Liverpool away

As I set off from Hastings early Saturday morning for the trip to Anfield, I couldn’t help but feel dangerously optimistic.

I say this because our record up there since witnessing that great win in 2012 has at times been abysmal - but on the back of our 10 game unbeaten run I was encouraged to go up there with hope we could put in a performance.

I wasn’t confident but I wanted to see some real fight.

Bar a couple of minor road delays on route, it was otherwise a decent journey, helped by a good sing song and few lively refreshments, meant that we parked up outside Anfield two hours before kick off.

The usual visit to a packed Arkles for a pre match beer or two and a brilliant sing song with plenty of like minded fans out in the beer garden was without doubt the highlight.

I say this because, after walking through the Arkles to get there, I’m surrounded by “What do you think of Tottenham” and “Tottenham get battered” and even “We won the league at Shite Hart Lane” songs.

I’m sorry that’s not for me.

We are in a Liverpool pub outside Anfield and where we won the league. I want to be having a few digs at the Scousers - so the beer garden it was, with a great group consisting of around 40 from the Ashburton Army and other great fans. And that’s what we did, as we sung other more relevant new, and old songs, and for our club and our players.

Lively was an understatement - and how I like it!

Liverpool vs Arsenal 

On to the game itself following a sing song through Stanley Park because of the diversion to the away end, and a pre match jostle, we went to our seats.

Chants of “We won the league, on Merseyside”“You’re not invincible”“Sign on” and a few other digs to home fans to our right as “You’ll never walk alone” bellowed through the stadium.

The first 38 minutes I thought we were great, compact, organised and very much up for the fight from the first minute.

“Where’s your famous atmosphere?” loud from the away end as we are encouraged by what we are seeing.

The fans were fully behind the team from the start and how it should be. Laca walks the ball in only to be flagged offside, personally Auba shouldn’t be giving it to him knowing his position.

A flare up between Arteta and Klopp in the 33rd minute due to Mane’s usual antics woke the Liverpool fans up.

After that they seem to raise their game.Conceding from a set piece six minutes before half time, particularly from a header to one of the smallest players on the pitch was a huge disappointment.

HT: Liverpool 1-0 Arsenal

I was encouraged by what I’d seen in the first half, as normally over the past nine years I've been going to Anfield, we are out of sight at this point - but we were still in the game helped by Ramsdale once again.

Second half

The second half was one to forget. Tavares' pass inside resulted in Liverpool’s second on 52 minutes and that was game over for me.

I say this because we weren't dangerous in forward positions and likes of Auba and Laca were very ineffective. Saka and Smith-Rowe were totally marked out the game so it was always going to be tough.

Lokonga replaced Maitland Niles, but at this point I thought Odegaard should be on.

He is the only player who can dictate a tempo of a game, particularly when we are under pressure, and we were certainly that for the remainder of the game.

Ramsdale saved us from a big hammering but couldn’t keep out Liverpool adding a further two goals.

So 4-0 it was and another disappointing result at Anfield.

I’ll take the positives from Anfield

The positives were that we were still in the game at half time compared to previous seasons and with a young side players like Lokonga and Tavares will learn a lot from this. I’m just more frustrated in the senior outfield players.

Ramsdale was man of the match again, and even though he would have been disappointed with the first goal, he was outstanding on the day.

Big up to the away fans

Big up to the away fans, apart from having a go at one for wearing a Liverpool hat towards the end of the game (I really don’t understand how they get hold of tickets) the fans were great right up until the players left the pitch.

We stuck with them through a tough second half, and these players need that support.

Any moaning for me needs to stay away from the stands and after the game has finished - as that doesn’t help the atmosphere and only generates toxicity.

A few refreshments for the journey back down south and more tunes.

After a 22 hour day I finally made it home at 230am, a disappointing result but another great away day off the field.

Keep the faith Gooners. 

Onto Newcastle

Onto Newcastle at the Emirates on Saturday and a must win - with trickier tests at Old Trafford and Goodison Park to come in quick succession.

We need to see a response and I’m sure we will get one.

Loud and proud as usual over the coming weeks.

Ben Bennett