Liverpool vs Arsenal: BigMatchPreview

When: Liverpool V/S Arsenal, August 24th, Saturday at 10:00 pm IST.

Where: Anfield Stadium, Liverpool

Match Referee: Anthony Taylor

Quick Fact:

The last time Arsenal won at Anfield in the premier league was way back in September 2012, when goals from Santi Cazorla and Lukas Podolski gave the gunners a hard earned victory against Brendan Rodgers’ Liverpool side.

Team Preview: Liverpool

Table position: 1

Recent Results: W W (latest first)

Shaky. Disorganized. All over the place. These aren’t terms you would normally associate with Liverpool’s defense. However, this season they’ve looked like the shadow of their former selves at the back. Indeed the absence of their first choice goalkeeper Allison hasn’t helped matters, but that said you still wouldn’t expect their usually solid back 4 to pass up opportunities aplenty to their opposition. To put things is perspective, on another day the results in the last couple of games could have gone against them if Danny Ings and Tammy Abraham hadn’t inexplicably missed gilt-edged chances to score at the dying moments of their respective games.

On a positive note, Liverpool’s front three are in great rhythm, with all three of them( Mane, Salah and Firmino) chalking up a goal and an assist in two matches. Furthermore, the Merseyside club are top of the table, two points clear of ManCity, having not played a game more !!!

Jurgen Klopp’s men will be very happy to be facing Arsenal as the North London club have been annihilated in their three visits to Anfield, with a combined scoreline of 12-2 in Liverpool’s favor.

Team News:

There are no fresh injury concerns for Klopp, Allison and Keita though still remain out with injuries.

Team Preview: Arsenal

Table Position: 2

Recent Results: W W (latest first)

Arsenal have made their best start to the Premier League season in 10 years. Unai Emerey’s men are only one of two sides ( the other, Liverpool) to have registered a maximum 6 points in two matches. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored winners in both the games and Lacazette too has got off the mark.

But in all fairness, the one who has really caught everyone’s eye is new signing Dani Ceballos. The Real Madrid loanee provided two assists on his home debut last time out against Burnley and produced a man of the match performance in midfield. After all, Arsenal may have finally found a world class player in the middle of the park. The Spaniard has the perfect opportunity to show the world he is the real big deal this weekend against the European champions, Liverpool.

Furthermore, other new signings David Luiz and Nicolas Pepe have impressed during the time they’ve played. The latter may well get his first start on Saturday after making a difference as a half-time substitute against the Clarets. The moment he nutmegged Ben Mee will be etched in everybody’s mind for a long time.

Team News:

Granit Xhaka may well return to the starting eleven having the last game, while Mesut Ozil could make his first appearance of the season. Bellerin, Tierney and Holding are out with long-term injuries.

Head to Head: Played-54, Liverpool-20, Arsenal-15, Draws 19

LAST FIVE ENCOUNTERS:

• LIVERPOOL 5 – ARSENAL 1 SAT 29 DEC 2018
• ARSENAL 1- LIVERPOOL 1 SAT 3 NOV 2018
• ARSENAL 3 – LIVERPOOL 3 SAT 23 DEC 2018
• LIVERPOOL 4 – ARSENAL 0 SUN 27 AUG 2017
• LIVERPOOL 3 – ARSENAL 1 SAT 4 MAR 2017

LIVERPOOL have dominated the last five encounters winning three and drawing the other two, Arsenal would be desperate to break this streak and look to win at anfield for the first time in 7 years.

Who fares well in this fixture:

Roberto Firmino has scored 8 goals in 8 games against Arsenal. That is the highest amount the Brazilian has managed against a single opposition.

Did you know?

1. Mo Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino have all scored every time they’ve faced Arsenal at Anfield.
2. Firmino has 8 goals and 3 assists against arsenal more than salah and mane combined👀
3. Since the inception of the premier league in 1992, these two sides have shared only 4 goalless draws and the last came back in 2015.
4. Over the last 10 years this match produces 3 goals on an average with 79 goals shared in this period

From the archives:

1. Andre Arshavin remains the only opposition player to have scored 4 goals at anfield
2. Thierry Henry scored a crucial hat-trick against Liverpool during the invincible season that helped arsenal record a stunning comeback win.
3. Two seasons back liverpool and arsenal played out an end to end game with the game having 6 different goal scorers as the match ended at 3-3.

