1. Arsenal’s whinging is OTT
Arsenal are the latest side in the league to stud a public statement with barbs and then sling it the way of the PGMOL. Yesterday they said they supported Mikel Arteta’s comments after Saturday’s defeat to Newcastle, alluding to “yet more unacceptable refereeing and VAR errors” without specifying exactly to what they were referring. Perhaps the failure to send off Kai Havertz?
Arteta’s rage was directionless too, raging at the “disgraceful” and “embarrassing” decision to allow Anthony Gordon’s winning goal without saying why it should have been chalked off. Perhaps the ball was over the line, perhaps Joelinton pushed Gabriel in the back, and perhaps Gordon was offside. But without endline technology available, none of these decisions could be conclusively reached and so the VAR stuck with the on-field decision.
Liverpool’s grievance against Tottenham was at least rooted in the VAR process not working as it should have done, whereas on Saturday the VAR worked as advertised. It took a subjective decision on the pitch and moved it to become a subjective decision in the VAR room. That plenty of people disagreed with the decision is normal too, given it was a subjective call.
Arsenal are entitled to feel aggrieved about the fact Bruno Guimaraes wasn’t sent off, but they should be feel lucky that Havertz didn’t go, too. Arteta was also wrong to say the referee’s decision on Gordon’s goal cost Arsenal three points, as it cost them one point. His team didn’t do enough to deserve to win the game: they had a single shot on target.
At least Arteta was speaking in the emotional aftermath of the game, a doubt from which the club statement does not benefit. It is a complete over-reaction: unlike Liverpool’s, it doesn’t mention any specific change to processes or any tangible action, but is merely a call for better for higher standards. Arsenal might also benefit from demanding higher standards of their attacking players.
In truth, this looks like a means of putting pressure on officials when there are future subjective calls to be made in their games.
2. Liverpool remain a work in progress
Liverpool have this year made their strongest start to a season since they won the league in 2019/20, stirring hopes of another title tilt with Manchester City. Yesterday’s draw with Luton was proof as to why that is a premature ambition for Jurgen Klopp’s overhauled team.
Klopp neatly summed up the game in saying Liverpool should have won the game but could have lost it, and Darwin Nunez certainly missed enough chances to win a couple of games. But Liverpool toiled in attack for the majority of the game, struggling to break down Luton’s deep defensive block. This biggest issue was a total lack of width in their system, remedied partly by introducing Kostas Tsimikas and then Luis Diaz down the left.
Liverpool had zero width down their right flank too, with Trent Alexander-Arnold drifting into midfield rather than overlapping down the wing. That made little sense as yesterday’s game wore on, with Luton sitting so deep that Alexander-Arnold’s long, raking passes had little room for success.
Klopp spent the early weeks of the season stressing his side are still seeking “stability”, and perhaps this is one of their means of doing so. Without a recognisable defensive midfielder in the team – Alexis Mac Allister is an awkward fit in the role and Wataru Endo isn’t yet trusted in league games – they remain susceptible to counter attacks, so playing Alexander-Arnold centrally is a means of beefing up the middle of the pitch in transition.
Alexnder-Arnold’s playing in that position has always been portrayed as a primarily offensive move, but yesterday went to show it is a more defensive decision than initially advertised. Liverpool matched City for three seasons by maximising every bit of their attacking output while remaining defensively sound on the counter-attack: this edition of the team have a way to go in that respect.
3. Chiedozie Ogbene belongs at this level
Alexander-Arnold may have enjoyed his forays into midfield yesterday as it meant he could stop thinking about Ogbene for a few moments. Liverpool’s vice captain won none of his defensive ground duels across a game in which he was greatly troubled by Ogbene, who has quickly emerged as one of the most important players in the Luton squad.
His emergence is a huge success story for Irish football and, in particular Stephen Kenny, who spotted his talent when few others did and helped mould him into the player he has become. It is hard to imagine Ogbene would have been given this Premier League opportunity without the stage provided at international level.
But of course the greatest part of the credit goes to Ogbene himself. He has worked extremely hard at all aspects of his play, and his defensive diligence and awareness is one of his more underrated qualities. His ball-striking and decision-making can sometimes let him down in the final third, but all of these things can be improved. What is beyond doubt is he is good enough for this level, and he may be here again next season, with or without Luton.
4. Harry Maguire was United’s MVP against Fulham
In a classic reactive fashion, TNT Sports’ Jermaine Jenas handed the Man of the Match award to Bruno Fernandes on Saturday lunchtime because he scored the winning goal. To that point it was going to Fulham’s midfield destroyer Joao Palhinha, but in truth it should have gone to Harry Maguire.
Winning the Man of the Match gong in a game that bad is no major claim to fame, but Maguire was still defensively robust while also being United’s main creative force. His distribution was good, and he was one of the few United players who were able to get on the ball and break lines with their passing.
This is a compliment to Maguire and an indictment of Erik ten Hag. United’s build-up play from deep is appalling, and on Saturday it contributed to one of the worst games of the season. The primary reason for this poor build-up play is the mess that is United’s midfield.
Casemiro was missed: he is seen as a defensive midfielder but he is probably United’s best passer from deep midfield positions. Christian Eriksen’s talents are better used higher up the pitch, and he struggled to get on the ball at all against Fulham. Mason Mount, meanwhile, sat on the bench for most of the game, bringing into sharp focus United’s bizarre recruitment. He is not the deep-lying passer United need, so his signing makes no sense.
But such is United’s reliance on Maguire’s passing at the moment, he is keeping Raphael Varane – a better defender – out of the team. This was another victory that barely papered over cracks.
