Total FootballTotal Football
Speed and agility keep the top two in
U
nai Emery was
convinced. “We are
closer than last time,”
the Arsenal manager
insisted after his side’s
3-1 defeat at Anfield.
And he was right: compared to the
5-1 shellacking in December, they
are closer in the sense that now
they need to employ binoculars
rather than a telescope to watch the
European champions disappear
away at the top of the league.
Because while not beingthrashed as badly this time must
represent progress of sorts, more
accurate examination would
suggest that, on the first encounter
with either of last season’s runaway
outliers, Liverpool and Manchester
City, the distance Arsenal need to
catch up remains a gulf. Less mind
the gap, more beware the canyon.
The fact is that while Arsenal
may have marginally improved,
there is no hint that Liverpool have
diminished from last season’s
27-point margin over the Gunners.
There was not the slightest
intimation of their players
suffering any hangover from
playing on into June. Despite it
being the kind of weather when
some fans think it appropriate to
dig out their three-quarter length
trousers, the home side still appliedan insistent heat that is way
beyond even this revamped
Arsenal’s capabilities to withstand.
“We are well prepared,” said
their manager Jurgen Klopp,
suggesting momentum alone is not
sufficient to maintain his team’s
relentless press. “We use every
second of pre-season to be ready.”
And it is mental agility as much
as physical that keeps Liverpool
ahead. Klopp admitted he was
surprised by the diamond midfield
his opposite number employed. “I
had no clue about their tactics,” he
said. “The first I saw of the line-up
was from the team sheet, and I
thought it could be a diamond, but
then I thought, with [Nicolas]
Pepe’s first game he would play a
different position from where he
usually plays. But then we had toadapt to the game and the boys did.
So then we had all these crosses.”
The speed with which they not
only detect weakness but exploit it
marks out the distance between
Liverpool, City and the rest.
The gaps opened up by Emery’s
approach were seized upon
without any obvious instruction
from the manager. With the
visiting midfield concentrated into
the middle, the full-backs Andy
Robertson and Trent Alexander-
Arnold were afforded so much
space it is a surprise neither
contracted agoraphobia.
But the problem with facing
Liverpool is that there is a lot more
to them than just crosses. They can
assault the jugular with equal
facility from anywhere on the
pitch, not least down the middle.Liverpool ruthlessly
exposed Arsenal tactics
in chastening 3-1 loss at
Anfield, says Jim White
Head-to-head Top-six
table since Emery started
Kovacic feels at home at Chelsea after being given
By Derek Davis
at Carrow RoadNecessity is often the mother of in-
vention and Chelsea’s transfer em-
bargo has meant manager Frank
Lampard having to be creative withthe squad he has inherited. Mateo
Kovacic feels he has benefited from
that, especially now his loan spell
from Real Madrid has been turned
into a permanent move.
With N’Golo Kante sustaining an
ankle injury in training, Kovacic
was brought in by Lampard for the
3-2 win at Norwich City and given a
free role in central midfield, im-
pressing with his incisive passing,
especially in the second half, and
desire to break up Norwich attacks.
“He [Lampard] gives me more
freedom. I can come and take the
ball and go forward,” said Kovacic,who is nicknamed “the Professor”
and speaks five languages. “So I feel
good, I have a good connection
with the coach and the team but I
am now a Chelsea player so I feel
better. Last year I was only on loan,
this year I feel better and more con-
fidence. It makes it more relaxed.
Last year was good, not perfect but
good. This year I have started well
and I want to continue like that. Of
course I can improve.”
Victory at Norwich was the first
for Lampard as a Premier League
manager and the relevance was not
lost on Kovacic. The midfieldersaid: “It’s really important. I think
we started playing very well but the
results were not perfect. Today we
played a good game and won, so
everything was perfect.”
Tammy Abraham and Mason
Mount, two players Lampard saw
coming through the Blues’ youth
system, were paramount in secur-ing three points and offered a
glimpse of what can come.
Abraham justified his selection
with his first two Premier League
goals, while Mount, who was
moved to the left wing after Pedro
was injured in the warm-up, scored
one and made one.
To celebrate his third-minute
opener, Abraham ran straight to the
touchline to hug Lampard, who had
chosen the 21-year-old to start
ahead of Olivier Giroud. Youthful
exuberance, however exciting the
talent, will not always ensure suc-
cess but that is where the more ex-‘Professor’ plays key role
in 3-2 win over Norwich
Abraham and Mount give
glimpse of bright future
Premier League
match details
Pages 16-17
How Croat came of age for Chelsea
Mateo Kovacic produced probably his best performance for Chelsea on Saturday, combining his
familiar defensive work with a high-energy, attack-minded display. His key statistics prove the point.Duels won
Direction of play
He won the second-most duels,
with his 13 successes behind
only Emerson on 15. Barkley
was next best on nine.Seeking out challenges
3
Recoveries
Direction of play
Kovacic won the ball back 11
times, the second-highest of
any player after Jorginho (12).Winning back possession
2
Successful dribbles
Direction of play
Kovacic completed six dribbles,
the joint-most in Chelsea's
victory along with Ross Barkley.Beating his man
1
nges
P W D L PTS
Man City 11 8 2 1 26
Liverpool 11 6 4 1 22
Arsenal 11 3 3 5 12
Chelsea 11 3 3 5 12
Man Utd 11 2 4 5 10
Tottenham 11 2 2 7 (^8) R
A s c L t a f p
Work to do: Unai
Emery’s Arsenal
remain some way
off Liverpool
and City
12 *** Monday 26 August 2019 The Daily Telegraph
RELEASED BY "What's News" vk.com/wsnws TELEGRAM: t.me/whatsnws