Originally Posted by
IBK
I agree with your point that we have ridden our luck in second halves a few times this season, but I still think that the Xhaka incident was key. This isn't following the press - I was watching the game with a few Gooners and we all said it in real time. Before Xhaka's over reaction we were saying that it was embarrassing because you could hear the tannoy (and the away fans) - so much for the famous Anfield atmosphere. After it, the crowd woke up, and it definitely gave Liverpool's players a lift. They are a team - as their extraordinary home record compared to away shows this season, that feeds off the atmosphere. This was Klopp's Cup Final and his 'heavy metal' playing style needs a spark. We gave them this - just like Arteta did last season. Had we gone in at the break 0-2 up then the crowd would have started the second half nervy and subdued - their goal came at the worst time.
Arteta seems to agree with me.
Beyond that, however, we showed that we don't have the composure to deal with shit housery. Liverpool already had an excrable ref on their team. The likes of TAA; Robertson and Firmino are masters at riling and disrupting opposition players. Xhaka is supposed to be a leader in this team, and did the wrong thing in reacting and reverting to type. Our ineffectual MF was severely hampered by his yellow card - and IMHO this contributed to it fading almost into non-existance in the second half - so much so that Klopp took one of theirs off to go with a more attacking formation. Same went for Ben White - a yellow stifling performance - albeit that his was unmerited.
Klopp - who let's face it had little to play for - wanted this to be a rabble rousing cup final. And we gave him exactly what he wanted.
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