Liverpool F.C. – The Good, The Bad & The Ugly – Gameweeks 15 and 16
The Reds defeat the Cherries, tidy and neat, in the process a welcomed clean sheet. The noisy neighbours sink without trace, felled by an Origi brace. The festive season is coming fast, but will the squad last? The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, another week reviewed at the world’s favourite football club Liverpool F.C.
The Good
A solid win over Bournemouth AFC. Goals from Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Naby Keita and Mo Salah secured a 0-3 victory for Jürgen Klopp’s men.
Their hosts were good value early on as they matched their visitors in open early exchanges, but once Oxlade-Chamberlain opened the scoring after 35 minutes, there was only going to be one outcome.
I wouldn’t have called this game a walk in the park but it’s fair to say Liverpool have worked harder for a win this season. Eddie Howe has a struggle on his hands if he wants to get his underperforming Cherries to avoid a relegation scrap.
“The most used word in the dressing room at the moment is ‘clean sheet ‘…finally!”
Liverpool were simply too good and the clean sheet was the first since the end of September against Sheffield United. This couldn’t come at a better time and will give a boost to the defence ahead of the hectic festive program.
Liverpool have won 24 of their last 25 #PL matches (D1), including 15 of their opening 16 this season#BOULIV
[@premierleague] pic.twitter.com/7qZpqiAGHV— N A T H A (@NathaOfficial_) December 8, 2019
The (Not) Bad
The trouncing of the Toffees 5-2 on Wednesday. A worthy result and one that frankly, flattered a dismal Everton team. It could well have been more as the nearest (geographical) rivals were given a footballing lesson.
Anfield played witness to one of the most one-sided derby encounters in recent years. The fixture with the most red cards in English football (21 in the Premier League alone) threatened to extend the record with local lad Trent Alexander-Arnold putting in some tasty challenges early on.
Goals from Xherdan Shaqiri, Sadio Mané and Gini Wijnaldum, in addition to a brace from Divock Origi was enough to send Everton back across Stanley Park with exactly what they deserved from this game… Nowt!
The defeat left the Blues indeed with the blues as they now lie second from bottom in the Premiership. A paltry return of just 14 points in as many games, meant the Blueshite were forced to dismiss Marco Silva on Friday as they attempt to salvage their top flight status.
Since taking the helm at the sinking blue ship Silva has won only 24 of his 60 games in charge and has paid the ultimate price for such poor stats. We move on…
This might just be the worst Everton TEAM of all time. The individual players might not be the worst, but as a team, they’re fucking abysmal. #LIVEVE
— Everton Blue Army (@EvertonBlueArmy) December 4, 2019
The Ugly
The current and growing list of injuries at Liverpool. There are currently six first team players in the Reds treatment room which doesn’t bode well with the festive season fixture pile-up day approaching.
Fabinho and Joel Matip are currently the most high profile definitely out for a while. However, Wijnaldum is also currently out and will be a concern for the Champions League against Red Bull Salzburg on Tuesday.
With the World Club Final coming up, the Reds can’t afford any more injuries and this for me, remains the greatest threat to Liverpool’s title challenge this season.
Let’s just hope the wheels don’t fall off. Mo Salah has been struggling with an ankle injury this last few weeks. All it takes is for him to go and perhaps, a Joe Gomez and it’ll be tricky for Klopp that’s for sure.
Jurgen Klopp insists he won't be turning to the transfer window to help solve a defensive injury problem in his Liverpool squad.
“How can you be short of centre halves when you have four centre halves plus Fabinho?“https://t.co/GN27aa0moB
— Anfield Watch (@AnfieldWatch) December 9, 2019
Next up we have a trip to Austria to take on Red Bull Salzburg in the last game of this seasons group stage, where a win will see them qualify… and a defeat will see them crash out.
On this day in the year 2000 Croatian defender Igor Biscan made his debut for Liverpool, coming on as a sub in a 1-0 defeat to Ipswich Town. The ropey centre half went in to become a part of Rafa Benitez’s 2005 Champions League-winning side.
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