Perhaps the biggest game of the Premier League season, so far, awaits Liverpool and Arsenal on Saturday night.
City’s recent poor form has allowed these two sides to form a smallish gap along with surprise package Aston Villa who will likely be top when these two kick off at Anfield as they host Sheffield United at home tonight.
Liverpool’s record at Anfield over the last six or seven years speaks for itself. Their last league defeat in front of the Kop was well over a year ago now and until last weekend’s drab goalless draw with United they had a 100% record in front of their own fans this season.
Arsenal’s most recent league win there came way back in August 2012 when Lukas Podolski and Santi Cazorla grabbed their first goals for the club in a 2-0 win. Since then, we’ve taken a few batterings up there. A pair of 5-1 drubbings and a 4-0 pasting the year before last, to name a few.
Last season’s fixture was something of a foreshadowing of the horror to come as we travelled there on Easter Sunday on the back of seven straight wins, with a sizeable gap to Man City at the summit, with only eight games to go. We went 2-0 up inside half an hour and it seemed as though the good times would never end. But a late equaliser from Roberto Firmino knocked the stuffing out of our season and we went on to limp over the finish line in second place, 5 points off City.
Will the demons of Anfield haunt us again? Only time will tell. Liverpool have enjoyed a vast improvement from last season’s surprising fifth place finish as they sit one point off the top, level on points with Villa and four above the champions. However, they are still some way off the imperious levels of their title winning seasons and the sides that have pushed City so close in recent years.
This won’t be easy. It promises to be the game of the season so far, a real humdinger just before Christmas. In fact, it will be the first of three encounters with Liverpool in our next seven games with an FA Cup tie at the Emirates in January sandwiched between the two league encounters.
We have, like so many others, struggled against Liverpool in recent years although we did take four points off them last year. In my previous previews for this fixture, I have looked at famous encounters between the two of which there have been plenty. This is the highest scoring fixture in premier league history, hardly surprising considering the attacking talent both sides have had throughout the years. There was the famous 4-4 game in 2009 when Arshavin remarkably grabbed all four goals; he remains the last visiting player to score four at Anfield to this day. There was a notable 3-3 draw around this time in 2017 when Arsenal went 2-0 down early in the second half before a remarkable five-minute spell where we scored three times only to eventually draw 3-3.
And of course, there was the famous Michael Thomas game but unfortunately football wasn’t invented until three years later by Sky and the Premier League, so that doesn’t count. In terms of the team selection, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if we are unchanged from the win over Brighton in what was arguably our best performance of the season.
One consideration could be taking Zinchenko out for Kiwior but I do expect the Ukrainian to keep his place. No doubt Tomiyasu would have started had he been fit but Zinchenko will have to be switched on to the max to keep Salah quiet.
It a game where Rice will probably have to put more of a focus on his defensive duties, so we probably won’t see as much of his lung busting runs as usual. Another tweak Arteta could make is Jorginho for Havertz if he wants a more pragmatic approach but, given the excellent form Havertz is in, I don’t think that’s likely.
As for Liverpool, Joel Matip is out for the season with an ACL injury so Konate will start next to Van Dijk. I believe that Andy Robertson is still out with a dislocated shoulder, so Kostas Tsimikas will likely keep his place, although Joe Gomez is also an option for Klopp.
Liverpool have undergone a midfield revamp over the summer so Arteta will be kept guessing as to what Klopp goes with in the middle of the park. Wutaro Endo will probably anchor the midfield in the “6” role and I am predicting Curtis Jones to start following his brace in the week alongside Dominik Szoboszlai, and yes, I did have to Google the spelling of the latter’s surname! MacAllister is carrying an injury so he may well be left Home Alone for Christmas.
In attack, we know Salah will obviously play. I would be surprised if Luis Diaz doesn’t start on the left. Up front it will likely be the hit and mostly miss, Darwin Nunez. You would fancy Gabriel’s and Saliba’s chances against the Uruguayan.
