Anyone who saw last season’s FA Cup match against West Brom (with it’s farcical 5 minute pauses in action, indecisive refereeing, and ultimately atmosphere-killing goal ‘scoring’) will tell you that VAR can be a disaster when it goes wrong. But it’s coming anyway!
We take a look at some of the game’s more interesting stats… Continue reading
Tags: VAR
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has heaped praise on goalkeeper Alisson Becker after the Brazilian made a string of impressive saves during the club’s 1-0 win over Napoli in the Champions League. The Reds had come into the game in a must-win situation and they had to sweat it out for the victory after holding onto a slender advantage for vast parts of the game.
Speaking after the match, Klopp was full of praise for Alisson, who made numerous saves including one during the dying stages which ensured the club’s progress into the knockouts, he said: “If I knew Alisson was this good I would have paid double. It was not only one save. He had a lot of things to do tonight.
“How cool and calm he was with the ball helps us a lot in our buildup situations. When he comes out for crosses he is outstanding. And, yes, that save was just incredible. The game was outstanding, unbelievable. The boys played with their whole hearts on the pitch. Our offensive defending, our offensive pressing was some of the best I’ve ever saw.”
Liverpool paid a sum of around £67m to prise Alisson away from Roma during the summer after Klopp witnessed some shambolic keeping from Loris Karius during the Champions League final against Real Madrid last season. Since then, the Brazilian has lived up to the expectations with a number of standout performances with the sole notable mistake coming against Leicester City, where he conceded needlessly trying to pass the ball within the box.
Alisson is currently leading the Premier League clean sheet charts with 10 this term and he has the chance to better the statistic when Manchester United make the trip to Anfield this weekend. The Reds are winless against their Mancunian counterparts in the top-flight since 2014.
Senegalese attacker Sadio Mane has said that Liverpool have tried to forget about last season’s shortcomings in the Champions League but they remain motivated to go one better during the current campaign. The Reds surprised many as they reached the final of the elite competition last term but they could not cross the final hurdle against Real Madrid after a forgettable goalkeeping performance from Loris Karius.
Liverpool goalie, Alisson has admitted that the duo of Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez have forced him to adapt his game because both of them are “so good”.
The Brazilian goalkeeper arrived at Liverpool in the summer for a then-record transfer fee of £65 million from Italian side, Roma and has impressed in his first few months at the red half of Merseyside. Continue reading
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has stressed that his team must not get carried away after making a strong start to the ongoing campaign. The Merseyside giants have begun the season with a 10-match unbeaten run in the Premier League and their most recent victory over Cardiff City has seen them jump to the top of the table ahead of Manchester City, who have a game in hand.
Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson has paid tribute to fellow compatriot and teammate Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. The England international sustained a serious knee ligament injury while playing for the Reds against AS Roma in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final and he has since been left on the sidelines.
The most anticipated match of the season thus far is now in the books, with Liverpool having salvaged a point at Stamford Bridge. Reds supporters will be breathing a sigh of relief, as a loss to Chelsea would have represented a fairly early setback, and now Liverpool remains tied with Manchester City atop the league tables. All in all, it was a terrific result. But here are four more takeaways from Saturday’s match.
1. The Equalizer Was Spectacular
This doesn’t really need to be said again for anyone who watched the match, but as it was still the main takeaway, I’m listing it. This was one of the best goals of the season so far, and may have been even more important than it was spectacular to watch. And what was really remarkable about the goal – an 89th minute strike from the red-hot Daniel Sturridge – was that he looked almost nonchalant about it. You’ll only see a handful of goals in a lifetime as effortlessly incredible as this one. Continue reading
Guinea international Naby Keita has admitted his motivation to succeed with Liverpool after making the switch to the Premier League during the summer. The 23-year-old has been a constant presence in the Reds midfield since the start of the season and he has now set the aim of improving on the personal scale with the Merseyside giants.
Tags: Fabinho, Jurgen Klopp’s, Keita
Arsenal legend-turned-pundit Ian Wright has backed Liverpool to compete with Manchester City for the Premier League title this season. The Reds made a strong start to the campaign as they beat West Ham United by a comfortable 4-0 scoreline and Wright believes they are capable of challenging the Citizens, although the Premier League may not be a two-horse race.
The representative of Simon Mignolet has confirmed that the Belgian is looking for a fresh challenge away from Liverpool during the ongoing transfer window. The 30-year-old played second fiddle to Loris Karius during the second half of the previous campaign and the big-money signing of Alisson Becker is only expected to hasten his exit.
