As many have noticed by now, I'm
a bit obsessed with Julius Caesar. He once said that "Fortune, which has a great deal of power, [...] can bring about great changes in a situation through very slight forces." And although the great man got a great many things wrong, this wasn't one of them.
I was shitting bricks before kick off. I
HATE playing against Arsenal. For years now they've felt like the team we want to be, but aren't. And as someone put it after our previous engagement with them, it was a game of athletes and footballers vs. athletic footballers. But as Caesar said, fortune can bring about great changes through very slight forces. Every stress I had in me vanished the moment Oliver gave the free kick after 30 seconds. I know it probably sounds silly, but it did. Deep down, instinctively I knew we were good after that. It was a feeling I haven't felt since I played sports myself. That feeling where every shot you take, every pass you make, no matter how slim the chances, it's falling your way. They had to resort to fouling Suarez after 30 seconds. The ref knew it was a foul and gave it despite theoretically having been able to say the advantage was played. I was so confident we were going to score from that free kick that being cut off from the internet was the only reason I didn't be my life savings (Well that and being piss broke). I was convinced it would've been Touré, but he missed the ball so I settled for Skrtel. Arsenal were broken after that. All their gameplans were out the window. They were without Flamini and Ramsey in the midfield (and Källström
) and their slow but reliable center back pairing had been done for in a minute.
That was it for me. I felt more at ease after that goal than I have in a game for ages. After Skrtel's opener against Chelsea, there was still that sneaking feeling in the back of my head that it wasn't enough. After Coutinho's opener against City I still felt very uncomfortable. But now, it was something different. Arsenal were broken and both teams knew it.
Skrtel's header for the second was as good as any you'll see this season. In fact it was probably the best one I've seen from a Liverpool player since Hyypia's against Arsenal back in '08. The angle, the dip, the spin and he did it all reaching back too. It was a strange one. Because Skrtel's headers tend to be an extension of the delivery. Drilled crosses that he headbutts, rather than heads. But this was an absolute beauty that I don't think even he knew he had in him!
The third was amazing too. Apart from the hilarity of watching Özil fall on his arse. It was as amazing a counter as you want to see from your team. We broke quickly, fiercely and with purpose. Considering where we won it, we broke 5v5 and had 4 in the box when the ball is shot on goal and the 5th on the 'D' line. The beautiful thing about that goal is what the media wants you to forget. It wasn't an 'SAS' (which is still a fucking airline btw!) goal. Or the "individual partnership" thing everyone is talking about these days. It was a Liverpool thing. And more importantly. It was a Rodgers' Liverpool thing. Because as we showed in the end. Take out Suarez, Sturridge and Gerrard and it was still a Liverpool thing. And that, my friends, is a thing of beauty.
Corkboy has already done Sturridge's goal great justice. But it just has to be said again. What an amazing thing that was. It was as close to perfection as you will get. Coutinho nicks the ball beautifully, a topic in and of itself, before playing a pass that was everything it had to be and more. It was like some kind of CIA experiment from the 80's. A dash of Rui Costa, a pinch of Pirlo with sliced Laudrup thrown in to make the perfect passing tool. It's out of reach for Wilshere, Monreal and Koscielny, it's curled so Sturridge only has to keep his run going and it's precise and accurate enough to draw the keeper off his line only to realise he will never get it.
Sturridge's run and finish was almost as good as the assist. It was the type of goal Arsenal fans were used to seeing when Henry was around. Just whisper it very quietly, because apparently, Sturridge isn't even as good as Welbeck.
The 5th summed up the game. Liverpool draw Arsenal in, sprint behind the pass and the difference in mentality was summed up when Sterling was allowed to play a one-two with the goalkeeper, with Suarez or Sturridge more likely to get to the follow up than any of Arsenal's players.
The penalty was a bit funny, really. It was the culmination of everything in the game up to that point.
Everything went our way and nothing theirs. Gerrard didn't have to go into that tackle, but it was the only way to get back into the game. They sure as hell didn't give him any cause for concern up until that point. And let's be honest here. If a penalty kick when down 5 goals is the best the league leaders produce from 90 minutes, you did pretty fucking good.
The team was quite magnificent out there. They were quicker to every ball. They wanted it more. They deserved everything they got and Arsenal got everything they put into the game too. Although the numbers won't stick out as much, I thought this was a far worse game for them than the 8-2 humiliation. This time they were top of the league and looking at their team, a lot better too.
Just to highlight how much better they are (or should have been).
Manc game - Today
Szczesny - Szczesny
Koscielny - Koscielny
Djourou - Mertesacker
Jenkinson - Sagna
Traore - Monreal
Rosicky - Wilshere
Ramsey - Arteta
Walcott - Cazorla
Arshavin - Özil
Coquelin - Oxlade-Chamberlin
van Persie - Giroud
Their keeper is more experienced (and had the most clean sheets too). Their back 4 a considerable upgrade. Their attacking midfielders then and now are beyond questioning, with only van Persie being a loss for them. Yet we absolutely pummeled them. They had 20 shots against the Mancs and only 11 today (how the stats say 11 I don't quite get though). They never looked threatening and they were lucky only to concede 5 times today. With Suarez's world class attempts, both from the corner and his direct free kick. Kolo missing the open net. Sturridge's one-on-one. Flanagan nearly scored. Henderson was through on goal. Coutinho's shot that went straight at the keeper. And that's before we get to the dozen or so chances wasted by playing backheels or shit crosses.
For me this was the best we've been this season. Better than against Spurs away. Better than against Everton. This was a one-sided pummeling of the highest. It was everything you can expect from a Brendan Rodgers side at home and it was un-fucking-believably fun to watch. It was amazingly satisfying seeing the smugness slowly die from the faces of Arsenal supporters and Wenger's holier-than-thou-go-fuck-a-blue-cheese transfer fiasco in the summer made it all the sweeter. He didn't even look at Rodgers' way after the whistle, much like with Kenny a few years back. It brought out the annoying Frenchman he has done so well to conceal.
Which brings me, like any good narration, to a full stop and we depart where we first took off, with Julius Caesar. Whose many quotes fit, but none quite as accurately and satisfying as this one.
Galia est pacata. Gaul is subdued.