The Scotsman started off being kicked to pieces, followed up by deflecting the ball which led to Fulham taking the lead and ended a miserable 16 minutes by being shown a red card. It didn’t exactly endear him to someone who already believes the Scottish international has seen better days. Speaking to Tribalfootball on behalf of Casino Apps, Pennant draws a comparison to two recent players who also lost their legs a bit in their final Liverpool days.
“Robertson is not as sharp as he once was, he’s not as quick as he once was, and we've seen it recently with (Jordan) Henderson and Fabinho. It just gets to a point where they lose that little bit of zest. So, I think Liverpool need a new left-back,” Pennant states and the replacement might even have played at Anfield on Saturday.
“Antonee Robinson got two assists at Anfield and looked sharp. We've seen him against Bukayo Saka, he can deal with players like that. But even Leif Davis at Ipswich looks like an exciting young left-back who can hold himself in the Premier League. So, there are options, but for me, Antonee Robertson would be a perfect fit.”
In the build-up to the Fulham game, Arne Slot once again had to answer questions on Darwin Nunez. While his output might be a bit lacking, how about Luis Diaz? No goals in the Premier League since 21 September, and while three goals in the Champions League looks good, they all came in the same game.
“He started the season like a house on fire, but right now, no, his output is not good enough. He’s slowed down again like we saw at the end of the Jürgen Klopp era which is frustrating because we know what’s in there. I think Cody Gakpo has moved ahead of him now because he gets on the scoresheet.
“But regarding Nunez, I think we’ve given him a lot of time and been patient. When he came in, we accepted that he’s raw, he's going to learn the Premier League, the culture of English football. But this is his third season now and nothing's really changed. Yes, he works hard, he works his socks off, he's a nuisance to defenders, but for £85 million, you want someone giving you goals in return. Not someone who can run around and work hard. I don't think it's going to get any better in his fourth or fifth season,” states Pennant who’d like an extra option as back up for Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konaté brought in come January.
“Joe Gomez looks more comfortable as centre-back than he does at right-back, but I’d like someone in to compete with Konaté. Just in case one of them does get injured because you see in teams how much it can impact a season losing a key defender. Someone like Murillo from Nottingham Forest if they are willing to sell him,” Pennant suggests, before we turn our attention to Arsenal.
Being held to a goalless draw against Everton, the Gunners are on 30 points from 16 games. A whopping 13 points less than the same stage two years ago and nine points less than last year. It begs the question; are they actually still title contenders, and the former Arsenal player remains optimistic on their behalf.
“I’m gonna have to say yes. There are 22-23 games left, Liverpool will have to play both Chelsea, Manchester City, Arsenal which are not easy games. Teams will be slipping up, so everyone is still in it, I believe, although Manchester City’s season looks like it could be over.”
Having left the pitch after the Everton game without scoring at all, Arsenal have now gone five and a half hours without scoring in open play in the Premier League. Considering the creative talent, it’s a baffling streak from Martin Odegaard and co.
“I think they’ve become a little bit predictable, actually. I was at the game on Saturday and they play the ball out to Saka for him to drift in or get a cross in. They don’t have enough variation at the moment. (Kai) Havertz is not chipping in with goals and if Saka’s not delivering, they’re relying on set-pieces. (Gabriel) Martinelli has got all the ‘great player’ attributes but his end product is a bit off at the moment. I think that's why Arsenal are talking about whether they need a new left side player.”
Perhaps someone like Matheus Cunha?
“He's an exciting player. He's in a struggling Wolves-team, but he can score goals. He’s a great player, great ability, he can create his own stuff. I think it may be a good signing.”