The haters are out in force this morning trying to do everything they can to derail our four-front trophy challenge.

This morning it seems the pile is in aimed at Bukayo Saka.

Whilst almost every left back to have faced him as labelled him as “their toughest opponent to play against”, media pundits and Arsenal fans have decided to dig the knife into him.

The put up screenshots in an attempt to highlight situations where Saka has not played in Gyokeres. As if they have played football to anywhere near Saka’s level and could have made the pass themselves.

“Saka doesn’t lie to pass to Gyokeres” really is a crazy conspiracy theory. As if when on the pitch players refuse to pass to teammates to the detriment of team when chasing trophies. It does not happen.

From claiming his is overrated to trying to create a narrative that he does not like Viktor Gyokeres, it is the latest in a long line of attacks on Arsenal dating back as long as I can remember.

Our haters, of which oddly many claim to be Arsenal fans, will always find something to dig us out. Whether it is our red card record, our lack of Englishmen, our 8-year trophy drought, or now Bukayo Saka and our set piece prowess. There will always be something.

Meanwhile we have played 32 games this season. Lost just 2. A 78% win rate.

Haters will always hate. They do not tie honest commentary on the game. They will always just to find a narrative to suit their agenda. And right now that narrative is attacking Bukayo Saka.

Block them out. Back the team.

Keenos

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

Eberechi Eze not playing in the last 4 games is not the big issue that it is being made out to be. It is simply the consequence of playing at a big club.

In the last 4 Premier League games, Eze has failed to play a single minute. But this is not due to any big conspiracy such as Mikel Arteta being unhappy with his defensive work rate, form or managing his workload. It is purely because other players are in better form.

In those 4 games which Eze has not played, Arsenal have a 100% record. 12 points from 12. We are currently on a 5 game winning run in the league and top, so I am not sure why Eze not playing has become a negative story.

It is also a myth that Eze has not played much this season. He has actually played the 3rd most Premier League minutes of all of our attacking midfield options:

Saka – 1348 minutes

Trossard – 1073

Eze – 917

Odegaard – 798

Madueke – 499

Martinelli – 480

Eze has played just 65 minutes less than Jeremy Doku, and more minutes than Rayan Cherki, Savinho, Oscar Bobb and Omar Marmoush. Top clubs rotate their forwards. It is not a new story.

Fellow new boys Hincape, Mosquera and Norgaard have also played less minutes than Eze this season. Like Eze, they all would have known that they were going to become squad players when leaving the sides they played week in week out for to join The Arsenal.

Eze, Hincape and Mosquera have all already played huge parts in our rise to the top this season, coming in for Arteta’s starters.

Like Ben White, Lewis-Skelly, Nwaneri and Gabriel Jesus, the all need to continue working hard in training and be ready when called upon. Eze’s time will come again this season.

If anyone who is not playing regularly decides to throw a strop and down tools, it will just show that they are not the right mentality to play at a top club.

Arteta’s job is to ensure all players are mentality motivated and feel part of the success even if they are not playing. And so far there are no cracks in his squad.

The lack of minutes in the last 4 games for Eze should not be seen as a negative story, but actually testament to the squad depth at Arsenal.

Eze was the King of Palace. Arsenal has Gods.

Keenos