"Could really impact the title race" - Dimitar Berbatov makes bold prediction for Arsenal vs Liverpool
Former Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov has predicted that Arsenal and Liverpool will play out a 2-2 draw at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday (February 4).
This Premier League meeting could prove to be extremely crucial in the title race, with the Reds at the top of the table and five points ahead of the Gunners. A win for Mikel Arteta's side could see them close the gap to two points.
Coming into this fixture, the north Londoners have recorded successive league wins against Crystal Palace (5-0, January 20) and Nottingham Forest (2-1, January 30).
Predicting a draw for this fixture, Berbatov told Metro:
"The biggest game of the weekend and could really impact the title race. Liverpool won here not long ago in the FA Cup but both teams are pretty equal in my eyes. It should be a great game, and I am going to say another entertaining draw."
The Merseysiders only recently visited the Emirates, where they managed to secure a 2-0 FA Cup win (January 7) despite an impressive performance from Arsenal. These two sides also met in the Premier League on December 23, 2023, when they drew 2-2 at Anfield.
Defeating the Reds will certainly prove a difficult task. They've lost just one match this season, a controversial 2-1 defeat at Tottenham Hotspur on September 30, 2023.
Paul Merson believes Arsenal will be out of the title race if they lose to Liverpool
Paul Merson believes that the Gunners need to beat Liverpool on Sunday to remain in the title race. A loss in their upcoming game will see the north London outfit go eight points behind the Reds.
Merson told Sky Sports (via Just Arsenal):
“After Arsenal beat Nottingham Forest, they have to then beat Klopp's side. If they do not, they are out of it. So very quickly this could turn into a two-horse, or even one, from a three-horse race.”
Should the Gunners fail to record a win in the aforementioned fixture, Manchester City could be the only side left to challenge Jurgen Klopp's team. Pep Guardiola's men are currently second and are five points behind Liverpool, with a game in hand.
Manchester City proved last year that they can come from behind to snatch the title after trailing for long periods. They won the league title by five points after chasing Mikel Arteta's side for 248 days.