- Arsenal have lost just one of their last 12 clashes with Liverpool, winning four and drawing seven.
- Luis Suarez has six goals and one assist in four Premier League games since returning from suspension.
- November is Arsenal’s least productive month in Premier League history with the Gunners gaining only 1.55 points per game. October is their second most productive month (behind March).
Liverpool enter the match
having humbled a tricky West Bromwich Albion squad 4-1 behind a fantastic Luis
Suarez hat-trick and an unappreciated Daniel Sturridge chip. That victory
ensured the Reds taking ten out of a possible twelve points in their last four
league matches following a pair of 3-1 victories Crystal Palace and Sunderland,
along with a 2-2 draw at Newcastle.
Confidence will be high for
Brendan Rodgers‘
men not only because they haven’t lost a league match to Arsenal in their last three
visits to the Emirates but because they’re also unbeaten in all four of their Premier League
road matches this season.
While a bum knee
leaves Jose Enrique a doubt to play, the Reds are set to receive a
massive boost through the return of Brazilian playmaker Philippe Coutinho.
The 21-year-old has been sidelined since the September 16th match with Swansea
City where a waist-high challenge from Ashley Williams left him with a
shoulder injury.
Arsenal will be without
defensive stalwart, Mathieu Flamini, for Saturday’s match against Liverpool. Coutinho is a tricky little
customer who loves to operate in between an opposition’s midfield and defensive lines, an area of the pitch
where Arsenal will be without Mathieu Flamini due to a groin injury. Flamini
has been a revelation in manager Arsene Wenger‘s midfield. His absence will be eased by the return of
Mikel Arteta after serving a one game suspension for the red card he was shown
in last weekend’s
2-0 victory over Crystal Palace.
That match marked the Gunners
second straight league victory and took their league-best unbeaten streak to eight
in a row. Outside the Premier League, however, Wenger’s squad has stumbled at home losing their last two
matches to Chelsea (2-0 in the Capital One Cup) and Borussia Dortmund (2-1 in
the Champions League).
Those results were difficult
on the Gunners, who played well despite the unavailability of Flamini, as well
as long-term absentees Theo Walcott, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Yaya Sanogo,
Abou Diaby and Lukas Podolski. With all six players out for Saturday’s contest, Arsenal will once again look to impress
audiences by holding down their place atop the league with a heavily reduced
squad.
With a victory, Wenger’s men will preserve at least a two point lead over
second place Chelsea and open up a five point distance from Liverpool. If the
result swings the other way, Liverpool will leap-frog the Gunners in the
standings and, depending on the Chelsea result, could go top of the league.
Prediction:
What a tasty fixture this is
shaping up to be. Liverpool fans will be frothing at the mouth to see what Coutinho
pull the strings behind Sturridge and Suarez while Arsenal supporters will be
adamant that the current home loss streak come to an end and that their
position atop the league be preserved. A share of the points feels like
the likely result but if pressed to chose a winner, Arsenal’s health issues give Liverpool the slight edge.
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