Prediction: Liverpool vs Arsenal

Liverpool desperately need to get their Premier League campaign back on track after losing at Old Trafford, although the Reds hope the Capital One Cup triumph over Bournemouth will be just the boost they need to turn things around. Meanwhile, Arsenal go into the game in much better mood having recorded two big wins in a row and the Gunners will fancy their chances of winning at Anfield.

Brendan Rodgers had some squad rebuilding to do as star striker Luis Suarez left the club and a host of new players were recruited, but the busy schedule in the opening exchanges made his job a lot more difficult. The Reds ended up crashing out of the Champions League in group stage while largely struggling in the Premiership, so it is fair to say the European campaign was just a distraction. The manager has been under intense pressure of late, with Liverpool slipping to 11th in the overall standings after the 3-0 loss to Manchester United, and the Capital One Cup triumph over Bournemouth will mean little if the Reds fail to defeat Arsenal in the Premier League. That is easier said than done given that Liverpool clearly lack the firepower up front, with Mario Balotelli suspended and Rickie Lambert unlikely to start against the Gunners. The Raheem Sterling experiment didn’t prove too bad, so the England star is again set to be deployed as a lone striker, while summer recruit Lazar Markovic could get a chance after impressing in midweek. Brendan Rodgers was certainly delighted to welcome back Mamadou Sakho given team’s well-documented defensive issues, while Brad Jones will continue as the new number one.

Arsenal have had their share of problems this season, but they are doing much better than the next opposition, which is likely to give them the upper hand on Sunday afternoon. While the Gunners failed to win the first position in their Champions League group, they were handed a very easy draw in the knockout stages, having been pitted against Monaco, a team currently occupying sixth position in French Ligue 1. Meanwhile, Arsenal have managed to improve their league position of late, winning three of last four matches to climb within two points of fourth-placed West Ham. There are no doubts the Gunners are high on confidence following back to back wins against Galatasaray and Newcastle, although Arsene Wenger is again having to contend with serious selection problems. According to the Frenchman, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain should be fit to play, but Nacho Monreal and Theo Walcott are major doubts, while Mikel Arteta, Aaron Ramsey, Jack Wilshere, Mesut Ozil, Tomas Rosicky and Laurent Koscielny are all out injured. Nevertheless, with the likes of Giroud, Welbeck and Sanchez up front, Arsenal have enough attacking potential to hurt Liverpool’s leaky defence.

Conclusion

Having restored some of the lost confidence by defeating AFC Bournemouth in midweek, Liverpool will be desperate to kick-start their Premier League campaign by defeating top 4 rivals Arsenal. That seems easier said than done given the Gunners’ scoring form, although with a number of important defenders missing, the visitors are likely to face serious problems at the back.

Verdict: Over 2.5 goals

Best Odds: 8/11

Bookmaker: bet365