Anfield has not been a happy hunting ground for Arsenal in recent seasons with a 2-0 win in September 2012 the last time they beat Liverpool on their own patch in the Premier League.
Since that game, Liverpool have beaten Arsenal by four goals on three separate occasions and won each of the last four league meetings between the sides at an aggregate score of 15-3.
Jurgen Klopp’s side are also on a 60-game unbeaten run at Anfield in the Premier League but Arsenal travel to Merseyside with more hope of getting a result than they have done in previous meetings.
Under Mikel Arteta, the Gunners have shown tangible signs of progression, as shown by beating Liverpool twice in the past two months, although the second was via a penalty shootout.
Arsenal have also won both of their Premier League matches this season, comprehensively beating Fulham on the opening day before narrowly squeezing past West Ham last weekend.
Liverpool, though, also have a 100 per cent winning record, beating Leeds United 4-3 in their previous game at Anfield before taking advantage of ten-man Chelsea with a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge.
Arteta does have some injury issues to contend with but none to any of his most important players, while Kieran Tierney has been back in full training after missing the clash with West Ham with a groin issue.
Here is how Arsenal could line up against the Premier League champions.
Defence
Arsenal’s switch to a back three during Project Restart has proven to be a masterstroke from Arteta and it would be a bold decision to deviate away from that tactic regardless of the potency of Liverpool’s attack. Going man-to-man against Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane could be asking for trouble, but Arteta could negate that problem somewhat by asking his wing-backs to tuck in.
Taking that into consideration, the right-footed Ainsley Maitland-Niles may be preferred to the left-footed Bukayo Saka in the left wing-back slot to allow Arsenal to double up on Salah. If Tierney is fit enough to feature, he will come into the side in place of Sead Kolasinac, alongside Gabriel Magalhaes, while Rob Holding and David Luiz will compete for the other slot. Hector Bellerin, meanwhile, will be tasked with keeping Mane quiet.
Shkodran Mustafi, Sokratis Papastathopolous and Pablo Mari remain sidelined while Cedric Soares will be assessed after missing the midweek Carabao Cup win over Leicester City with a tight calf.
Midfield
As he was under previous managers, Granit Xhaka appears to be Arteta’s most trusted central midfield player and the team’s change in shape has emphasised the Swiss captain’s best attributes while covering up for his main deficiencies.
Xhaka’s midfield partner for the majority of Arsenal’s games since lockdown has been Dani Ceballos, however, he combined successfully alongside Mohamed Elneny during the Community Shield win over Liverpool last month. Arteta may be tempted to reunite that pair in a bid to stifle Liverpool’s attack, with Elneny a more defensive option than Ceballos.
Attack
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has supplied a goal and an assist in his opening two Premier League matches this season from a left wing position and Arteta will be hoping he can exploit any space vacated by Liverpool’s attack-minded right back Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Willian was more subdued against West Ham than in the first game against Fulham where he supplied two debut assists but the Brazilian has performed well enough to keep Nicolas Pepe out of the team on the opposite flank.
Arteta has a nice dilemma on his hands in having two in-form strikers to choose between. Alexandre Lacazette has scored twice in two Premier League matches, while Eddie Nketiah has two goals from his previous two outings, including the winner against West Ham. Lacazette’s superior experience may count in his favour on this occasion.
Follow i sport on Facebook for more Arsenal news, interviews and features
More on Arsenal
- Cunningham: Arsenal’s players should ask for their money back after Kroenke’s £325m windfall
- Is it really worth it? Arsenal need to take a long, hard look at their relationship with this super agent
- A new era: Gabriel Magalhaes has already shown his ‘special qualities’ to suggest things are changing in defence
- The road to 2024: How a new Champions League format could leave Arsenal high and dry
- Dayot Upamecano: Why Leipzig star would fit right in to the Premier League
from Football – inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/3i6ZbBH
Post a Comment