I took a kind of day off from Arsenal yesterday. After the intensity of deadline day and all the
action we had to cope with, on top of August's mentalness in general, it was quite nice to just not
involve myself at all.
However, it's right back into it today as we face the Mugsmashers at Anfield in a game which
could lift the mood considerably or tip some folk over the edge entirely.
One of the most predictable reactions to a poor Liverpool result is the rush to convince
everyone around you that it wasn't really that bad. The silver linings outweigh any problems. It
was just bad luck. Things aren't going their way. You're just being reactionary and short-sighted
if you focus on what's tantamount to one crummy day at the office.
Liverpool 1:Koscielny (og) 23′ Arsenal 2:van Persie 32′, 90′+2′
Liverpool falter at Anfield yet again, this time dropping all three points in injury time on a
well-taken volley from Robin van Persie. The narrative mostly stayed the same, with the hosts
wasting all of their chances in a mostly impressive first half performance and giving up a sloppy
equalizer.
Arsenal A tremendous achievement in their resilience last weekend, but the fact remains that
Arsenal fans have experienced potential redemption already this season, only to have that hope
cruelly removed by further inept displays. This weekend sees the Gunners travel to Anfield in Sky's
Saturday lunchtime game.
Right then, once more into the breach and this morning we face those dastardly Mugsmashers who
want nothing more than smash our mugs of Sp*rs filled joy.
In terms of the team the manager cast doubts over the involvement of both Robin van Persie and
Thomas Vermaelen yesterday, due to their international involvement.
Arsenal head to Anfield as the fourth-place contenders square off in the opener of another
pivotal month for Liverpool. The guests will be riding high on the heels of their 5-2
come-from-behind victory over Spurs at the Emirates, which wrapped up just before kickoff of
Liverpool's League Cup triumph at Wembley.
Usually the weekend is really fun, with lots of upper-crust social events to attend during which
people wearing shiny white clothes talk to one another at the country club and share the excitement
of their latest human hunting excursions and dish on which bathroom stall is the cleanest to snort
cocaine in.
Old friends reunite at the Emirates, with Kenny Dalglish's side looking to take all three points
from Arsenal at their home ground for the first time since the twenty pixels that make up Titi
Camara's body gave Liverpool the win at Highbury in the 1999-2000 season. Any points against
Arsenal have been hard to come by, but this fixture has been an absolute beast.
Right, starting Friday off with the most important bit if you live in the UK and happen to have
missed the petition going around for full release of all documents pertaining to Hillsborough,
please hit the link to sign up and lend your name to the cause. Those of us outside the UK can only
support from afar and get the word out; Chris from Paisley Gates alerted us to the fact that the
Hillsborough Justice Campaign has asked that only legal UK residents take part, as names with fake
addresses will only weaken the petition.
The first FA Cup final held outside England saw two of the competition's most successful clubs
square off at the Millenium Stadium in Cardiff, as Liverpool and Arsenal, both near the top of
all-time FA Cup winners, met in Wales in 2001. After the League Cup victory over Birmingham in
February, and with a UEFA Cup Final date set just four days later, it was a chance for Liverpool to
achieve something remarkable.
