Liverpool: No heavy metal football in sight – Jurgen Klopp’s side look more like bass guitar | Football News
Gary Neville says ‘lethargic’ Liverpool looked like a shadow of their former self in the second half against Arsenal.
Bukayo Saka’s penalty settled things as Arsenal lost 3-2 winners to return to the top of the Premier League table, 14 points ahead of Jurgen Klopp’s side.
Despite having less ball possession than the visitors, Arsenal managed more shots on goal and won more one-on-one battles on the Emirates Stadium pitch.
With Liverpool 10th in the table and hosting Manchester City – live on Sky Sports next Sunday – Neville says Reds fans have every right to be concerned, especially after their second half game in north London .
Speaking on his podcast, Neville asked: “For Liverpool, is this a blow or is it a bit of a decline in terms of how they are at the moment?
“In the first half I thought they responded very well to an electric start. But I thought the second half was worrying for Liverpool. They looked like a shadow of themselves.
“Generally their performance in the second half will be a concern for Jurgen Klopp – not just the performance on the ball and the way they played, but also off the ball, their ability to be able to reach the ball, and press, and harass.
“Five or six years ago Pochettino was at Tottenham, and obviously Klopp was at Liverpool, where I hadn’t seen aggression and chasing football, like that before.
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Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp felt Arsenal’s winning penalty was “sweet” and admitted it was a “difficult afternoon” for his team.
“We knew that Jurgen Klopp came to this country with heavy metal football as a premise and principle, but it wasn’t heavy metal football (against Arsenal), it was like bass guitar.
Liverpool will be ‘concerned’
“They were really, really lethargic in the second half,” Neville added. “I would be worried if I was a Liverpool fan, manager or player in that second half.
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FREE TO WATCH: Highlights from Arsenal’s win over Liverpool in the Premier League.
“Listen, they have enough credit in the bank for this Liverpool team and this Liverpool manager. And this Liverpool manager has done the best job of any manager over the last six, seven years with what he has had to work in terms of budget compared to the rest.
“So they have enough credit in the bank that we don’t get carried away and say, ‘It’s the end of Liverpool’. That’s not the case here, but there are concerns and worrying signs.
“It’s the energy and the appetite in the games that they’ve had over the last two years in terms of defense and press tries (that was the problem).
“They look two or three meters away, and two or three meters in football, that’s it. If you’re one meter away from a world-class player, that’s too much.”
