Liverpool - Arsenal, Wed 13th January, 20:00, BT Sport

[surf]

So, do we have 11 players available?

[growler]

I think 10 were good to go. Someone stepped on a cone though, so touch and go whether the cone recovers or we settle for less movement and stick with Benteke.

[RBM]

Should probably take your boots with you just in case for this one

[psl]

These injuries are getting really boring.

[Tommy Cockles]

I can't help my thoughts straying to that hammering we gave them 2 years ago.

 

Sigh.

[smithdown]

I can't help my thoughts straying to that hammering we gave them 2 years ago.

 

Sigh.

What about the 2-2 last year? Someone said that was a better performance.

[Bigal]

What about the 2-2 last year? Someone said that was a better performance.

 

never!!

[Tommy Cockles]

What about the 2-2 last year? Someone said that was a better performance.

Heh.

 

It was my eldest boys 6th birthday party at the local leisure centre & I missed the 1st half, 2nd half I only saw bits of as we had people round.

 

It wasn't til about 9pm that everybody cleared off & I could sit down & watch it by which time I was half cut.

 

So I knew the score & the scorers but I knew nothing about Suarez's volley. I must have rewound it 20 times.

 

To an empty room I said "why hasn't anyone told me about this?"

 

The greatest goal we never scored.

[smithdown]

Heh.

 

It was my eldest boys 6th birthday party at the local leisure centre & I missed the 1st half, 2nd half I only saw bits of as we had people round.

 

It wasn't til about 9pm that everybody cleared off & I could sit down & watch it by which time I was half cut.

 

So I knew the score & the scorers but I knew nothing about Suarez's volley. I must have rewound it 20 times.

 

To an empty room I said "why hasn't anyone told me about this?"

 

The greatest goal we never scored.

If the ball had turned into an eagle halfway and perched itself on the crossbar it wouldn't have got a much more astonished reaction in the ground. It was all like shouting "aaaaarrrgh!!! You can't do that!" in each other's faces.

 

http://youtu.be/c0g1VyTpopI

[Swipe]

Bit worried about this. Ozil against whatever makeshift defence we can put out.

[McBain]

Bit worried about this. Ozil against whatever makeshift defence we can put out.

I'm not as worried about Giroud as I am Ramsay running from deep. Ozil and him could destroy us if we aren't on it in midfield

[Barnesy_10]

And Walcott

[Nebraska Red]

Wenger is bringing Arshavin back, just for this game.

[honourablegeorge]

So, do we have 11 players available?

 

 

Caulker is now eligible.

[PhilM]

Argh, that b*****d 4-4. I'm still not over that. We absolutely dicked them.

[Red Yoda]

-------------------Mignolet

 

Clyne----Caulker-----Sakho-----Moreno

 

------Henderson-----------Can

 

Milner------------Lallana---------------Smith

 

--------------------Firmino

[Gethin]

More likely to be Toure starting with Sakho or Illori on the bench

[chiefy]

I had a really vivid dream that we win and Smith scores 2.

[Red Yoda]

More likely to be Toure starting with Sakho or Illori on the bench

After rushing through a deal for Caulker I would think he would be at least on the bench if not starting. I suppose it depends on whether Sakho is passed fit or not.

[Boca]

More likely to be Toure starting with Sakho or Illori on the bench

 

Toure and Caulker. The dream pairing

[Eiler99]

3-0.

 

Caulker hattrick.

[Red Yoda]

3-0.

 

Caulker hattrick.

Three towering headers from our only three corners of the game, that would be just sweet :-)

[Will]

Down Memory Lane

 

YNWA takes a look at past memorable League meetings at Anfield as Arsenal prepare to come to Anfield for the 92nd time in the League on Wednesday. So far we have registered 49 wins, eighteen draws and 24 defeats, the highest number of League wins for a visiting side at Anfield.

 

Most recently

We were held to a 2-2 draw in December 2014, with Mathieu Debuchy equalising seconds after Philippe Coutinho had given us the lead on the stroke of half-time. Olivier Giroud put the visitors in front, but Martin Škrtel headed in deep into stoppage time to secure a point, shortly after Fabio Borini had stupidly been sent off after a second booking.

 

We blitzed the Gunners in the opening twenty minutes in February 2014, racing into a four-goal lead as we eventually beat the League leaders 5-1. Martin Škrtel and Raheem Sterling each bagged a brace with Daniel Sturridge also on target. When Steven Gerrard was substituted late on, the captain’s armband passed to Luis Suárez, who in turn handed it to Martin Škrtel when he himself was substituted ten minutes later.

 

We somehow lost 2-1 in March 2012, despite going ahead through a Laurent Koscielny own goal after Dirk Kuyt had seen a penalty saved. Robin van Persie headed in an equaliser before half time and then struck a cruel stoppage-time winner, two of his seven goals past us to date. This was only the third time in nine years we had lost a home League game after taking the lead, with Arsenal the victors on each occasion. Six months later we were comfortably beaten 2-0 as loanee Nuri Şahin made his reds bow, with Lukas Podolski and Santi Cazorla bagging the goals.

