Archive for the ‘Team Talk’ Category

England are 1 of the 3 nations which has 4 teams representing in the Champion League with top 2 from their league automatic qualify into the group phrase while 3rd and 4th of the league need to go through qualifying. But England as usual along with Italy and Spain, all the 4 clubs of their country managed to get into the CL group stages.

So far after 3 matches in the group phrase, only Liverpool doesn’t share the same fate with the rest. Man Utd, Chelsea and Arsenal all topped their group at the moment, with 9 points, 9 points and 7 points respectively. Liverpool only managed to get 3 points out of 3 matches, sitting on 3rd, behind Lyon and Fiorentina.

Last night results shown the current top 2 in EPL, Chelsea and Man Utd being held to a 2-2 and 3-3 draw against Aletico Madrid and CSKA Moscow. Both Chelsea and Man Utd come back from behind to get the points. Can Liverpool and Arsenal do a better job tonight against the like of Lyon and AZ Alkmaar.

It will be a do-or-die mission for Liverpool, as Fiorentina is likely to pick up 3 points from Debrecen. It will be a 6 points gap to 2nd with just 2 remaining matches left, if they fail to get a win out of Lyon. Liverpool has sufferd one of their worst row of form in recent history, to lost 6 of their last 7 matches, but surprisingly the only win was played against Man Utd. By going into this match by conceding 5 goals in last 2 matches and without their captain S.Gerrard, I predict a 2-2 draw for it.

On the other hand, Arsenal goes into this match with high morale after just defeating Spurs 3-0 and Liverpool 2-1 within a weeks. Striker Van Persie is on fire too, scoring 7 goals in last 7 matches. Arsenal home record this season so far have been magnificent, 9 out of 9 win, scoring a total of 29 goals and conceded just 6 goals. So i predict a 3-0 clear win for Arsenal.

Losing a total of just 2 games in their last season campaign, Liverpool started this season of 3 matches with already 2 loss to Tottenham 1-2 in the season opening matches and 1-3 loss against Aston Villa in Anfield which break off Liverpool 31 game unbeaten straight at home.

But their form seem returning with a straight row of 4 wins with a 16 goals scored. A consecutive hat-trick  in Anfield was being made by Benayou against Burnley then followed by Torres against Hull City. Torres also found back his form by netting 5 goals in 2 matches to top the scorer chart with 8 goals, 2 clear off the 3 man below, Drogba, Rooney and Bent netting 6 goals now.

Another factor of Liverpool recent form is also due to the manager Rafael Benitez tactics, whereby no more rotation squad is being featured in the lineup. Out of the previous 5 match, there only a total of 13 different players for the starting 11, whereby Kyrgiakos is being dropped after a disappointing debut which conceded 2 goals to Bolton, and Mascherano is being rested in the previous match ahead of champion league clash with Fiorentina.

A tough week coming ahead for Liverpool, as they going for 2 straight away match within 5 days against 2 big team, Fiorentina and Chelsea. Both Fiorentina and Chelsea has so far 100% winning record, 3 out of 3 win at home in this new season.

With Manuel Almunia and Lukasz Fabiansky out injured, Arsene Wenger has to rely on their third choice goalkeepers Vito Mannone. But his performance at the Craven Cottage turned out to be first rated.

Throughout the match, he made a total of 8 saves, with some vital saves such as one-handed save at point-blank from Andrew Johnsen’s header and then follow up another save with his face bravely against Clint Dempsey shots. He was then voted as Man of the Match by keeping a cleansheets against a better side of the day.

So far he only managed to start 4 time for Arsenal, with the last match of last season against Stoke, and the recently 3 match whereby the top 2 keeper choice is being out injured, but all 4 matches manage to end with Arsenal winning.

With the latest 2 matches against Wigan and Fulham, he managed to make quite a number of impressive saves and maintain cleansheets. So a £350k compensation fee, where Wenger paid for him in 2005 summer really seem like a steal. At the age of 21, what he need is to be on the field earning precious experience than sitting on the bench. Can he be the next Buffon for the Italian squad in the future?