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The Premier League returns after an international break with a blockbuster fixture in the store. European hopefuls Arsenal and Liverpool meet in the Saturday late-night clash, hoping to secure the all-important three points. The Gunners are currently ninth in the table, and a win would take them within a point of the Reds.
Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal will invite Liverpool to the Emirates for Saturday’s late-night Premier League match. The Gunners are looking to string together some good performances and push towards the European spots as the league heads into the final months. They currently lie ninth in the table, having accumulated 42 points from 29 matches.
Liverpool are ahead of Arsenal, albeit not by much. The Reds have had a disastrous season and are currently seventh in the league table. Jurgen Klopp oversaw the Merseysiders’ first Premier League title last season, but his team has fallen far short of expectations this time around.
Injuries are a big reason for Liverpool’s abysmal form throughout the season. The Reds lost Virgil Van Dijk early in the campaign following a serious injury. The Dutchman was subsequently joined on the sidelines by central defenders Joe Gomez and Joel Matip, leaving Klopp with no fit senior centre-back. Reinforcements arrived in January, but by then it was too late – Liverpool’s title charge was effectively over.
While defensive concerns remain an issue for the Reds, they will be boosted by Diogo Jota’s return. The Portuguese attacker was a potent threat when he played but was himself sidelined for months after an injury.
Things haven’t gone any better for Arteta over at the Emirates. The Spaniard, now in his first full season as head coach, arrested his side’s mid-season slump but hasn’t been able to get consistent results. Arsenal have lost 11 matches already this season, however, they are unbeaten in their last four. The Gunners staged a stunning come-back in the last match before the international break, during which they came from three goals down to draw 3-3 against West Ham United.
Key Players
Bukayo Saka: It has taken a lot of tinkering, but Arteta seems to have finally found the perfect balance to his Arsenal attack. Saka is a key component in the same, along with Emile Smith-Rowe and Martin Odegaard, with the trio usually playing behind the main striker. The Englishman is the pick of the bunch – Arsenal’s academy star – and has been one of their main performers this season, if not the only consistent one. Saka has the pace and the skill to hurt a Liverpool defence, still getting used to each other.
Martin Odegaard: To say that the Norwegian midfielder has made an impact at Arsenal would be an understatement. The playmaker has had such a positive effect that calls for the club to sign him permanently have risen tenfold. Whether the Gunners convert his loan from Real Madrid into something long-term is yet to be known. However, they will look to rely upon him, once again, to create spaces and pick out his teammates with his accurate passing.
Diogo Jota: An argument could be made that Liverpool missed Jota in attack as much as they miss Van Dijk in defence. Since joining, the Portugal international freshened things up for the Reds, who had relied upon the same attacking trident for the last few years. Jota is now back fit and is in stellar form. He has had a productive international break too, during which he scored three times in three matches.
Ozan Kabak: Joining Liverpool from the sinking ship over at Schalke may have initially seemed like a step too far for Kabak. However, the Turkish international has immediately proven why he remains one of the best defensive prospects in the world, despite losing a few years in Gelsenkirchen. Should Klopp hand him a start at the Emirates as expected, he will go up against an Arsenal front-four that is starting to click together. His performance could set the tone for the match and give the Red a platform to build upon.
Prediction
Arsenal were the victors in the same fixture last year, although Liverpool had won the title by that point. Nevertheless, it was a statement victory for the Gunners – one which showed that the team was heading in the right direction under Arteta. The North London outfit has failed to build upon that win last season, but there have been signs of progress.
Saturday’s match provides Arteta with another chance to kick-start a consistent run, which he will hope leads to a European spot by the end of the season. Arsenal are ninth at the moment but remain within touching distance of a Europa League spot. A top-four finish might be a step too far at the moment, but it is not out of sight yet.
Liverpool won the opposite fixture earlier this season by the scoreline of 3-1. However, the Reds have suffered from a disastrous fall since then. They are no longer the untouchable side they were last season. They are vulnerable and have started to show desperation in the hunt for a Champions League place.
Arsenal will fancy their chances in this match. The Gunners’ exciting new attack could hurt the Liverpool defence with some of the key players still missing.
