LIVERPOOL PREDICTED XI: ARSENAL (A)
- Andrew Corns
- Nov 2, 2018
- 4 min read
The stakes are high as Liverpool travel to the Emirates, facing an Arsenal side in red hot form.
Can Jurgen Klopp’s team show they’ve got what it takes to win a difficult away fixture and keep pressure on Manchester City at the top of the table?
THE DEFENCE:
GK – Alisson Becker – Through many Liverpool’s league games this year Alisson hasn’t been called on to do much.
That could change here with Arsenal’s potent attacking players likely to create a few chances, forcing the keeper to make a crucial save or two.
Alisson is the undisputed #1 for Liverpool and it’s an automatic choice that he’s in net.
LB – Andy Robertson – No offence to Alberto Moreno who played okay last week against Cardiff, but the left-back position is well and firmly Andy Robertson’s, both currently and long-term.
Klopp was wise to give Robertson rest against a team they knew they should beat, and he’ll enter this match fully energised to cause problems on the wing as well as with his ability to deliver crosses into the box.
CB – Virgil van Dijk – Klopp has shown a tendency to rotate the defence early in the season, but one man consistently finds his name in the starting eleven.
It’s no surprise given van Dijk is at the height of his powers helping transform Liverpool’s defence into one of the best across Europe since his arrival.
His ability to direct those around him will prove instrumental in dealing with the weapons Arsenal have in attack.
CB – Dejan Lovren – It’s really a coin flip on whether we see van Dijk partner with Dejan Lovren or Joe Gomez.
I’ve gone with Lovren based on the patterns starting to emerge in Klopp’s team selections since Dejan returned from injury.
RB – Joe Gomez – Joe Gomez has been a revelation in defence this season. He’s built upon a good previous campaign and has cemented himself as a key cog in Liverpool’s defensive group.
He doesn’t offer quite as much as Alexander-Arnold going forward, but he’s been in better overall form and is more defensively sound which will be important in a game that could be wide open.
THE MIDFIELD:
MF – Fabinho – Add the Brazilian to the growing list of players Klopp’s slowly integrated into his system who hit the ground running once they get their chance.
He’s looked solid in his last two appearances, bringing a defensive toughness Liverpool have lacked in midfield for years.
He also isn’t a slouch on the ball and I anticipate we see more of him going forward as he continues to gain confidence and fully adapt to the league.
His ability to shield the back four will be vital against Arsenal, especially in trying to shut down Mesut Ozil.
MF – Gini Wijnaldum – If Liverpool’s midfield wasn’t hit with injuries to Jordan Henderson and Naby Keita, I could see Klopp opting to give Wijnaldum a rest.
He doesn’t have that luxury now and with the way Wijnaldum’s been playing, it’s hard to imagine a Liverpool lineup that doesn’t include him.
With Fabinho in the holding midfield role, it’ll be on Gini to push forward and help create space and chances for Liverpool’s front three to operate.
MF – James Milner – Milner’s found himself on the bench in recent weeks due to both minor injuries he’s been nursing and Liverpool’s 4-2-3-1 formation experiment leaving him without a spot he naturally fits into.
I think Klopp will return to his 4-3-3 tactics to add an additional midfielder to deal with Arsenal’s approach to playing a possession-based game.
THE ATTACK:
FW – Sadio Mane – Premier League defences be wary: Liverpool’s vaunted front three are coming to life.
After starting the season out of sorts and not gelling like they left off last year, it looks like they’re all synced up again and ready to wreak havoc on opposing defenders.
There’s no reason to assume Mane, Salah and Firmino aren’t a lock for matches of this magnitude when they’re healthy.
FW – Mohamed Salah – It seems like we’re in the clear now and past the media’s never-ending discussion about Salah’s goalscoring form (or lack thereof).
It was never fair to expect him to pick up where he left off last season given the recovery from his shoulder injury and a disappointing World Cup having lingering effects.
That’s all a thing of the past in my opinion and with the weight of expectation gone, now is the time King Mo returns to his throne.
Expect him to cause nightmares for Unai Emery leading into the fixture and for all Arsenal defenders once the whistle blows.
ST – Roberto Firmino – No player personifies Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool side more than Bobby Firmino.
With Arsenal preferring to play out from the back, expect Firmino to torment them with his unrelenting pressing.
He’ll also use his movement and awareness to constantly draw defenders out to create space for Mane and Salah to operate in behind.
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