It is shaping up to be a Christmas cracker of a game and a win for either side would go a long way to defining either side’s title chances. City don’t play this weekend due to their participation in the ludicrous Club World Cup where they will play Copa Libertadores champions, Fluminense in the final. A win for Arsenal would open a seven-point gap between us and the champions which is always welcome.
However, I am plumping for a draw which I don’t think would be a bad result at all even if it knocks us off our perch at the top. 1-1 according to my sources. The Anfield atmosphere must always be taken into consideration along with their imperious home record. A win would be a huge statement regarding our title ambitions especially given we have already broken the city curse this season, along with the Goodison Park curse earlier in the campaign. There’s no Southampton to stop us this year either! One more broken curse won’t hurt.
Happy travels to all Gooners heading up there on a night where it will be very difficult to find any return trains to London. Hopefully any travel woes will be softened by the massive three points we’ll be taking home.
COYG!
Nice one 21CG. That has whet the appetite, which hardly needed any more whetting for a game like this. The excitement and nerves I can feel in my fingers and my toes, to paraphrase Whet Whet Whet.
* dives for the door, snatching coat off hook, before landing and barrel rolling out of the premises *
Great preview 21CG. I too think it will be a draw and 1-1 would seem the most likely score if that happens. I’m not that impressed by Liverpool’s overall team but combined with Anfield their four or five stellar players make them a very tough prospect .
Most alarming of all Chris Kavanagh is the ref ( another North- Western ref officiating in a big game…in the North- West ) and he is a very poor ref . His record is 13 Liverpool victories in the 15 games in which he refereed them . David Coote is on VAR . In front of the Kop I worry about his steadfastness .
I thought we played incredibly well last weekend and if we were able to repeat that form we’d take something from the game . I think the team will be the same as started last week . Not playing this week is a help although they rested some of the best players .
We drew last year without Saliba and Rice . Let’s hope we avoid defeat tomorrow. We can have a good Christmas if we do
Very nicely set up 21CG. Last season’s game was season defining. Had we won it, as we should have, our chances of going on to win the League would have been heightened significantly. However, that game signalled the beginning of Saliba’s absence and the consequent downturn in our fortunes.
We needn’t fear Liverpool tomorrow, particularly if we can grab an early goal and quieten their (over-rated in my mind) twelfth man support. In that regard, no repeat of last year’s Granit Xhaka please.
COYG
A masterfully executed preview, 21cg. If we can match last season’s first half performance, and there are certainly no guarantees of that, while avoiding injury and coming up with a composed second half performance despite the inevitable Anfield bumps in the road, it will be a lovely Christmas present indeed.
Rodri looks to have sustained a nasty injury tonight
Very much agree the Anfield atmosphere is over emphasised. Arsenal players are very capable of keeping them quiet and taking 3 points.
The bigger danger comes from the officials who will be all out to benefit the home side.
Paranoid? Moi? Yes but if we can score clean goals that can’t be chalked off for dubious reasons then we will win. We are a far better team and I’m going for a 3 – 1 away win.
It’s time to make our mark!
Villa have just drawn with Sheffield United at home.
They only scored the equaliser in the 98th minute.
Say we are (still) top of the league!
Excellent preview 21CG!
A win there tomorrow would give this team another boost in confidence in their ability to get results anywhere against any team. Similar to the City win earlier in the season, this is another match to remove any vestiges of self-doubt.
A high intensity aggressive start, pressing high and moving the ball with purpose, and keeping our composure against all manners of provocations (including biased ones officiating) throughout the match should see us assert our quality. Your predicted starting eleven is the likeliest. But Trossard may play an important role coming off the bench, he has a decent record against them as well.
Happy Holidays everyone! Hope the match will give us one more reason to celebrate over the weekend.
Come on Arsenal!
Cheers 21CG.
