"They look more solid" - William Gallas picks favorites ahead of Arsenal vs Liverpool showdown
William Gallas has made his prediction for this weekend's (October 27) Premier League showdown between Arsenal and Liverpool. The pundit believes the Merseysiders will have the upper hand against the Gunners.
Arne Slot's side have been in stellar form this season. The Reds find themselves at the summit of the Premier League table with 21 points, having won seven of their first eight league fixtures. They are a point ahead of second-placed Manchester City, while the Gunners trail four points behind in third.
Speaking about the Merseysiders, he said (via Metro):
"They look more solid at the moment, I would say. Maybe it’s from the manager. Last season, they were not too bad, but from the start of this season, Liverpool look strong."
Mikel Arteta's side dropped points in a disappointing 2-0 defeat to Bournemouth on October 19, and Gallas believes they cannot afford any further mistakes in the title race. He added, on the Gunners:
"They lost against Bournemouth so now they have to win. They don’t have a choice. If they got the three points against Bournemouth and they got a draw against Liverpool, it wouldn’t be a problem because they didn’t lose against one of their rivals.
"After what they did against Bournemouth, they must win. One point won’t be enough. One point will be good for Liverpool but not for Arsenal. Arsenal have put themselves in trouble with the loss against Bournemouth. They must respond quickly."
Gallas then emphasized William Saliba's absence this weekend, having received a one-game suspension after his red card against Bournemouth. He added:
"I don’t know what to say for this weekend because Saliba is out, and Liverpool look strong. They have got that confidence. Salah is almost back to his absolute best, so it’s going to be a good game, but it will be a difficult game for Arsenal."
The former Chelsea star concluded:
"Liverpool, they will come to the Emirates full of energy. You have to be realistic, and that’s why I’m saying that they are the slight favourites here."
The Gunners could be without six first-team players against the Reds, including Riccardo Calafiori, Martin Odegaard, and Bukayo Saka, amongst others, due to injury and suspension.
William Gallas names Liverpool star he would pick to play for Arsenal ahead of Premier League showdown
William Gallas has chosen Trent Alexander-Arnold as the one Liverpool star he would pick to play for the Gunners. The pundit has weighed up Alexander-Arnold and Ben White's pros and cons.
Gallas believes that while the Arsenal right-back is better defensively, he would have Alexander-Arnold given what he offers going forward. The pundit said (via the aforementioned outlet's report):
"I would pick Trent Alexander-Arnold and put him in the Arsenal team. Ben White is maybe better than Alexander-Arnold defensively, because Ben White is a centre-back, so defending for him is natural. Offensively, Alexander-Arnold can give you so much. He creates goals, his passing is superb, and he can take really good set pieces."
During Jurgen Klopp's tenure, Alexander-Arnold developed into one of the best right-backs in the world, playing a crucial role in the club's success. The England international has scored 19 goals and provided 83 assists in 321 appearances for the Reds.