 

Joe Cole was sent off for a challenge on Laurent Koscielny just before half-time in August 2010. David N’Gog put us in front immediately after the break, with the lead lasting until the last minute when Marouane Chamakh diverted a cross against the post and Pepe Reina spilled the rebound into his own net. Koscielny was then sent off for a second bookable offence in injury-time. This turned out to be Javier Mascherano’s 139th and final reds game.

 

We lost 2-1 in December 2009 as we scored in a new club record nineteenth consecutive home Premier League game. Dirk Kuyt gave us a deserved first-half lead but Glen Johnson handed the initiative to the visitors with an unlucky own goal after the break. Andriy Arshavin bagged the winner as Fábio Aurélio played his hundredth reds game.

 

Eight goal thriller

We drew 4-4 in April 2009 after a topsy-turvy game, with Yossi Benayoun and Fernando Torres both netting twice. This was our second consecutive 4-4 draw, and the third game in a row in which we had notched four. A pre-match tribute was paid to Ray Kennedy, who had served both sides with such distinction, as mosaics were held aloft by both sets of fans. Andriy Arshavin scored all of the Gunners’ goals, the first time a visiting player had struck so many since December 1946. He said, “I must say that with the crowd there, it’s like you’re eleven men playing against one big family. It’s not like their supporters have just come to watch the team, it’s as if you are playing them as well!”

 

Stevie once again

Steven Gerrard opened the scoring from a free-kick in his 400th reds game in October 2007 as we met for the 200th time in all competitions. The game ended in a 1-1 draw after Cesc Fabregas equalised, with the returning Xabi Alonso and Fernando Torres both limping out of the action.

 

Crouchie at the treble

Peter Crouch scored a perfect hat-trick of right-foot, header and left-foot shot as we thumped the Gunners 4-1 in March 2007, in what was George Gillett Jr. and Tom Hicks’ first game as owners. John Arne Riise played his 200th League game, while Daniel Agger notched our other goal.

 

Recent last gasp victories

Luis García grabbed the only goal of the game in the dying minutes in February 2006, to secure our 900th Premiership point after Jens Lehmann had beaten out Didi Hamann’s long-range effort. Lehmann had saved a spot-kick from Steven Gerrard in the first half, while Jamie Carragher was playing his 400th reds game. Neil Mellor grabbed a dramatic last-gasp winner as we won 2-1 in November 2004, his first League strike. Xabi Alonso had opened the scoring with his first Anfield goal before Patrick Vieira rounded off a slick Arsenal move to equalise. Antonio Núñez came on as a substitute for Florent Sinama-Pongolle to make his reds debut.

 

Red hat-tricks galore

Robbie Fowler grabbed hat-tricks in successive seasons, including one in an amazing five-minute first-half spell in August 1994 to inflict a 3-0 defeat on Arsenal, in front of just 30,017 in the first game after the Kop became all seated. He followed this up with another treble as we came from behind to win 3-1 in December 1995 after Ian Wright had scored from the spot, in what was boss Roy Evans’ hundredth game in charge. Jack Parkinson and Joe Hewitt both netted trebles against Woolwich Arsenal before the First World War, with Hewitt’s coming in our 4-1 win in February 1908, with James Bradley also on the scoresheet, while outside-left Michael Griffin played his first reds game. Parkinson’s included a penalty and came in a 5-1 victory on New Year’s Day in 1910, with Sam Bowyer adding a brace.

 

Dick Forshaw bagged a treble in February 1922, with a Rob Turnbull own goal giving us a 4-0 win, while forward Harry ‘Smiler’ Chambers played his hundredth reds game. Six months later, Dick Johnson also struck three as we won 5-2 in our first game of the season in sweltering conditions, with Tom Bromilow and Harry Chambers also netting. A Kop-style banner was unveiled that day to celebrate our two-in-a-row title success the previous season. In November 1946, Jack Balmer scored a hat-trick including a penalty, his third treble in consecutive games, as we ran out 4-2 winners, with Albert Stubbins also notching as we came back from 2-1 down to cement our place at the top of the table. This was the first such treble of trebles in professional football.

 

Red debutants

Kenny Dalglish’s first game as Liverpool manager ended in a 2-0 victory back in August 1985, thanks to goals from Ronnie Whelan and Steve Nicol. David Thompson made his reds debut from the bench eleven years later as Steve McManaman grabbed both goals in a 2-0 win, soon after claiming the number seven shirt on a permanent basis.

 

We secured the third of five straight League wins, all without conceding, as we won 3-0. Jimmy Case, Kenny Dalglish and Terry McDermott all struck in the second half to wipe out the bad memories of losing an FA Cup Semi-final replay to Manchester United three days earlier. This was Phil Thompson’s first game as reds skipper. Right-half Harry Eastham made his reds bow in our 2-1 win back in October 1936, with Jack Balmer and Fred Howe netting.

 

Gunned down

Arsenal cruelly snatched the title from our grasp on an emotional night in May 1989, with future red Michael Thomas delivering the knockout blow as we lost 2-0. Bruce Grobbelaar was playing his 300th League game for the club. The Gunners began their unstoppable march to their twelfth title by winning 2-1 in December 2001, despite having Giovanni van Bronckhorst sent off after 36 minutes. Jari Litmanen grabbed our goal. We lost 1-0 in November 1969, in our hundredth meeting in all competitions, including 21 when they were known as Woolwich Arsenal.

