After a somewhat unexpected draw at The Hawthorns last weekend Liverpool now have to face the might of Arsene Wenger's Arsenal at Anfield on Saturday. The Reds appear to have lost some of their consistency of late and it will be interesting to see which side turns up this weekend as Liverpool attempt to create a stumbling block for the Londoners.
Injuries for Liverpool are still pretty much the same with Johnson, Agger, Sakho, Enrique and Lucas all still out. Whilst Arsenal are missing Jack Wilshere and Mathieu Flamini who is half way through a four match ban.
Arsenal are currently top of the pile having lost only three matches all season. The Gunners have also won five out of their last six league fixtures, drawing the other match against Southampton. It's worth noting that two of Arsenal's three losses were away from home to Manchester United and Manchester City and they too also struggled to beat West Brom at The Hawthorns drawing 1-1. So does this mean all hope is not lost for Liverpool on Saturday?
Looking at the Reds recent form of three wins, two draws and one loss you would have to feel Arsenal have the upper hand but Liverpool have been brilliant at home winning nine out of eleven matches. The other positive is that Brendan's side seem to come out against the big teams and whilst we've faced them all away from home, this will be the real test on Saturday as Arsenal have to deal with the obvious effect of an Anfield crowd.
The last time the two sides met was in November last year when Santi Cazorla and Aaron Ramsey got the better of Liverpool. The game before that in January 2013 saw the game end 2-2 with Luis Suarez and Jordan Henderson on the score sheet for the Reds that day.
In fact, two goals appears to be something of a theme in this fixture with neither side having scored more than two goals since April 2009 in a goalfest 4-4 draw.
Stat Sandwich
- Opta reckon Liverpool have caused 29 errors that have led to a goal being scored so far this season, sounds about right to me.
- Szczesny has 11 clean sheets so far this season.
- Sturridge has scored in 13 of his last 16 league games.
I'm pretty excited for this fixture because I just get the feeling it'll be the kick up the arse that Liverpool need after the dismal display against West Brom. I'd be kidding myself if I predicted a strong win and I'm certain Arsenal will score but I reckon the Reds are capable of nicking a 2-1 win if they play to the level that we have seen at times this season.
For me it's vital that Liverpool have a solid defensive performance though with an early goal, I don't feel we can give Arsenal too much time because without the pressure they will relish their time at Anfield and so an early goal from Suarez or Sturridge would be fantastic.
I asked you on Twitter for your score predictions and here are a few of the responses I got.
Wherever you're watching enjoy the match folks!