Rewatching and savouring just the highlights of this grand victory, few thoughts.
Martinelli's first big break from Raya's excellent throw has been underrated a bit. Exceptional run, and the cross he put in was a lot better than Saka made it look. That should have been a goal.
Havertz has to do better on the strike that luckily rebounds off Allison for Saka to score. There are also a couple of moments where he tries and fails to execute a final ball. His execution is generally poor, and no amount of innocently clattering and barging defenders makes him a complete forward.
Ødegaard is persistently struggling with his shots getting closed down. I'd like to hear he'd been put in a room with recordings of all these moments so as to analyse and alter his first touch and follow-up. It's not working too well, he rarely finds the space.
After watching the Raya and Saliba incident way too many times, it's still weird. Saliba seems to be overcooking the kind of composed defensive automatism we're used to from him where the ball is kept at feet under pressure. Raya on the other hand has no idea what's going on. He moves as if Saliba's going to try and score himself. I'm ready to forgive Raya for a difficult situation, but he is not vocal and doesn't command the penalty area. I think Ramsdale would've sorted that situation. Points to Raya for being more decisive coming out a couple of times later in the match, but it's further support for the thinking he was a tread-water recruit.
Liverpool had nothing all game. That's our greatest achievement in this match, and it's the polar opposite of the times they've overrun us for half an hour when the going got tough. If 23–24 hypercontrolball brings these kinds of results, great.
Martinelli and Trossard deserve full credit for their goals. Both earnt them through force of personality. Both showing signs of a form revival.
I'm glad Saka was withdrawn when he started to feel his ankle yet again. However that gave us further proof Nelson's washing out of Arsenal. I hope we can ship him in the summer, as his application and confidence are way too variable for a fringe player.