 

Cliff Holton bagged a treble as we lost 5-1 in November 1952, with Jimmy Payne netting our consolation. We lost 3-2 in April 1934 when goals from Vic Wright and Gordon Hodgson’s 200th reds strike were not enough.

 

Arsenal’s first League win at Anfield came in September 1919, at their eleventh attempt, in the first season after they dropped the ‘Woolwich’ prefix and moved north of the River Thames. We lost 3-2, with Harry Chambers and Fred Pagnam netting for the reds.

 

On TV in 1964

We clinched our sixth League title, and first under Shanks, with a 5-0 thumping in April, thanks to goals from Ian St. John, Alf Arrowsmith, Roger Hunt and a Peter Thompson brace. The BBC Panorama team filmed at this game to report on the “extraordinary cultural phenomenon” of the Kop. The game was an entertaining affair, with Tommy Lawrence saving a George Eastham penalty after a handball by Ron Yeats with the score at 1-0, and Ian Callaghan having a spot-kick saved by ex-reds keeper, and Gunners captain for the day, Jim Furnell late on with keeper Tommy Lawrence initially stepping forward to take it before Bill Shankly waved him back. The team celebrated with the home-made ‘Curlett Cup’ as the actual trophy was still at Goodison from the season before.

 

Four months later, our 3-2 win was the first game to be screened on the BBC’s new “Match Of The Day” show, with our goals coming from ‘Sir’ Roger Hunt and a Gordon Wallace brace, including the winner that deflected off Don Howe past ex-reds keeper Jim Furnell. The programme only garnered an audience of 75,000 as BBC2 was still unavailable in large parts of the country. Future red Geoff Strong scored for the Gunners, while a black cat did a full lap of the pitch!

 

Final games

David Fairclough scored the only goal as Tommy Smith played his 638th and final reds game in April 1978 as we secured our sixteenth consecutive season of European football. Full-back Tommy Lucas made his 366th and last reds appearance as we lost 3-2 in October 1932, with David Wright and Gordon Hodgson on target. This was the first of four straight League wins for the Gunners in L4. Forward Peter McKinney made his third and last reds outing in our 3-0 win in May 1921, with Harry Chambers, Dick Forshaw and Walter Wadsworth all scoring inside the first quarter of an hour.

 

1970’s defeats

Arsenal won in the League at Anfield for three consecutive seasons in the 1970’s, an indignity we suffered only eleven times in the entire decade. In February 1973 they sent us to our only home League defeat of the season, 2-0. Alec Lindsay conceded a penalty that was converted by ex-Blue Alan Ball with John Radford also netting as we were knocked off the top of the table by our visitors. We also lost 1-0 the centenary League meeting the following April and seven months later we went down 3-1, with Ray Kennedy on target in both games, once for either side.

 

Other memorable encounters

Ian Rush had a penalty saved by John Lukic in February 1985, but had already struck his eighth goal in eight games in our 3-0 win, with Phil Neal and Ronnie Whelan also on target. Jack Parkinson scored his hundredth League goal as we drew 1-1 in April 1911. This was also a benefit game for keeper Sam Hardy. Inside-left Archie McPherson struck the first of his nineteen reds goals as we won 1-0 in December 1929. Goals from Emlyn Hughes, Ian Callaghan and Ian Ross gave us a 3-2 win over the double winners in November 1971. Tommy Smith put through his own net, with future red Ray Kennedy also on target.

 

Phil Neal and Kevin Keegan netted as we won 2-0 in April 1977, with Ray Clemence making his 300th League appearance for the reds. Roger Hunt played his 300th League game for the reds in our goalless meeting in March 1967. We lost 2-0 in December 1927 as Harry ‘Smiler’ Chambers played his 300th reds game and centre-forward Willie Devlin made his nineteenth and last appearance. Right-half Tom Morrison grabbed his first reds goal in the opening minute of our 1-1 draw in December 1930, with the Gunners going on to claim the League title for the first time that season. David Jack struck one of his nine goals against the reds.

 

We lost 1-0 on Christmas Day 1935, so meaning that the visitors had won for the fourth consecutive season in L4, the most recent side to achieve this notable feat. Ted Hancock bagged his second and final reds goal in April 1932 with Danny McRorie also on target in a 2-1 victory. Arthur Berry played the third and final game of his first spell as a reds player as we were held to a 2-2 draw by Woolwich Arsenal in October 1908. Ronald Orr and Joe Hewitt were both on the scoresheet, with Tom Chorlton missing a penalty. Ex-red Charles Satterthwaite was on target for the Gunners, with David Neave also on the scoresheet.

[Dan]

I don't reckon Caulker will start. Sakho should be fit apparently.

[Gethin]

After rushing through a deal for Caulker I would think he would be at least on the bench if not starting. I suppose it depends on whether Sakho is passed fit or not.

 

I meant we're more likely to start with Toure and Caulker if there's any doubt about Sakho's fitness