CLASSIC ENCOUNTERS:

1. LIVERPOOL 4- ARSENAL 4, APRIL 21 2009

On April 21, 2009, LIVERPOOL and ARSENAL played out one of the greatest encounters in Premier League history at Anfield.

Liverpool, battling Manchester United for the Premier League title, needed a win to go above their fierce rivals, while Arsenal were down in fourth, with a comfortable seven-point cushion above Aston Villa behind them.

Liverpool: Reina, Arbeloa, Carragher, Agger, Aurelio, Alonso, Mascherano, Benayoun, Kuyt (El Zhar 86), Riera (Babel 74), Torres.
Subs Not Used: Cavalieri, Dossena, Lucas, Ngog, Skrtel.

Goals: Torres 49, Benayoun 56, Torres 72, Benayoun 90.

Arsenal: Fabianski, Sagna, Toure, Silvestre, Gibbs, Arshavin, Song, Fabregas, Denilson (Walcott 65), Nasri, Bendtner (Diaby 90).
Subs Not Used: Mannone, Eduardo, Vela, Ramsey, Eboue.

Booked: Sagna.

Goals: Arshavin 36, 67, 70, 90.

Arshavin opened the scoring on the 39 th minute of the game thanks to a briliant cesc fabregas assist the score remained 1-0 at half time, with 7 goals being scored in the second half with arshavin adding three more to become the first opposition player to score FOURRRRR goals at anfield, with the match entering injury time with the score at 4-3 to arsenal it looked like game over for liverpool until benayoun scored a 90+3 equalizer as the match ended at 4-4

Anyway, you know what happened next. Liverpool didn’t win the league and Arsenal finished fourth. But football isn’t always about results. It’s about being made to feel thrilled and exhilarated and disappointed and exhausted all at once.

2.ARSENAL 4 – LIVERPOOL 2, APRIL 9 2004

Arsenal faced a stern test in their bid to become the first team to win the league title without being defeated through out the season when they faced liverpool at highbury on APRIL 9 2004, liverpool raced on to an electric start which saw them take the lead through Sami Hyypia who headed them ahead after five minutes.

Henry raced clear to equalise after 31 minutes, but Michael Owen restored Liverpool’s lead before half-time. Arsenal scored twice in a minute early in the second half through Robert Pires and an Henry wonder goal, before Henry completed his hat-trick to seal a crucial victory, taking advantage of slack marking and Dennis Bergkamp’s through ball to bundle home with 12 minutes left.

Arsenal: Lehmann, Lauren, Campbell, Toure, Cole, Ljungberg (Keown 90), Vieira, Silva, Pires (Edu 72), Bergkamp, Henry.
Subs not used: Reyes, Clichy, Shaaban.

Booked: Cole, Vieira, Lauren.

Liverpool: Dudek, Carragher, Hyypia, Biscan, Riise, Diouf (Murphy 85), Hamann, Gerrard, Kewell, Heskey (Baros 66), Owen.
Subs not used: Henchoz, Cheyrou, Luzi Bernardi.

Booked: Diouf.

It was the result Arsenal needed so badly, and left Liverpool still fighting a battle for fourth place. Arsenal went on to win the premier league title without being defeated remaining the only PL team to remain INVINCIBLE in a PL season.”INVINCIBLES”

AllAbout FPL Verdict:

From Arshavin’s famous 4 goal heroics in 2009 to Bobby Firmino ‘s ridiculously nonchalant hat-trick in 2018, Liverpool versus Arsenal always delivers a great deal of entertainment. This time around, it is a top of the table clash and it could really be a barometer for Arsenal’s mettle this season. We expect a high-scoring encounter just as always.

Probable XIs:

Liverpool(4-3-3):

Adrian, Gomez, VVD, Matip, Robertson, Fabinho, Henderson(c), Winjaldum, Salah, Mane , Firmino

Arsenal (4-3-3):

Leno, Maitland-Niles, Sokratis, Luiz, Monreal, Xhaka, Ceballos, Guendouzi, Auba, Pepe, Lacazette.

Prediction: Liverpool 5 Arsenal 2

Both sides can point to a potent attack, with Jurgen Klopp able to call upon Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Firmino and his side has already netted six times in August. Arsenal boss Unai Emery has Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who has scored two in as many games thus far, Alexandre Lacazette and new signing Nicolas Pepe. It could well be goals galore at anfield come saturday night.