ARSENAL VS LIVERPOOL: PREVIEW
- Bobby Vincent
- Nov 2, 2018
- 2 min read
Arsenal entertain Liverpool on Saturday evening, with both teams looking to maintain their strong starts to the season and create some fireworks of their own.
The Gunners had their 10-match winning streak come to an abrupt end last weekend as they drew 2-2 against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.
Liverpool comfortably beat Cardiff City at Anfield the day before, as they temporarily moved to top of the Premier League table.
This fixture last season was a Christmas cracker; with Liverpool squandering a 2-0 lead at the Emirates to draw 3-3.
TEAM NEWS:
Arsenal will give right-back Hector Bellerin a late fitness test with the Spaniard being forced off against Crystal Palace with a muscle injury.
Matteo Guendouzi is suspended for the clash, with Nacho Monreal and Sead Kolasinac possibly being available for the game after hamstring the injuries have nearly healed.
Sokratis Papastathopoulos is nursing an ankle problem and is set to be sidelined on Saturday evening.
Liverpool will be without midfielders Naby Keita and Jordan Henderson as they both have hamstring injuries.
Mohamed Salah has an inflated wrist tendon, meaning he has been wearing to protection on his wrist this week, but the forward will be fit for the trip to North London.
THE MANAGERS:
Arsenal boss Unai Emery has acknowledged that Liverpool will be a huge test for his side on Saturday evening and has identified ways to try and minimise their attacking threats.
"We need to stop them from doing their jobs in the 90 minutes," Emery insisted. "They have individual players and also are a collective.
"They are developing moves with the goalkeeper because they build up through Alisson, the centre-backs and the midfielders.
"They can progress up the pitch with a lot of quality starting with Alisson."
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has heaped the praise on his opposite number, Emery, claiming he has done an excellent job so far at Arsenal.
"All people in football knew how good he is but I am not sure all Arsenal fans were over the moon at first when they heard it would be Emery," Klopp said.
"But that's England a little bit, you want the poster boys. Unai was in France and before than in Spain, in a smaller club, so you can go a bit under the radar.
"Not for all the people in football, though. I saw yesterday that he won eight titles in two or three years. That's pretty big."
MATCH STATS:
- Liverpool have scored an incredible 17 goals in their last five Premier League games against Arsenal - netting three times in each of those matches.
- Arsenal are now winless in six Premier League meetings with Liverpool (D3, L3).
- The only time Klopp and Emery have met in opposite dugouts was Liverpool's 3-1 loss to Sevilla in the 2016 Europa League final.
- Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has been directly involved in 22 goals in his first 23 appearances in the Premier League for the Gunners (17 goals, five assists).
- Liverpool forward Roberto Firmino has scored and assisted in each of his last three games against Arsenal - no Premier League player has done this in four consecutive matches against a particular opponent.
BETTING ODDS:
Arsenal: 29/10
Draw: 29/10
Liverpool: 19/20
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