The similarities are startling.
The English clubs in question were giants, fallen on harder times than they had previously been used to. Both clubs had enjoyed European success, winning and losing finals along the way. But the Premier League, the key objective of every season, was as elusive as it had ever been.
For Liverpool, that descent had been two decades long; Arsenal, by comparison, had only been on a downward spiral for three seasons.
Two clubs in desperate need of a saviour. Two clubs twenty years apart.
Arsenal in 1996 were still reeling from George Graham’s dismissal following proven allegations of corruption. Bruce Rioch arrived as manager in the summer of 1995, with Dennis Bergkamp and David Platt as the marquee signings. Arsenal looked to be on the up and would finish the season in the UEFA Cup places.
But Rioch fell foul of Ian Wright, a powerful player at the club. They clashed, a strict disciplinarian and a headstrong, streetwise bundle of emotion. A player who wore his heart of his sleeve and cared passionately about the club. A player who was a terrace hero. There was only one winner and Rioch was relieved of his command.
He hadn’t been Arsenal’s first choice as manager, or certainly not Vice-chairman David Dein’s first choice. He had struck up a friendship with Arsène Wenger, a successful manager in France whose achievements appear all the more impressive following the subsequent revelations about bribery by Marseille president, Bernard Tapie.
But Dein couldn’t persuade the board to take the chance in 1995; he succeeded a year later and Wenger arrived in October 1996.
The changes Wenger wrought are well documented. Ageing stars found their careers prolonged through advances in diet and scientific analysis. English football put its foot on the accelerator to catch up with their European counterparts and Wenger benefited as Arsenal played their way stylishly to glory.
Fast forward two decades and Jurgen Klopp inherits a club in a not dissimilar state of flux. He had a positive impact in his first part-season in charge, guiding the team through to the Europa League final. There were issues as well; Klopp’s favoured gegenpressing tactic took its toll on the Liverpool squad in terms of their fitness.
He admitted that he needed a summer to get the players to the level he wanted, where he could get them to impose his style of play on matches. It’s been hit and miss this season so far but the Reds have made a far better start than in previous years.
Football is a different game to when Wenger arrived. The Premier League is more intense than in the mid-90s. Only Manchester United were consistent title challengers before Wenger’s Arsenal joined them. Now United, Manchester City, Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham stand in Klopp’s way.
Not only that but the use of analytics and science, new in the mid-90s, is now commonplace. It’s a question of who has the best, most innovative approach. Many clubs, Liverpool included, have transfer committees or director of football responsible for interpreting data and transforming that into signings.
Managers and coaches have a wealth of information about their players to hand, to the extent where sometimes you question whether it is too much. Has the avalanche of numbers and graphs reached a point where the temptation to tinker with a line up is too great to resist?
Klopp is very much a manager of this age. Bespectacled and erudite, he is a keen proponent of data and analysis. Whilst the statistical techniques change, very little of it is revolutionary, certainly not in the way Wenger’s arrival moved the English game forward.
The German’s biggest contribution may yet be seen on the pitch. With Daniel Sturridge, Adam Lallana, Nathaniel Clyne and Jordan Henderson in the England squad and frequently in the team, Klopp can influence the mentality of the English players and improve their technique.
For too long, the England style of play has defaulted to the stereotype. Footballing Luddites, trying to pass the ball but lacking the footballing intelligence to make it do the work. 100% perspiration with 0% inspiration. The fault lies as much with the managers: Hodgson wasn’t an innovative coach whilst Sam Allardyce has the look of a chancer waiting to be found out.
This is where Klopp’s greatest impact can be felt. Creating an environment at Anfield where the players are challenged to think within the group independently as well as for the collective, is vital. Fresh insight into a way of playing the game which is alien to England and English football ought to improve thought processes from his England quartet.
If Klopp can inspire his players to find form and consistency, the benefit for England is obvious. Challenging them to think outside of their comfort zone is vital to breathe new life into a stale international set-up.
The similarities between Klopp and Wenger at this stage of their career are unmissable. Wenger left Monaco under a cloud with the club sinking to 17th in the table when he was sacked. He had spent too long at the Stade Louis II and was unable to inspire more from his previously successful players. Respite and recover came at Nagoya Grampus Eight.
Klopp was the same at Dortmund. Flirting with relegation, he quit and by the end of the season, the players had responded to reach the upper echelons of the Bundesliga. His star had waned and risen all at once. Knowing when to quit, when the inspirational message isn’t getting through, is vital. In resigning, he gave himself and the club breathing space.
Klopp won’t change English football in the way Wenger did. It’s too advanced and has its own impetus in terms of science and technology. Gegenpressing isn’t new or innovative tactically but may yet bring Liverpool success.
Klopp may though, change England as a football team. And for that, we would be eternally grateful.
Arsenal
€200 Million Worth Arsenal Duo Fire England to 2-0 Victory Over Serbia at Wembley in World Cup Qualifier
Both of England’s goals in their 2-0 World Cup qualifying victory over Serbia came from Arsenal players, with Bukayo Saka and Eberechi Eze delivering the cutting edge Thomas Tuchel’s side needed at Wembley Stadium on Thursday evening.
