Arsenal vs Liverpool - Predicted Line-ups and Stats Preview
Liverpool travel to the London knowing a victory will move them above Arsenal and, possibly go to the top of the league. The Saturday evening kick-off adds a certain romance to a football match, giving it’s a slightly different edge but this game needs no extra spice. Brendan Rodgers’ side has started the season exceptionally well and are third in the league. They trail Arsenal, who lead the table, by two points.
Arsenal, too, have started the season well. However, they have only faced one side who were in the top-ten in the league at the time and have lost their last two home games so Arsene Wenger will be wary of defeat. Especially with the form Daniel Sturridge and Luis Suarez are in.
Team News
Liverpool
Rodgers has an almost fully-fit squad to call upon against the league leaders as Philippe Coutinho returns from a shoulder injury that has kept him out for several weeks. Joe Allen is also back in contention for Rodgers but Jose Enrique and Iago Aspas are still out with knee and thigh injuries, respectively.
Arsenal
Arsene Wenger is missing two key players against Liverpool. Mathieu Flamini is out injured. Serge Gnabry may be fit just in time after suffering from an ankle injury. Theo Walcott, Lukas Podolski and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain are three other long-term absentees.
Possible Line-Ups
Arsenal
I’d fully expect Arsenal to keep the shape similar to what it’s been all season, but with Mikel Arteta and Aaron Ramsey in the central midfield. However, perhaps the Gunners will be weak in midfield, Arsenal’s only league defeat this season had Ramsey and Wilshere in the centre, where they were overrun by Aston Villa’s midfield runners.
The rest of the home side’s line-up is quite predictable with Olivier Giroud supported by Mesut Ozil, Santi Cazorla and Tomas Rosicky, who will come into the side in place of Flamini.
4-2-3-1: Szczesny; Sagna, Koscielny, Mertesacker, Gibbs; Ramsey, Arteta; Cazorla, Ozil, Rosicky; Giroud
Liverpool
Philippe Coutinho is rumoured to be in with a chance of starting so he could slot in right behind Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge. Rodgers employed a single defensive midfielder (Lucas) against West Bromwich Albion and played Steven Gerrard and Jordan Henderson ahead of him. This allowed more control in the central areas and with Coutinho’s return, Liverpool could expose Arsenal’s weakness in the middle.
However, Brendan Rodgers might employ two defensive midfielders to deal with the threat of Ozil and Cazorla.
3-4-1-2: Mignolet; Toure, Skrtel, Sakho; Johnson, Gerrard, Lucas, Cissokho; Coutinho; Suarez, Sturridge
Recent Form
Both sides are in good form but Arsenal have lost their last two home games in the Champions League and Capital One Cup. Liverpool have won three of their last five matches, compared to Arsenal, who have won four. Liverpool won just two of their five away matches in all competitions this season, though, so that may be an issue. However, with their speed in attack, counter-attacking may be their best solution.
Players to watch
Arsenal – Mesut Ozil
If Liverpool stop this creative genius, it will make winning a lot easier. Ozil is the key man at Arsenal; he opens gaps, sees passes no one else does and drifts around the pitch almost invisibly. Lucas will need to be on top on the German throughout the entire match or he will punish Liverpool.
Ozil has three assists this season and has played 19 key passes in just six matches for the Gunners. He is also a very accurate shooter with an accuracy of 88%; seven shots on target and one off.
Mesut Ozil – Shot Accuracy
Liverpool – Luis Suarez
Suarez is in sublime form after dispatching West Brom last weekend. He scored a hat-trick and looks like he’s never been away. After just four games this season he’s scored six goals. His partnership with Daniel Sturridge has been electric. The pair have scored 14 goals, just as many as Manchester United, which shows their danger.
The reason Suarez is the ‘one to watch’ for Arsenal is because of his all-round ability. Sturridge can also supply from deep but he is more likely to poach and finish the chances that Suarez will create. The Uruguayan has created 9 chances this season, one less than Steven Gerrard has managed in the same four matches he’s played.
Luis Suarez – Chances Created
Prediction
It is a tough one to predict, this. Both sides are so clinical and dangerous in attack that they could cause each other plenty of problems. I fear both managers will try to prevent the other team from playing rather than focusing on their own team’s strengths.
I can definitely see goals at the Emirates with Sturridge and Suarez likely to be backed up by Coutinho. Arsenal’s midfield energy may be too much for Liverpool to cope with, though, so they may struggle to hold onto the ball as much as they’d like to. However, last weekend was Liverpool’s first really ‘good’ performance in which they controlled the match and they’ve carried on winning so this match may be another occasion where the Reds struggle but pull a result out of the bag through individual brilliance.
Arsenal 1-2 Liverpool