While I could quite easily continue to lay into this team after today it is difficult when you consider that it is this group of players that have put us (most likely) 1 point off the top with 25 games played. They obviously have quality but questions will need to be asked from all of the players and the manager as to why they set foot on the pitch with the wrong attitude. At this point Chelsea are 2-0 up at home to Newcastle and City are still drawing 0-0 at Norwich. I fully expect both teams to win so it is down to us to put this game behind us and come back on Wednesday at home against the Champions with a completely different performance

“I reckon we’ll see Liverpool flying out of the traps and try and play a little how Southampton did recently. I wouldn’t be surprised if the game largely depends on how we cope with the opening 25 minutes or so because we have the technique to wrestle back control of the game”

This is what I wrote before going to bed in the early hours of this morning, it is safe to say that we did not cope with the opening 25 minutes. Before we hit the 25th minute Arsenal were already 4 goals down to a Liverpool team who had clearly rolled their sleeves up and set about us from the very first whistle. The Arsenal players were still in the dressing room when Daniel Sturridge curled in the fourth. Why were Arsenal absent?

Given the importance of the game, where was the performance? Was it conceding from a set piece after barely two minutes registered on the clock? Was it fear? I just cannot understand it.

I was hoping that we would go into the game full of energy and aggression. Not giving the home side any time to breathe, passing with speed and confidence but we saw none of it.

Our passing was very sloppy under fantastic Liverpool pressure. Rodgers must have looked at how we failed to cope with Southampton’s approach and then followed suit

Would the game have changed had Monreal steered in a blocked clearance by Mignolet? Probably not but maybe a goal would have woken the team up from their slumber.

It can really be the only question today. Why were the team asleep? Why did we look so short of ideas and focus? This for me was worse than the 8-2. We played our strongest available team today where as we had a mix and match side a few years ago.

While I could quite easily continue to lay into this team after today it is difficult when you consider that it is this group of players that have put us (most likely) 1 point off the top with 25 games played. They obviously have quality but questions will need to be asked from all of the players and the manager as to why they set foot on the pitch with the wrong attitude.

At this point Chelsea are 2-0 up at home to Newcastle and City are still drawing 0-0 at Norwich. I fully expect both teams to win so it is down to us to put this game behind us and come back on Wednesday at home against the Champions with a completely different performance.

Before I go I would like to offer congratulations to Liverpool today who were everything we were not. They can use this result and really push on.

Back to the drawing board for us and I think Arsène’s words post match sum it up best.

Arsène Wenger: “Only our fans were good for 90 minutes. All the rest, we were poor.”

PS – Apologies for the lack of actual report or any views on player performances. I think it is all a little raw for me. I have all the questions but no answers.