) March 4, 2017
The post saves Arsenal
— Daily Cannon (@DailyCannon) March 4, 2017
Emre Can getting out of that second yellow. pic.twitter.com/cA7tpYF2yz
— Kristian vS Hæhre (@vonstrenginho) March 4, 2017
85-90 minutes
Is Nacho more use as a snack or a left back these days?
— Daily Cannon (@DailyCannon) March 4, 2017
4 minutes left, the way Arsenal are playing you'd have thought there's another 30.
— ㅤ (@Evertxn) March 4, 2017
Can still get the equaliser ffs. After we scored, we haven't created a decent chance. Come on Arsenal, please score. PLEASE.
— Sir Jenkinson (@theEpicGooner) March 4, 2017
Done on the break. How predictable.
— Daily Cannon (@DailyCannon) March 4, 2017
That whole move happened because Xhaka couldn't bring the man down on the break because of the stupid yellow he got.
— JB™ (@gunnerpunner) March 4, 2017