Liverpool are without Kenny Dalglish tonight
And that gives Arsenal a chance.
Kenny is 57 now and will not be partnering Fernando Torres.
If it had been Dalglish & Torres, forget it.
Stevie G is playing in a new role. Rafa has taken over three years to find this format : two Dutchmen wide and two goalscorers, Torres and Gerrard, linking with each other.
There are three games against Liverpool and I’ve been thinking about them for two weeks.
The most important game is the first one. Whenver you have four massive games coming up, the first one is the biggest. If Arsenal lose it, they will concentrate on the league. If they lose tonight, they will focus 100% on Saturday’s league game at the Emirates. Also, any player injured in tonight’s game could miss the next two games. Any player from either side could miss the next two games. And any player sent off tonight will miss Tuesday’s second leg at Anfield.
The good news is that Babel and Kuyt are useless. They should not hurt Arsenal. Babel will swerve inside Toure and shoot wide. And while Stevie G is a very powerful gladiator with big feet who can bang a shot into the net from 25 yards, I’ve got a funny feeling this will not be one of his glory nights.
So Liverpool have only one player : Torres.
As regular readers will know, I’ve said from day one that Torres is the real deal, an alpha-male warrior with considerable artistry, a kid who puts his foot in, has a lovely repertoire of dribble-and-shoot moves, a guy who can win knockdowns, head goals, play on his own, provide assists, do everything. He has a brain and a career and he’s very competitive. He ticks all the boxes. He left Atletico Madrid to play Champions League football. He is especially good at scoring in five minutes, 10 minutes, 12 minutes. He is hot, in form, dangerous, a world class assassin.
But Torres has been carrying a hamstring and came off limping when Spain played Italy last week.
He will not play all three games. It’s likely that he will be rested on Saturday. Wait and see on that one.
Liverpool played Everton on Sunday, a garbage game that I half-watched while reading Saturday’s Guardian book reviews.
Arsenal played Bolton on Saturday, so they have had one more day to recover. That day should give them extra zest and allow them to last longer in the game.
There is one other player who is a threat to Arsenal. If he comes on, or starts in any of the games, it will be a worry for Gooners. I’m talking about Peter Crouch. He can take Arsenal apart. Babel can’t, Kuyt can’t, Benayoun can’t. But Crouch can.
It’s a big game and I’m up for it. I’m really glad Kenny D isn’t playing because he was a lot better than Stevie G.
Kenny was different class. Kenny was the best British footballer of his generation by a mile.
Last week I didn’t think Arsenal would win anything this season. I still don’t. But we shall see. I didn’t think they would win from 2-0 down at Bolton with 10 men. The truth is on the pitch, as PV4 used to say.
Arsene has urged his boys to lay on a spectacle but that looks unlikely. Get ready for a night of tension : Liverpool’s stubborn shape against Arsenal’s patient passing.
Roma 0 Manchester United 2
Sir Alex started without Tevez, played Park, it looked a mess. Anderson played like a prat, Ronaldo took a 45 yard free-kick and played like a prat. But Rio Ferdinand had a Rolls Royce night at the back and kept them in it as Roma had better passing, better movement, more ideas.
Then United produced one move. Rooney was cool, made the play, picked out Scholes, who dinked it high beyond the penalty spot and Ronaldo made a massive Les Ferdinand leap and headed down and in, getting a head knock as he followed through.
An amazing leap, an amazing header. Changed the game. Decided the game.
0-1 at half time.
What’s Italian for : We played the football, they scored the goal ?
Roma had some positions, some half-chances. And in 66 Park was on left and headed back a Wes Brown cross, keeper Doni tried to catch the ball, spilled it, and Rooney tapped in his 75th goal for Manchester United. Simple old English football and it worked : ball to far post, knockdown, mistake, 2-0.
Ronaldo then hit the post, and, when sub Tevez set him up, volleyed over the bar. It could easily have been four or five.
Barcelona won 1-0 against Schalke in Gelsenkirchen.
Barca should meet United, who should overpower them and go to Moscow.
Chelsea are in Istanbul to face Fenerbahce.
Funnily enough, the team that impressed me most on Matchday 1 was Fenerbahce. A mixture of Turks and Brazilians, coached by Zico, played some exciting stuff and beat Inter 1-0. They have plenty of flair and Cudicini will have some work to do. Chelsea are experienced, battle-hardened, and have a very good defensive record in the Champions League. It’s possible that they could do what Man United did last night : win 2-0.
But I think it will be much closer than that.