bookd.
Bournemouth0 - 1Liverpool
Liverpool underperform and manage to pick up 3 points away to a tricky Bournemouth. As the international break looms, Liverpool sit 6th in the table, picking up 9 points from a possible 18 - work to be done. Jeremy Jacquet has once again shown his class with another fantastic performance, picking up player of the match. Defensively strong, intelligent with his decision making, and forward thinking long passes, Jacquet continues to exceed expectations. With the signing of Bradley Barcola, Cody Gakpo has adapted into the vacant right wing position and has continuously provided top level performances. He has rightfully kept his position in this starting eleven, with crucial assists and a strong, personal link up with Alexander Isak. However, Florian Wirtz continues to fall short of the 116 million pound price tag with another inexcusable performance. After being rested midweek against Tottenham, expectations were naturally high. Unfortunately, Wirtz put in a weak seventy minute cameo, riddled with weak duels, ineffective passing and lack of comfort with the ball. Doubts are starting to creep in whether the young German has earned his place in the starting eleven. Wirtz felt like a fairytale signing when he was initially announced, a sole ten who will provide goals and assists, we are still yet to see this. With the internation break due, Wirtz will regroup with his German counterparts under the new management of Jürgen Klopp. Whether Jürgen can influence the midfielders performances on Merseyside is yet to be seen, Liverpool fans can look forward in seeing the two work together. Unfortunately, this now means my next reviews will be England games, and I hate England. Thanks for reading.
Liverpool
Tottenham2 - 3Aston Villa
Aston Villa
Brentford3 - 0Chelsea
Brentford
Real Sociedad1 - 2Bournemouth
BournemouthLiverpool3 - 1TottenhamLiverpool youngsters shine in the cup. A great performance from a very much changed starting eleven for Liverpool tonight, with many young fringe players given the opportunity to impress Andoni Iraola. Trey Nyoni looked particularly strong as the starting holding midfielder today, with Gravenberch once again failing to impress in his late cameo. James McConnell and Lewis Koumas also inspired with a relentless press, one which we haven't seen from a Liverpool attack in some seasons now. An overall great showing from the youngsters, hopefully we will see more of them as the season progresses. For our more senior players, improved performances for those who have previously struggled, and some continue to shine. Mamardashvili is someone who divides opinions between Liverpool fans, tonight will only add to that debate. Giorgi made some fantastic goal denying saves, on multiple occasions. However, looked weak from the corner Liverpool conceded. Jeremie Frimpong had a better game at fullback with a more defensive approach. Jacquet had another fantastic half of football after replacing Joe Gomez at the interval. He is looking better and better week in, week out. Alexis Mac Allister continued to show the Liverpool board why he should be given that contract extension. A very classy performance from the Argentine, one in which we haven't seen during the previous season. Cody Gakpo once again shines with a goal and assist today. It would've been disastrous for Liverpool to let him go in the summer. Finally, a quick word on the Tottenham performance tonight. Tottenham had some good attacking chances early on in the first half, but lacked that finishing touch. Defensively, they continued to invite pressure attempting to play out from the back. Much better from Liverpool. Away to Bournemouth on Sunday, it'll be interesting to see Iraola return the Vitality, and the match day squad which makes the journey down to the south coast.
Liverpool
Leeds4 - 1Newcastle
Leeds
Benfica3 - 1GIL Vicente
Benfica
Man United0 - 1Man City
Man City
Liverpool2 - 1Atletico Madrid
An impressive second half after a fairly disappointing first. Systematically, Liverpool started poorly with a dangerous high line and a clear lack of midfield pressing. Iraola fixed this going into the second half with an organised, high intensity team press, as opposed to the individual efforts we saw in the first forty-five. Araújo is starting to become a fantastic addition to this backline, allowing us to use Szoboszlai in his preferred eight, while still offering attacking options from fullback. For me, Frimpong will struggle to start as a fullback after recent performances and may become more useful as a late substitution in an attacking wing back role. Szoboszlai and Mac Allister both had good games today but would clearly benefit from having a holding midfielder behind them. Fabinho has never been replaced and this will continue to hurt us. Finally, Bradley Barcola - a positive 60 minutes for the new signing. Ended up tracking back quite deep in the opening exchanges when Liverpool deployed the high line, but grew into the game as time went on. Barcola made great runs in behind and showed great link up play. Barcola could've left Anfield today with a goal or two after squandering some chances. The big chances missed data has always been there when looking into Barcola and we saw this tonight. Hopefully, with more game time under his belt, Barcola can work on his finishing and take more of these quick breaks. 3 points at home to a notorious bogey team of ours, job done.
Liverpool
Club Brugge KV2 - 3Aston Villa
Aston Villa
Aston Villa0 - 1Arsenal
An improvement for a weakened Villa, regression for Arsenal.
ArsenalMan United5 - 2Ipswich
Man United
Tottenham0 - 2NewcastleAn early Tottenham goal would've completely changed the face of this game. Plenty first half chances came through Porro and Marmoush, but they never looked like scoring. They allowed Newcastle to settle into the game second half. Ultimately, they weren't good enough to keep them out. Newcastle's new signings continue to impress. Another great game for Dedić and Horníček, while established squad players like Lewis Hall and Elanga continued to flourish. Matthias Jaissle looks very organised and Newcastle have started fantastically. Marmoush had some good moments today but wasn't clinical enough in the final third. Tonali was poor, Archie Gray struggled, and Mathys Tel was hopeless. It's still early, and I'm sure Tottenham will continue to improve chemistry between signings. For now, bottom of the table with Forest away next Saturday, things don't look great for Roberto De Zerbi and Tottenham.
NewcastleBournemouth1 - 1Everton
Bournemouth should've taken their chances and put this game to bed. Alex Scott was great, Evanilson and Rayan had their moments too. Thierno Barry has to be more clinical, but you could say Everton deserved a point for the improved last 20 minutes.
BournemouthLiverpool2 - 2Nott'm Forest
Fullbacks atrocious again, midfield flat and unimaginative, forwards sloppy for the majority. Frimpong was appalling, no defensive awareness, no creativity and no end product. Jacquet and Muñoz look great, slightly raw but understandable with how young they are. Wirtz was good today, slightly suffocated when Mac Allister and Szoboszlai inevitably push forward, but starting to show much better signs. I'm glad Isak got his goal today, but we still need so much more from him. Gakpo's crossing might be absolutely woeful, but he could be our salvation on the right for now, it would be a huge mistake to sell him. With 2 games gone into this new season and 3 days until the transfer window closes, Liverpool need a right back and an outright defensive midfielder, how we haven't already fixed this issue is beyond me, but we can't expect to challenge for anything if we shoehorn Szoboszlai into right back and expect Trey Nyoni to hold this midfield. 2/38
Liverpool
Crystal Palace1 - 4Man City
Man City
Newcastle2 - 2Liverpoolgonna be a long season 1/38
NewcastleMan City2 - 1Bournemoutherling haaland
Man City
Nott'm Forest0 - 1Leedspicked the wrong 3pm kick off
Leeds
Hull City2 - 0Man Unitedmauled.
Hull CityArsenal3 - 0Coventry
Arsenal
Arsenal3 - 0Man City
Arsenal
