Liverpool host Arsenal in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon in what promises to be a fixture of monumental importance.
The Gunners are aiming to continue their momentum in pursuit of a first Premier League title in 19 years. Manchester City ’s 4-1 win over Southampton on Saturday cut their lead to five points, but Mikel Arteta’s side can restore their eight-point cushion by doing something they haven’t done since 2012.
Arsenal have a miserable record in the league at Anfield, having lost their last six fixtures there since picking up a 3-3 draw in January 2016 – a match Arteta played in. During that period, Liverpool have scored 22 goals to Arsenal’s four.
They will have a great chance of ending that poor run at Anfield on Sunday, with Liverpool without a win in their past four games, having drawn 0-0 with Chelsea following defeats by Bournemouth, Real Madrid and Manchester City.
Liverpool are way down in eighth place, 13 points adrift of the top four, and are desperate for a win. Jurgen Klopp made six changes for the Chelsea game on Tuesday, leaving out the likes of Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold, and could ring the changes once again.
Asked about his team selection in his pre-match press conference, Klopp said: “We had one proper session since then. The boys don't show me they don't want [to play]. This is not the situation we are in.
HAVE YOUR SAY! Will Arsenal break their bad run at Anfield and beat Liverpool? Comment below.
“In training, I have to make decisions about the team based on what I saw in training. That opens the door for everybody. I cannot constantly ask for something I didn't get. I am really calm in this moment. I am in it and see everything and base my decisions on that. In the end, we will see what the outcome is.”
Salah and Alexander-Arnold will be vying to come back into the starting line-up, along with Andy Robertson and Cody Gakpo. Roberto Firmino, Kostas Tsimikas, Diogo Jota and Joe Gomez could drop out if that’s the case.
Arteta has been notable for his consistency of selection this season, preferring to stick rather than twist in the league. He now has Gabriel Jesus back from injury, but has lost another key player in William Saliba, who was injured against Sporting on March 16.
Rob Holding has taken the Frenchman’s place in central defence and will play once more at Anfield alongside Gabriel Magalhaes. “There are no real changes with the rest of the players who were still injured,” Arteta confirmed in his pre-match press conference.
There are unlikely to be any surprises, therefore, with Jesus set to lead the line after scoring twice in the 4-1 win over Leeds last weekend. Leandro Trossard may have to be content with a place on the bench, despite his spectacular creative form, with Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli the regular starters on the flanks.
Trossard started ahead of Saka against Leeds but the England international has overcome his illness. Arteta is expecting a tough test against Liverpool, despite their awful form.
Asked what he was expecting, Arteta replied: “That they are a great team, managed by a top manager and they create an incredible atmosphere that makes it really difficult for us, for any opponent, as it is when to come to the Emirates.
“You know, it’s very, very difficult, so we know that, and the opportunity is ahead of us there on Sunday to do something that we have done in the last two or three years, to win in places that the team didn’t do for many, many years.”
Here are Mirror Football’s predicted line-ups for the 4.30pm kick-off on Sunday.
Liverpool predicted XI: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Henderson, Fabinho, Thiago; Salah, Gakpo, Nunez
Arsenal predicted XI: Ramsdale; White, Holding, Gabriel, Zinchenko; Partey, Xhaka, Odegaard; Martinelli, Saka, Jesus