Given the Villa result, I might now be happy enough with a draw tomorrow (if it’s 0-0 or come from behind…).
Great preview 21CG, even though you reminded me of the cloud I was on when we took that 2-0 lead last season and I began to believe we were really going to go on to win not just that game but (whisper it) also the League. I hope we can emulate last season’s early whirlwind, take a similar lead but this time exert the game control we saw against Brighton. If we can, I might find that cloud again. Like others, I would not cavil at a wel-earned draw.
COYG !
A very festive review, 21CG. Felicitations.
Best Arsenal beats best Liverpool this season, but any trip to Anfield is a tough one. A game of fine margins and chewed fingernails, I suspect.
Thanks 21CG, think you are right about the team and that Tomi would probably have started. Still, we are a better team than them and a 2-0 win should be doable.
Thanks 21CG
I would be ok with a draw but I agree with Matt that 2-0 is entirely within our capability. Havertz to score again.
UTA,
Tractor Boys live on SKY at the moment. Future Chel$ki wonder boy Amari Hutchinson, whose departure from Hale End caused some teeth to be gnashed, fails to make the team and his 20 squad number has him sitting on the bench at the bottom of the subs list. Leeds have taken an early lead. Hutchinson to the rescue? Time will tell.
Hutchinson on for Ipswich at 66 mins in an attempt to dent Leeds 4-0 advantage. He defends in the style of Nicholas Pepe! Nearly invisible as a left footed right winger (he’s no Saka).
More interestingly from the big book of “Men who didn’t cut the mustard at Arsenal” – Glen Kamara once of Hale End, Dens Park (Dundee), Ibrox (Rangers) and now of Leeds had an excellent game in midfield before being substituted with the game already won. May see him in the Premiership next season.
Talking of old boys, Mavro playing for Wham today as they rolled over Manyoo 2-0. He seemed to do ok though manure were so useless it was hard to tell. Wham really didn’t have to much to win. Ten Hag is starting to look haunted….. the manure supporters who made the long journey down to east London from surrey looked pleasingly depressed
An unchanged XI as expected.
1-0 early on, great start
Never a penalty to me but you never know these days
Good first half. Zinny poor for their goal. We’ve been the better team. More of the same in the second half and Tross for Jesus around 70mins.
21cg, a fine preview. thank you.
good first half. we had 10 minutes where they outplayed us, and zin left wanting for their goal. martinelli TAA fascinating to watch.
Chances will come with their defence.
CoYGS!
Well, Tross has come on around the 70 minute mark, but for Martinelli not Jesus.
What a game! Draining just watching, but a draw at Anfield is never a bad result.
Phew !
That was tense !
Great effort and a good result . Not many sides will survive there
Top at Christmas and unbeaten against the traditional top six
Christmas no 1!
1-1 as predicted by 21CG and TTG
Well, that was absolutely exhausting, but a very good point.
Onward.
What baff said. Merry Christmas all from the top of the (PL) tree.
An outstanding defensive performance. My match report should be up tomorrow morning. I’m emotionally exhausted tonight.
a meat grinder of a game. my blood pressure now down after a few hours. and a drink.
i love our team.
Rice looks more of a bargain buy with every game. Absolutely outstanding at Anfield.
Two evenly matched teams so a draw seems fair and top of the table on Christmas.
Here’s a funny stat. Manure have scored only 18 goals in the league, with only Sheffield scoring less (13). Hopefully Ten Hag will be getting a new long term contract.
Merry Christmas to all my fellow gooners.
I despised Zinchenko’s lack of positional awareness yet again but absolutely loved the passion and fight in the team, I thought Havertz was a bit too timid and miscontrolled a simple ball when we had a three on two and gifted it back to the pool.
Overall though I thought we were pretty fantastic and although its sad Klopp injured his own player it was awesome to see Saka not get bullied as the refs seem to be OK with rotationally fouling on him usually.
>>>>>>>