Liverpool v Brentford (Thank F*** It’s Nearly Over)

He keeps going on about football having evolved and gives, as an example, Arsenal scoring loads of goals from set pieces and winning the league. A lovely example by the way of passive aggressive behaviour, as he congratulates Arsenal on winning the league, then inplies they did it without playing good football, but I digress. While the example he uses is true and set pieces in general have led to more goals, it overlooks the fact that both ourselves and City have struggled this season with rebuilding and with injuries. It must be said too that City coped better than we have, partly by being able to buy Semenyo and Guehi mid season, which must have helped just a tad. I think the real point journalists were trying to make is the style he is playing is not the style we have been used to or want and is actually best described as shit. He seemed either to be oblivious to the implication or chose to ignore it by insisting we, like City, play good football but need to adapt to this apparent evolution in the English game. I think that is largely a convenient myth based on limited evidence. The so called lesser teams have always sat back a bit, relying on defence and then either hiitting their opponents on the break, or via set pieces. While the technique may have evolved a bit and teams are certainly better at it than they were, I don’t think there has really been this sudden and fundamental footballing change. Let’s hope I am proved right when PSG give Arsenal a footballing lesson in the CL final. Though “1-0 to the Arsenal” still somehow keeps ear worming itself into my brain….

Team: Alisson, Frimpong, Konate, VvD, Kerkez, Gravy, Mac, Bosz, Ngumoha. Isak, Salah.

As a development in football scheduling, the footballing authorities are trying a bold new experiment today of having all the games kick-off together at 3pm. It will never catch on in my opinion, too revolutionary for a traditional game like football. Anyway, Sky will be covering the game.