WATCHING the clock. Counting it down. Calling the minutes out — 83, 85, 87.
Then Adam Lallana picks it up, holds it, holds it, holds it. Opens his body. Finds Divock Origi. And Gini Wijnaldum steams forward. Veins in his neck bulging. Lungs bursting. Body crying out for oxygen. There he is as Origi puts it across the box, there he is and he plays it back across Petr Cech and it is there, Liverpool have won it and it is there.
Bedlam. Pandemonium. A sheer explosion of just fuck off, just fuck right off, just fuck off and give us the points, our points, the points we deserve. Covered in joy, drenched in relief, shaking with fuck off, Liverpool in excelsis deo. Build it up in red and white, poor old Arsenal.
It. It is there. The ‘it’ is the ball. I grew up on Clive Tyldesley commentaries, me and my dad pacing the house when Liverpool played away from home and Clive was on Radio City. Tyldesley would describe a break or a mêlée and end it with “it’s there” if Liverpool scored. The object of our desire has happened. It is there.
It is there. Liverpool owned it for the first 45 minutes. It belonged to them. In the sense of it being there twice, in the sense that the location of the ball and control of it was wholly Liverpudlian. Arsenal were second best, third best, fourth best. The ball was Liverpool’s in every way that mattered.
One of the key things to take from the game is the gulf between the two sides. Yes, Arsenal do well second half but it simply isn’t enough. Liverpool are better than Arsenal. In truth Liverpool are better than Tottenham. Why results like last Monday’s hurt is because, come the end of this campaign, there should be a table that reflects that. Liverpool are better than any London side, bar the lads who will almost certainly become champions.
Tonight belonged to Liverpool not least because of the much-maligned Emre Can. He had a very good game at the base of the midfield and Wijnaldum next to him helped hugely. It’s a way home in Jordan Henderson’s absence.
The goals are all marvellous but let’s walk around Roberto Firmino’s ball for the second. The presence of mind is startling. The awareness better than an entire crowd. It is quietly breathtaking, and so huge thanks to Sadio Mane for making it worth our while, a superb driven finish. It’s there.
It is there and it is everything and Saturday opens up from here like a present, like a hidden cavern of wonder, like a jewellery box. Monday hurt and it hurt because the sheer joy was completely absent. This evening the opposite. Let the adoration cascade, come, come and adore them. Drink, dance, carouse and seduce. Sing, shout and jump. The Reds held up their end of the bargain. You uphold yours.
It was a joy to be alive this day, my friends. That is Liverpool’s doing.
Up the it’s there Reds. May they own all our Saturdays.
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Pics: David Rawcliffe-Propaganda Photo
Amen, Neil. Perfectly stated.
Great review! Summed it all up. Up the flawed, inconsistent, yet utterly brilliant, at times,Reds. YNWA…
Spot on. One thing often overlooked: Emre, for all his faults, is a master of the dark arts, the cynical bodycheck, the Byzantean trip, he is a 21st century Uli Stieleke.
So much angry joy in that performance. Mane’s fuming finish, Wijnaldum’s pissed off clincher. I loved Can’s foul on Sanchez, love that he should have been sent off but wasn’t. More of that please. More fouls.
Get four or five signings in the summer, namely some kind of monster centre-back, and we will pur.
Read the holds it,holds it,holds it part and even if the review wasn’t well written,that simpsons reference was outstanding! Kudos.
On days like these Adam Lallana and Saudi Mane are truly World Class. Yes, we are frustrating sometimes (let’s be honest, the team has properly done our heads in at times this season) but, there really IS something there, isn’t there? The ‘ceiling’ of this crop is ridiculous. You’re right Neil, we KNOW how good they can be, should be leaving everyone in the dust tbh. I liked what Klopp said though, about ‘developing ‘, and ‘consistency’ as the next step. We’re all guilty of being impatient. In this ‘everything and nothing’, social media culture it is often difficult to cut through the ‘noise’ and see the bigger picture, but we are progressing. Always better to perform against the ‘big’ teams because it shows how well you can play. Arsenal and possibly Spurs, routinely bully the ‘lesser’ sides, but flounder when they need to step up, both domestically, and in Europe. Not getting carried away, but objectively, all things considered, the signs this season in terms of progress, are definitely there. Best wishes Reds.
*’Sadio’ (Mane) *
I’m not watching Liverpool anymore. Usually go the casino in Perth 1.30 am. The times have been crap this season; in the wee hours of the morning. But when Sleep deprivation means I fell asleep they ALWAYS win
They own our satdees.
‘Drink, dance, carouse and seduce.’
As do you, top lad, Neil.
I liked the bit where we won.
The result was as expected… Arsenals performance as abject as any of ours since boxing day. Burnley next, and no doubt our “defence” will be tested by long balls. Again. But hopefully that “defence” will be rebuilt over summer, as Champions league, playing for Klopp and the opportunity to live in the beautiful city of Liverpool should attract the best.
Burnley. Massive game.
Can and Gini did really well in the physical battles, but you have to remember that Arsenal players aren’t allowed to eat solid food. Make no mistake Burnley next week will be a much, much tougher test.
From ‘The Art of Bore’:
”To beat Liverpool, It is wise and prudent to keep the game as dull and uninspiring as possible. Aspiring to play actual football will lead to your death from a thousand counter-attacks. Excitement is your enemy!” -Sun Tzu
“When we’re good, we’re really good. But when we’re bad, we go to pieces” – to kinda quote Bowie.
But, does Gini Wijnaldum enjoy scoring.
Watching the third is still a joyous thing.
Watch it again. I am still punching the air.
And his smile? Pure joy. I think this means a lot to him.
This felt like a more restrained, more controlled game.
Tons of effort and energy but it seemed like we were more selective about when we got in about them.
Not for the first time though our bench looked light. Hope that can be addressed somehow.
How are we better than Spurs? In the same way Leicester are better than us?
Spurs haven’t beaten us in 4 years, while they’ve been more consistent overall,it’s compelling evidence all the same
I want to believe in this, but I don’t see it. Spurs finished above us in six of last seven seasons (highest points difference = 17; lowest points difference = 2). They’re currently on course to make that seven of last eight seasons.
Last summer, I argued that Allen and Can would make an excellent partnership, each making up for the other’s deficiencies while magnifying their strengths. Emre Can simply doesn’t have it in him to play in the back on his own. Positional awareness, slowness on the turn, lacking the game intelligence to offer options to the CBs. But an intelligent, tenacious partner could see Can reach the very high ceiling of his potential. Gini has all the strengths of Allen, save perhaps the speed of thought, but he also has many more, not least of which is being a human tank protecting the ball.
And totally agree with Kenny Suarez – his expression after scoring is one of the purest joys of football. No mugging around. No scowling. No imaginary props or elaborate dances. Just radiant light.
Late show made it look more comfortable than it was second half.. Much better but difficult to be any worse
We all know what Burnley are coming to do. They will have the ultra-physical Barnes up top to try and rough us up, with Gray chasing down anything he gets. That’s if they go two up top.
We are probably not going to get an early goal in this one, and that’s ok. The key is for Anfield not to get a twitchy arse about it.
If Burnley want a shit game, they can have a shit game. No more forcing the game and falling into silly traps.
In moments like these, you can only imagine how good our team can get. Yet these statements hold: we need a keeper. We need a bench.
Hope Gini, the team and Klopp turn up against the “lesser” side that’s coming to Anfield next.
Also lack of Henderson didn’t seem to bother us in this game. How come?
The next game is crucial if we are to ensure some positivity against City before the two week break.
Up the inconsistent Reds!