Ray Parlour has picked a whopping nine Arsenal players for his combined XI between the Gunners and Liverpool.
Gabriel Jesus and Rob Holding are the unfortunate Gunners duo to miss out as the pundit casts his eye on the two teams before they face off on Sunday.
“Looking at current form, it has to be all Arsenal, except for Virgil van Dijk,” he told NetBet. “I know he isn’t playing great, but you would get him in alongside Gabriel, no disrespect to Rob Holding, and with William Saliba currently out injured.
“You would also still have to find a spot for Mohamed Salah, but you can’t leave Bukayo Saka out and Gabriel Martinelli is playing well so it is an awkward one.
“But with Gabriel Jesus having recently come back from injury, I would put Salah up front over the Brazilian. You’ve got to get Salah in there somehow – he could play as a false number nine up front with Saka and Martinelli on the wing – as Jesus has only just come back.”
Parlour stated that much of Liverpool’s absence from his line-up comes from Arsenal’s strength rather than any perceived weaknesses in Jurgen Klopp’s side.
“Liverpool don’t get many spaces,” he continued. “You’ve got Aaron Ramsdale in goal, I am happy with Ben White at right-back, he’s a good defender and has done so well this season, and at left-back Oleksandr Zinchenko has been brilliant.
“I love Andy Robertson, he’s a good player, but Zinchenko has been one of Arsenal’s best players in recent weeks. I’d certainly rather have White and Zinchenko over Trent Alexander-Arnold and Robertson.
“And in midfield, Thomas Partey has been excellent, and you can’t leave Martin Odegaard out the way he’s been playing. Nobody from Liverpool’s midfield gets in. Partey, Granit Xhaka and Odegaard, as a three, they work so well together, and I can’t see how the likes of Jordan Henderson or Fabinho get in the way they are playing.”
