Match data from WhoScored, except average position from the SofaScore app.
I enjoy this team a lot. For the most part, they're all surprisingly likable. They're almost all quite good at the football.
And, somehow – in the meat of the season, with the pressure ratcheted up to 11, in a two-team race with one of the best sides this league's ever had – they just keep winning.
In a lot of ways, we've seen this match before. Quite a bit lately. The stutters and the suffering. The grinding. The 90 minutes of torture.
To be fair, the first half was better than 0-0 suggested. Two clear-cut chances untaken: Firmino ballooning when put through and Salah denied by Etheridge. A couple other reasonable chances through Mané and Firmino. But it's close and it's in the balance and we're on edge, because that's where we are in the season and the standings.
So we get the stutters and the suffering and the grind and a fairly unremarkable first half, but Liverpool finally opens the scoring not long into the second.
Klopp on Gini goal: The boys decided this at half time in the dressing room, they saw the space on set pieces. I love that.
— This Is Anfield (@thisisanfield) April 21, 2019
I love it too. This is not only a hard-working, never-say-die side. It's not only a very, very talented side. It is a surprisingly clever side, one that's increasingly capable of reacting in-game, whether through the players or manager.
To be fair, we have seen quite a few set play goals so far this season.
There are a handful of goals against Liverpool's peers. The opener at Tottenham back in September, the winner at Bayern, the winner over Tottenham. But the vast majority have come against the bus-parkers. The dross.
West Ham, Leicester, Southampton, Fulham (both matches), Watford (both matches), Burnley, Wolves, Newcastle, Bournemouth, and now Cardiff. Sides currently sitting 11th, 9th, 16th, 19th, 8th, 15th, 10th, 13th, 14th, and 18th. And you can pick whichever category you'd like to put Everton in.
If we're being charitable to Everton, that's four of six opening goals against the dross. And five of the eight game-winners. Aside from running up the score against West Ham, Newcastle, and Watford, they've all been meaningful goals – not that many goals aren't.
I'm sure it's just coincidence that the two seasons in the last ten years where Liverpool led the league in set plays goals were 2013-14 and 2018-19.
And Liverpool needed Sunday's set play goal.
"Cardiff was only the second league match Liverpool have won since Salah signed where none of the first choice front three got on the score sheet. If the first has slipped your mind, I’ve got two words to remind you: Divock Origi."
— Andrew Beasley (@BassTunedToRed) April 22, 2019
My @LivEchoLFC column: https://t.co/ZfAEONUkKD
I know that stat's right and I'm still tempted to go look line-by-line over the last two seasons. Liverpool's front three do not let the side down often, but it is essential that Liverpool get goals from other sources the few times that they do.
Meanwhile, at the other end of the pitch. As far as Liverpool matches go, only the reverse fixture saw less opposition possession than Sunday's, and no side's attempted or competed fewer passes against Liverpool this season. But Cardiff at least posed a little bit of a threat. Mendez-Laing helped to pin Alexander-Arnold back early in the first half. The average position diagram suggests that Cardiff targeted Matip and Alexander-Arnold on that flank, as does Cardiff's attacking direction. But Matip and van Dijk cleared nearly everything asked, with both heavily involved in Liverpool's attacking build-up.
More notable was Sean Morrison's clear-cut chance in the 64th minute, just seven after Liverpool scored. But Alisson got the faintest of touches on the cross in, and the ball hit Morrison on the back rather than the head and popped into the air rather than the back of Liverpool's net. As per usual, a bit of luck and a bit of skill – Alisson also did well to save Niasse's corner header just before halftime – and the score stayed at 1-0, and we survive another day.
Morrison's clear-cut chance was Cardiff's last shot of the afternoon, a warning to push Liverpool back into gear, and a reminder that what set plays giveth, set plays can taketh away. Liverpool shut it down, Morrison did a stupid in truing to wrestle Salah, Milner notched the penalty, and we're done here.
And we'll do it all over again in a week. More than likely in a similar manner.
1 comment :
Assuming Salah is the second choice penalty taker (behind Milner but ahead of Henderson), if Fabinho had not been injured within minutes of getting on the pitch it is likely that Milner would not have taken that penalty and Salah would have done so instead. It is likely that Salah would have scored from that penalty. I also think it is great that Klopp has improved the team (throw in coach, set pieces have definitely been worked on (especially as Liverpool have not been traditionally good in the air), exercise (Liverpool players seem much fitter this year than last). LASTLY, only Liverpool and City won this round of fixtures, with Chelsea drawing and Man United, Arsenal and Spurs all losing, ALL six were involved with European fixtures - correlation or causation - maybe Neville was right in the sense that Europe is draining, but wrong in the sense that managers and players cannot prioritise Champions League over Premier League.
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