Jamie Carragher says Liverpool were playing ‘kids football’ for one Arsenal goal. The Reds struggled defensively at the Emirates.
Liverpool conceded three goals against Arsenal on Sunday. All three were easily preventable. Once again, the Reds struggled to contain opposition attacks, allowing teams to ghost through them on the counter-attack.
Arsenal’s first two goals came that way but it was the second that truly infuriated Jamie Carragher. The former Liverpool defender talked on Monday Night Football about it, labelling it ‘criminal’.
“I cannot believe what I’m seeing here,” said Carragher. “Liverpool have got a free-kick in an area where I’m not sure you can score from or even put a great ball in the box.
“Liverpool’s two centre-backs go up, which is a little bit alarming for me, with a minute to go. You can’t score from the first header, so I thought in terms of game management, that was criminal.
“It was like kids football – ‘we’ll all go up, all get in the box’. Normally from that position, teams just play football, the top teams. Because they don’t want to do this.”
Liverpool for the second Arsenal goal
Carragher was so incensed by this one that he instantly sent out a Tweet on Bukayo Saka scoring. Essentially, Liverpool took a massive risk with a minute to go in the first half and paid for it.
It’s a mystery as to why they took that risk. As Carragher says, they threw players forward for barely a half chance, leaving only a few back. None of the players they left back were particularly quick, either, and struggled to contain Saka and Gabriel Martinelli.
But that’s Liverpool right now. They’re consistently making poor decisions and nearly every team they’ve played this season has taken advantage. For a goal like this one, it’s difficult to see why. The Reds have time to think things through and it’s a set-piece, so the formation isn’t an issue.
And still, the Reds shot themselves in the foot. Until they cut out decisions like this, it’s hard to see how this form turns around.
Receive a digest of our best Liverpool content each week direct to your mailbox
