What an odd game that was yesterday.

After a bright opening 30 minutes, Arnie Slott changed his tactics and basically bought everyone behind the ball, moving to a 5-5 formation.

This allowed Liverpool to double up on our wingers whilst not sacrificing defensive solidity behind them, and also crowd out the midfield, leaving us with no space to play and nullifying our press. These tactics were also detrimental to Liverpool as, playing without a striker, they failed to muster a shot on target all game.

In the second half, Liverpool basically passed the ball for passing sake. Hey had no intention of moving the ball up the pitch towards our goal, and where more than play in safe passes in heir own half to kill time.

The only time they looked a threat was whe a chance to break appeared, with their right back being their most attacking forward. Their only chance came from our mistake.

Slott’s aim was very much not to lose the game. An odd stance considering a win would have kept them on our coat tails (just) in the title race. Had they been braver, they could have finished the day 11 points behind. Instead they are still 14 behind and now almost certainly out of this title race.

Mikel Arteta is spot on with his assessment. We created opportunities but could not get that final pass, whilst Liverpool created nothing.

This game was almost a mirror of the match in Anfield, with the only difference being no moment of magic.

As for the two lots of shenanigans during g the game, players only really have themselves to blame.

Players go down too easily, crying injury in the attempt to get the game stopped. Instead of Virgil van Dijk whinging that we did not put the ball out when Frimpong went down, he should she be screaming at his right back to get up and get back. There was clearly nothing wrong with him as he ran off the pitch.

And at the end, I am not sure how Liverpool can complain when the bin dipper rolled back on the pitch in the attempt to waste time. Gabriel Martinelli was correct in trying to push Bradley back off, and I would expect Liverpool players to do that to ours if we did the same.

Before the Christmas break we were 4 points clear. Going intl the 3rd round FA Cup weekend we are now 6.

I would rest key players (Rice, Saka, Saliba, Odegaard, Zubimendi) for bother the FA Cup and League Cup. That would give them 10-days without a game before the match against Man U.

6 points clear. Stick with the team.

Keenos