Saka’s Brilliant First-Half Volley
Bukayo Saka opened scoring in the 28th minute with a spectacular volleyed finish after Nico O’Reilly’s blocked shot looped perfectly into his path. The 24-year-old Arsenal winger guided the ball into the bottom-left corner on the volley, demonstrating technique that justified Tuchel’s recent plea for him to score more international goals.
The goal took Saka’s England tally to 14 strikes, continuing his excellent form for club and country this season. His importance to England’s attack was evident throughout a rain-soaked Wembley evening where the Three Lions struggled for fluency against a stubborn Serbian side playing under new manager Veljko Paunovic.
Read More: “Not Good Enough”: Renee Slegers Admits Arsenal Women’s Bayern Collapse Was Unacceptable
Eze’s Stoppage-Time Sealer
Eberechi Eze doubled England’s advantage in the 90th minute after being introduced as a second-half substitute. The Arsenal forward initially struck the crossbar via goalkeeper Predrag Rajkovic in the 87th minute before finding the far corner with an accomplished finish three minutes later.
Phil Foden, who entered as a false nine alongside Jude Bellingham in Thomas Tuchel’s second-half changes, provided the assist with a perfectly weighted pass that allowed Eze to curl home England’s second. The goal sealed England’s seventh consecutive victory in World Cup qualifying, maintaining their perfect record while eliminating Serbia’s playoff hopes.
Arsenal’s contribution proved decisive on a night when Bellingham and Foden started on the bench, with Morgan Rogers initially preferred at number 10. The victory extends England’s clean sheet streak to 10 consecutive matches under Jordan Pickford, who wasn’t seriously tested by Serbia’s limited attacking threat led by isolated Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic.
Read More: Injury Update From International Camp About Key Defender Brings Relief to Arsenal’s Mikel Arteta
Arsenal Dragon
Injury Update From International Camp About Key Defender Brings Relief to Arsenal’s Mikel Arteta
Riccardo Calafiori‘s hip injury is not considered serious by Italy’s medical staff, providing crucial relief for Arsenal ahead of the North London derby against Tottenham on November 23. The defender is managing hip pain but should be available for Arsenal’s first match after the international break.
Read More: Video: Arsenal’s Riccardo Calafiori Gets Impromptu Throw-In Masterclass From Linesman
Expected to Miss Moldova Clash
Italian reports confirm Calafiori will not feature against Moldova on Thursday despite being named in Gennaro Gattuso’s travelling squad. Italy hope their left-back will recover sufficiently to face Norway in Sunday’s crucial World Cup qualifier, though Arsenal’s priority remains his fitness for the derby.
Gattuso publicly praised Calafiori’s professionalism during the international window. “I have to thank the likes of Barella, Calafiori and Bastoni for being here, as it was by no means to be taken for granted. I congratulate the lads for their professionalism and hunger, which they show every day.”
The 23-year-old has started every Premier League match for Arsenal this season, establishing himself as indispensable to Mikel Arteta‘s system. His 12 appearances across all competitions demonstrate his importance to Arsenal’s strong campaign challenging for the title.
Italy’s World Cup Play-Off Preparations
Italy face a World Cup play-off in March after automatic qualification hopes faded due to Norway’s vastly superior goal difference. Gattuso confirmed significant rotation against Moldova, with Tottenham goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario replacing Gianluigi Donnarumma.
“I can confirm that there will be many changes, but without any problems or fears,” Gattuso explained. “I have great faith in my players; they all deserve a night like tomorrow’s.”
Arsenal’s medical team will monitor Calafiori closely during Italy’s double-header. His availability for the North London derby represents a major boost given his consistent performances at left-back this season. Arteta cannot afford losing his first-choice defender for such a crucial fixture against Spurs, making Italy’s cautious approach welcome news in North London.
Renee Slegers delivered a scathing self-assessment after Arsenal Women surrendered a two-goal lead to lose 3-2 at Bayern Munich, admitting her side failed to handle the German champions’ second-half tactical adjustments.
First-Half Dominance Counted for Nothing
Arsenal established complete control through the opening 45 minutes, with Emily Fox and Mariona Caldentey goals reflecting their superiority. Slegers acknowledged her team’s excellent pressing game forced Bayern into repeated mistakes while Arsenal dominated possession in the attacking third.
“We do a lot of things really well in the first half and our pressing game and how we force them into mistakes and they don’t get out of their half and we play really, really well on the ball,” Slegers explained. “I think we maybe could have even scored one more in the first half and that’s of course, really strong going away against Bayern.”
However, the Arsenal boss recognized Bayern’s second-half transformation exposed her team’s tactical inadequacies. “The second half is another half. I think we dominate the first half, second half is Bayern.”
Tactical Naivety Exposed
Slegers identified Bayern’s strategic shift as the turning point. “What they start to do, especially after they make it 2-1, they start to play in behind and they start to play a long, second ball game and they stack numbers high and we don’t deal with it well enough.”
This admission reveals Arsenal’s inability to adjust defensively when Bayern altered their approach. The high defensive line that worked brilliantly during the first half became a liability once Bayern committed bodies forward and targeted space in behind.
Slegers’ honest assessment pulled no punches about the collapse. “So we’re not happy, it’s not good enough to give away three goals so late in the game against Bayern.”
The defeat leaves Arsenal with two losses from three Champions League matches, placing significant pressure on their title defense. Slegers must quickly solve the defensive fragility that allowed Bayern’s comeback or risk elimination from Europe’s premier competition.
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