For Arsenal FC, the league duel with Liverpool FC on Wednesday evening felt like a Champions League game. A remarkable 19 seasons in a row, from 1998 to 2017, the London club enriched the premier class with their in-house one-touch football, invented by Arsenal’s eternal coach Arsène Wenger and taught after taking office in 1996. But the Gunners, now emancipated by Wenger, have been waiting eagerly and impatiently for five years for their return to the premium competition of the European Cup.
All the more Arsenal seemed to be savoring the league catch-up game against Liverpool in the spring during the week and late at night – just like in the knockout rounds of the Champions League. However, in this test run for the premier class, you had to acknowledge again that you were not quite back in the high society of top football. Despite a long balanced game, Arsenal lost to feared opponents Liverpool for the third time this season. This time with 0:2 (0:0), after a double strike in the second half by the guest strikers Diogo Jota (54th) and Roberto Firmino (62nd). Already in the first half of the season, the Gunners were put in their place by Jürgen Klopp’s LFC (0:4), as well as in the semifinals of the League Cup in January.
The eagerly awaited game was considered a key game on the island for the upcoming finish in the Premier League. Because of the tenth league win in a row, Liverpool closed in the duel for the championship to within one point of leaders Manchester City. The Klopp team was two months ago (in a ranking distorted by open catch-up games) still a whopping 14 points behind. Despite the change in mood, the coach curbed expectations. He considers a tendency to be “the most fragile flower in the world”, according to Klopp: someone “step” on it – and it’s gone! In addition, the defending champion City is “not famous for being disturbed by a breath on the neck”.
Behind Liverpool’s comeback is also the winter commitment of winger Luis Díaz, for 45 million euros from FC Porto. With the Brazilian, substance and room for maneuver in the storm increased noticeably again. With more than 100 competitive goals, Liverpool provide England’s best attack, while City are credited with the most competent midfield – while the supposedly most solid defense falls to third-placed Chelsea, who are a game down but 11 points behind. the Times wrote that Liverpool “brought the boil” with the 2-0 win for the title.
Klopp curbs the master’s expectations, colleague Arteta complains about the game plan
At the same time, Arsenal’s defeat intensified the feud over Champions League qualification. Arsenal (51 points) are currently in the required fourth place but now have just two games to go to widen the gap on pursuers Manchester United (50), West Ham (48) and Tottenham (48). This constellation with the still open games results in a demanding rhythm for Arsenal, which coach Mikel Arteta massively complains about. His eleven now have to play at the difficult Aston Villa on Saturday at the unpopular midday kick-off time – and live with the same 60-hour cycle in April when the landmark games against Chelsea and United are due. The schedule for which primarily TV rights holders sky and BT are responsible is “very, very helpful”, Arteta sneered: “Many thanks to the Premier League!”
His frustration is understandable. After the crisis of identity that triggered the end of Wenger’s 21-year reign, Arsenal is in the process of rebuilding a powerful team, particularly thanks to Arteta’s excellent coaching work. But in order to fend off the numerous advances from other clubs for the highly talented Arsenal professionals, some of whom come from their own academy, and to be able to keep the squad together, timely participation in the premier class is essential – if only to avoid being left behind financially will.
Also due to the lack of financial resources, Arsenal said goodbye to the long-standing strategy of bringing in well-known and often outrageously expensive professionals. The well-deserved old stars Mesut Özil and Pierre-Emerick-Aubameyang, who ended up falling out of favor, felt the effects of this change of plan. With the winter departure of the flashy Aubameyang, now playing for FC Barcelona, the Gunners lost glamor – but they gained even more team spirit. And it is precisely this team spirit that should ensure that Arsenal FC will soon be hearing the Champions League anthem again at Wednesday evening games.