Prediction: Arsenal vs Liverpool

Verdict: Away win

Best odds: 19/10

Bookmaker: BetUS

In England on Sunday, the focus will be on the Emirates Stadium for an anticipated Premier League showdown, featuring third-placed Arsenal against league leaders Liverpool in their third encounter within two months.

In midweek action, both teams strengthened their title aspirations. Arsenal secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory against Nottingham Forest, while Jurgen Klopp’s formidable team dismantled Chelsea with a commanding 4-1 win.

Arsenal

During Tuesday’s clash with Nottingham Forest at the City Ground, Arsenal briefly struggled with a return of their old attacking woes. The stadium had been a challenging venue for them, having suffered defeat in their previous three visits. Mikel Arteta’s team faced over an hour of frustration against a compact home defence, whose diligent efforts were eventually undone by two blunders.

Former Gunners goalkeeper Matt Turner allowed a Gabriel Jesus strike to slip through his legs at the near post, and World Cup winner Gonzalo Montiel’s giveaway led to Bukayo Saka clinically finishing off the counter-attack. Despite former Liverpool player Taiwo Awoniyi setting up a tense finale, Arsenal held on for a 2-1 victory, marking their second successive Premier League win since the winter break, following a 5-0 triumph over Crystal Palace.

This victory briefly propelled Arsenal into the second position in the table, but they were subsequently pushed back to third by Manchester City, who are only ahead on goal difference but have a game in hand. Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa remain close contenders.

With six wins from their last seven top-flight home matches at the Emirates Stadium, the only exception being a 2-0 defeat to West Ham, Arsenal aim to seek vengeance this weekend. They will attempt to rectify their FA Cup loss against Liverpool and maintain their strong home form.

Team News

Despite making a return to full training after three months on the sidelines with a thigh problem, Thomas Partey suffered a fresh setback and will not be available for the weekend clash against Liverpool. Fabio Vieira (groin) and Jurrien Timber (ACL) are still in the recovery phase, while Takehiro Tomiyasu is on duty with Japan for the Asian Cup.

Mohamed Elneny is expected to return to domestic duty following Egypt’s elimination from the Africa Cup of Nations. There is ongoing management of a knee concern for striker Gabriel Jesus, but there is confidence that he will be fit to start on Sunday.

Manager Mikel Arteta faces a midfield selection dilemma between Emile Smith Rowe, Kai Havertz, and Jorginho, having handed Smith Rowe a surprising start in the recent match against Nottingham Forest.

Liverpool

Liverpool, under the specter of Jurgen Klopp’s impending departure, embarked on his farewell parade with an impressive goal-scoring display. They scored five goals against Norwich City in the FA Cup and continued their stellar performance by outclassing Chelsea on Wednesday night.

Conor Bradley played a pivotal role in Liverpool’s attacking prowess, scoring his first senior goal and providing assists for Dominik Szoboszlai and Diogo Jota. His electrifying display made him the youngest Liverpool player in five years to set up multiple goals in a Premier League match. Luis Diaz also contributed to the goal-fest.

Despite Christopher Nkunku’s goal giving Chelsea a lifeline, Liverpool dominated the contest, and Mauricio Pochettino’s side could have faced a more significant goal difference if not for Darwin Nunez hitting the woodwork four times.

Liverpool, undefeated in 11 games across all competitions, is now poised to extend their lead at the top of the Premier League table by eight points if they secure a victory at the Emirates against Arsenal. While Klopp orchestrated a 2-0 FA Cup win at Arsenal recently, the Gunners managed to secure a 1-1 draw at Anfield in December, making it three Premier League games unbeaten against Liverpool ahead of their 200th league meeting on Sunday.

Team News

Conor Bradley’s impressive performance justified Jurgen Klopp’s decision to start him over Trent Alexander-Arnold in the midweek match. However, Alexander-Arnold’s experience and fresh legs may lead the Northern Irishman to accept a place on the bench at the Emirates.

Meanwhile, Wataru Endo (international duty), Mohamed Salah (muscle), Kostas Tsimikas (collarbone), Stefan Bajcetic (calf), Ben Doak (knee), Joel Matip (knee), and Thiago Alcantara (hip), will not be available for selection. Klopp remains optimistic about the fitness of Alexis Mac Allister, who sustained a knock to the knee in the win over Chelsea.

Darwin Nunez, known for hitting the woodwork multiple times, is a fresh doubt due to a foot injury, though he was seen in team training on Friday. Cody Gakpo could potentially be recalled to the first XI in his absence if need be.

In addition to the Bradley vs. Alexander-Arnold dilemma, Klopp must decide whether to bring back Andy Robertson to the starting lineup or stick with Joe Gomez, who has been doing a fantastic job on the left defensive flank in the absence of the Scotland captain.

Conclusion

Some Arsenal fans may still be puzzled by their team’s defeat in last month’s FA Cup clash with Liverpool, where the Gunners applied significant pressure but succumbed to two decisive blows from their opponents. Additionally, Arsenal’s recent victory over Nottingham Forest was not the most convincing.

Facing a team that has scored in each of their last 16 Premier League games against them, the Gunners’ aspirations for Premier League glory could face another setback. Virgil van Dijk’s assertion that Jurgen Klopp’s impending exit will provide Liverpool with an “extra boost” seems to be proving accurate, adding another layer of challenge for Arsenal in the upcoming clash.

Verdict: Away win

Best odds: 19/10

Bookmaker: BetUS