Arsenal vs Liverpool | Team News and Predicted Lineup for the Gunners

Arsenal vs Liverpool, Arteta Liverpool, Community Shield, EFL Cup

Arsenal will host their second home game in a row as they welcome Liverpool at the Emirates tonight. This would be the 4th meeting between the two sides this season and the visitors hold the upper hand, which generally has been the case for the last 5-6 seasons now.

They have comfortably beaten lower-ranked teams in the Premier League this season. Thus, it would be a good test for Mikel Arteta’s young team to play against the in-form and title-chasing side for a change. Moreover, the result would hardly affect their challenge for the top-4 finish.

Current Form and Head-to-Head records:

The Gunners have enjoyed a nice run since the turn of the year. Their form in the Premier League since January 2022 is 5W-1D-1L, with a solitary loss was against Manchester City in January. They are unbeaten in the last 6 league games, with a five-match winning run at the moment.

One the other hand, the Reds are also enjoying a great 2022 so far. They are unbeaten in the Premier League for 9 consecutive games, winning the last 8 fixtures. Moreover, they are one of the best defensive sides in the league this season, with the least number of defeats (2 in 28 games), ahead of City and Chelsea.

💬 "We have the right level of confidence, belief and understanding with each other and everything clicks better and quicker."

🎙 Mikel speaking ahead of #ARSLIV

Read what he had to say here 👇

— Arsenal (@Arsenal) March 15, 2022

As for the head-to-head records, the North London side have won only three times in the previous 18 meetings between the two sides across all competitions (8D, 9L). They won 2-1 at Emirates in July 2020 in the Premier League, winning the remaining two on penalties.

The Reds have an impressive 6-0 goal record against the Gunners in all matches this season, failing to score a single goal in three games – a 4-0 win in the league, 0-0 first-leg draw and 2-0 second-leg win in the League Cup.

Sadio Mane, Diogo Jota, Luis Diaz and Mohamed Salah have been in terrific form for Liverpool and the Arsenal defence will certainly be tested against the top-scoring team in the league. On the other hand, Arsenal have no such “single” prolific goal scorer to depend on, except Saka and ESR.

Arsenal Predicted Line-Up Against Liverpool

The Gunners have displayed a bit of depth with clever substitutions by Arteta, but the starting line-up is pretty much the same in most of the matches. Tomiyasu’s situation is still under the wraps and we would expect him to get more rest for a 100% recovery. Here’s how Arsenal might field their starting 11 against Liverpool.

Goalkeeper:

Aaron Ramsdale (GK): Top-quality performance against Leicester City will boost his confidence, but the attack in tonight’s game will be very different and difficult. Ramsdale can take the one clean sheet in the previous 3 meetings against the Reds as an inspiration and might well be the most important man tonight

Defense:

Cedric Soares (RB): Tomiyasu’s absence and Cedric’s current form will certainly give him the nod over Rob Holding. But, he needs to be more focused on the defensive duties to play against Sadio Mane.

Gabriel Magalhaes (CB): Huge task in hand for the Brazilian defender tonight. Gabriel not only needs to attentively patrol his central defensive area but also look out for crosses put in by Alexander-Arnold.

Ben White (CB): Needs to cover up for Cedric and back up Gabriel in the heart of defence. A limited forward movement will be acceptable but his direct overhead passes could be vital in fast breaks.

Kieran Tierney (LB): Need to marshall the left-wing for the full ninety minutes. He is one of the most feasible and reliable ways to go from defence to offense for the Gunners. His performance might give Arteta’s men the upper hand in the game.

Kieran Tierney, Arsenal, Liverpool — (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

Midfield:

Granit Xhaka (CM): The Swiss international’s experience, quality, and patience will be tested in the Arsenal vs Liverpool game. He needs to deliver from the front and retain his hold in the locker room. Most importantly, he needs to restrict himself from making silly fouls.

Thomas Partey (CM): The Ghanaian is an improved version of himself and could just be the decisive factor of the match for the Gunners. His movements and the passing will matter more than ever in the league.

Martin Odegaard (AM): Odegaard’s current form must have put Jurgen Klopp on alert. He will be tightly marked along with some other frontmen. A moment of magic from the Norwegian midfielder might provide the North London side a massive advantage in the match

💪 Training day

🤜 Final preparation for #ARSLIV

📸 See the best of today's training pics 👇

— Arsenal (@Arsenal) March 15, 2022

Attack:

Bukayo Saka (RM): The young Englishman was brilliant against Liverpool in the previous meetings this season, but couldn’t score a goal. He might get a chance to break the Merseysiders’ hearts, especially since we are playing at home.

Alexandre Lacazette (ST): After ending the goal-scoring drought last week, Lacazette would be looking to add some more goals before the end of the season. Liverpool’s defence is hard nut to crack, but not impenetrable. Clinical finishing is expected from the experienced ones in the squad.

Alexandre Lacazette, Arsenal, Liverpool — Image obtained via footballespana.net

Emile Smith Rowe (LM): After a short run in the Leicester game, Emile Smith Rowe will be the most rested player on the field for the Gunners tonight. He has to give a “No. 10” performance to cement his position in the starting lineup going forward.

Predicted Score For The Game:

Arsenal playing against the mighty Liverpool side is always a worry-some factor for the fans. But the home atmosphere and the build-up for the season will be a positive sign for the Gunners. We can hope for a 1-1 draw against the Reds.

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