Who: Arsenal vs Liverpool
What: English Premier League
The place: Emirates Stadium in London, United Kingdom
When: Thursday, January 8, at 8pm (20:00 GMT).
Find out how to comply with: We can have all of the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 17:00 GMT prematurely of our textual content commentary stream.
Desk-topping Arsenal entertain defending champions Liverpool in a mouth-watering providing within the English Premier League on Thursday, with glory on supply for the previous however satisfaction closely at stake for the latter.
The Gunners are looking for their first league title since 2003, whereas the Reds are licking their wounds from a season that has nearly inexplicably imploded following their runaway success final time period.
Al Jazeera Sport takes a more in-depth have a look at the match wherein a house win is absolutely anticipated, however nothing can ever be taken with no consideration within the Premier League.
How have Arsenal fared within the Premier League this season?
The Gunners have stormed to high spot as supervisor Mikel Arteta appears to go one higher than three consecutive second-placed finishes within the English high flight.
Just one defeat in 21 matches to start the season – the loss coming at Liverpool – has marked Arsenal because the group to cease on all fronts. Free-scoring in entrance of the purpose and miserly on the again, Arteta seems to have lastly cracked the code.
How do issues stand within the Premier League title race?
The hole with second-placed Manchester Metropolis is six factors, forward of Pep Guardiola’s aspect welcoming Brighton and Hove Albion on the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday.
Aston Villa are stage on factors with Metropolis, and journey to Crystal Palace on Wednesday, however their 4-1 defeat by the hands of Arsenal on December 30 was thought to be a critical dent to their title ambitions.
What has gone fallacious for Liverpool within the Premier League this season?
The Reds loved a surprising begin to the brand new marketing campaign, which made their demise this season all of the extra alarming. Slot’s aspect received their opening 5 league matches as a part of a seven-game profitable run in all competitions.
Liverpool supervisor Arne Slot insists his reigning champions can nonetheless do “particular issues” this season.
“It’s 9 video games unbeaten however we now have undoubtedly had two attracts too many,” Slot advised a pre-match information convention on Wednesday.
An excessive amount of the main focus for the Reds’ slide, which noticed them lose the next 4 Premier League video games on the bounce after their wonderful begin, has centered on the fallout with their iconic ahead Mohamed Salah.
Slot has insisted the membership have moved on since Salah’s departure for worldwide responsibility with Egypt on the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, however questions stay throughout the park.
“We haven’t had the consistency however we’ve already overwhelmed some excellent groups, in order that tells you the expertise is unquestionably there however the consistency isn’t,” he stated.
Solely 41 targets had been conceded by Liverpool final season, however 28 have already been let in throughout their 20 video games to this point this season.
The large summer time spending spree, which was headlined by Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz as marquee signings, has seemingly unsettled the steadiness of a aspect that stormed to the title final season.
The expertise of each, and the remainder introduced in, is kind of clear, however whether or not Slot can gel them right into a aspect able to salvaging this season and past stays to be seen.
The supervisor believes his aspect are nonetheless within the reckoning within the league.
“There’s loads of significance on this match as a result of we nonetheless have rather a lot to play for within the Premier League,” stated Slot.
What occurred the final time Arsenal performed Liverpool?
Liverpool secured a 1-0 win towards Arsenal in an early-season encounter between the edges within the Premier League on August 31 at Anfield.
Dominik Szoboszlai scored the one purpose of the sport with an explosive free-kick within the 83rd minute of an in any other case tight match.
What occurred within the corresponding recreation between Arsenal and Liverpool final season?
The edges couldn’t be separated in final season’s Premier League match at Emirates Stadium, though Liverpool needed to twice come from behind – together with a late Mohamed Salah leveller – to snare a 2-2 draw.
Bukayo Saka and Mikel Merino had given the Gunners the lead twice within the first half with Virgil van Dijk netting in between.
The Reds, nevertheless, needed to nervously wait till the 81st minute for Salah to safe some extent.
When did Arsenal final beat Liverpool?
Arsenal’s final win towards Liverpool got here three seasons in the past, courtesy of a 3-1 victory at Emirates Stadium in February 2024.
A fiery match noticed 9 yellow playing cards proven and Reds defender Ibrahima Konate despatched off within the 88th minute when his aspect had been nonetheless looking for an equaliser.
Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli scored in both half to twice give the Gunners the lead, both aspect of Gabriel Magalhaes’s personal purpose.
Leandro Trossard rounded off the scoring within the ninetieth minute.
Stat assault – Arsenal
The Gunners are on a seven-game profitable streak, throughout which they’ve netted 13 targets and conceded solely six – two of which got here within the win towards Brighton of their final recreation.
The north Londoners are the one group to retain an unbeaten house document within the Premier League at this stage, profitable 9 of their 10 matches at Emirates Stadium. The Gunners have fired in 26 targets in entrance of their very own followers within the league this season, and conceded solely 5.
Bukayo Saka, such an enormous a part of the Gunners’ type of current seasons, is aiming to turn into the primary Arsenal participant to attain in 4 straight league house video games towards Liverpool.
Stat assault – Liverpool
Liverpool are unbeaten in 9 matches, profitable 5, however have drawn their final two – each within the league.
The Reds have stored just one clear sheet of their final seven league matches – a 2-0 home victory towards Brighton and the 0-0 draw at Leeds two video games in the past.
Eight targets have been shipped in that point, with 12 scored.
4 of their six defeats this season have come on the street – the place they’ve additionally received 4 and drawn two – with 18 targets conceded on their travels and solely 17 scored.
Even bottom-of-the-table Wolverhampton Wanderers haven’t shipped so many targets away from house.
Arsenal vs Liverpool – stat assault
Liverpool are unbeaten in three matches towards Arsenal, profitable the final match and drawing twice.
That victory for the Reds, nevertheless, ended a six-match winless run within the league, throughout which the Gunners received twice.
The final victory for the Reds previous to that stretch was the final time the Merseysiders received at Emirates Stadium, again in March 2022, with targets from Roberto Firmino and Diogo Jota.
The Gunners have received two of the three league conferences in London since then.
Head-to-head
That is the 246th assembly between the edges, with Liverpool profitable 95 of the matches and Arsenal rising victorious on 81 events.
Arsenal group information
Max Dowman and Cristhian Mosquera miss out, with each combating ankle issues, whereas Riccardo Calafiori is a doubt attributable to an unspecified harm.
Kai Havertz was rested from the squad that was named for the win at Bournemouth and should need to make do with a spot on the bench at greatest as his restoration from a earlier harm is managed.
Predicted Arsenal beginning lineup
Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Hincapie; Odegaard, Zubimendi, Rice; Saka, Gyokeres, Trossard
Liverpool group information
Salah stays at AFCON with Egypt, whereas Isak is a long-term absentee with a leg harm.
Fellow ahead Hugo Ekitike missed the draw with Fulham attributable to a muscle drawback and stays a doubt.
Florian Wirtz is nursing a hamstring drawback however is predicted to proceed to play by means of the problem.
Giovanni Leoni and Wataru Endo stay longer-term absentees.
Predicted Liverpool beginning lineup
Alisson; Bradley, Konate, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Mac Allister, Gravenberch; Szoboszlai, Wirtz, Jones; Gakpo
Arsenal and Liverpool kind guides
- Arsenal: W-W-W-W-W
- Liverpool: W-W-W-D-D
