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Liverpool taking on Arsenal might not have sounded like a crucial deciding match for the Top-4 when the last international break happened. But as we go back to the Premier League after the November break, it is.
In a clash of the fourth and fifth place occupants of the league, it is a clash of the Big-six alright. But the fortunes are not what one would expect. Current form is with the away side, as Arsenal have 11 points in their last five games as against Liverpool's eight.
The home side were shocked to a 2-3 defeat against West Ham when they visited the London Stadium last week. Meanwhile Arsenal survived a close 1-0 win against Watford. Are they clear favorites against Klopp's Liverpool? No. But are Arsenal fans right to finally hope? A resounding yes.
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Here are four important individual battles that will decide the result of this game:
#1 Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) vs Gabriel (Arsenal)
Remember when we said Arsenal fans finally have the right to hope? Yes, that is not possible until Arsenal find a way to stop Mohamed Salah. There is no one in the footballing world right now who is in a better form than him.
The Egyptian is the leading scorer in the league so far with 10 goals. He is well on his way to have yet another season with the club with 30+ goals in the league. And except the second game vs Burnley, he has scored or assisted in every single game for the Reds.
If Arsenal are to stop this marauding goal-scoring machine, it will have to involve Gabriel in some capacity. The Brazilian leads his team in terms of clearances (4.3 per game) and blocks (1.4 per game) among starting defenders. He has been part of their new-look back four after the first three games.
Salah has shown an increasing tendency to cut into the box and wade through defenders this season. He has been a nightmare to deal with. Gabriel will be the centre-back facing down his side and will have his hands full along with Nuno Tavares.
#2 Emile Smith Rowe (Arsenal) vs Virgil Van Dijk (Liverpool)
If Salah is on fire for Liverpool, Emile Smith Rowe has been in the form of his life coming into this match. He has scored a goal in each of his last three games for the club in the PL. He had two goal involvements for England during the break.
But scoring against Watford, Villa and San Marino is one thing, and to do so against Liverpool is an entirely different thing. Especially since they have Virgil Van Dijk back this season.
Unfortunately, Liverpool have only kept two clean sheets in their last six games, conceding in unexpected games. Van Dijk, however, has played every minute, leads his team in clearances (3.3 per game) and has been dribbled past 0.1 times per game.
Which is why he will be a tough customer to deal with Smith Rowe, whose main skill is his dribbling. He is also Arsenal's top dribbler, completing 1.6 dibbles per game. Whether he can manage to fool the Dutchman or not will be the deciding factor of this match for both teams.
#3 Sadio Mane (Liverpool) vs Ben White (Arsenal)
Sadio Mane has surely had better seasons for Liverpool in the past, but he is still their second highest scorer this season after Salah. This is exactly the kind of game the Senegalese would like to get back to form with.
But to do that, he would have to better of Ben White. He has been a revelation for Arsenal at the back since the 5-0 loss against Manchester City. He leads the team in clearances (4.5 per game) and blocks (4.5 per game), and has been dribbled past just 0.2 times per game.
Mane completes 1.1 dribbles per game and takes 3.4 shots per game. This puts him directly at odds with the Englishman, who neutralizes both of his strong points. White also has the most interceptions (14) for Arsenal, and will be a key figure in preventing long passes pinging into the forwards.
After a minor injury scare, Sadio Mane has now been confirmed to be available for the clash. Mane would like to get back to his days of fun scoring soon with Liverpool, and the sooner the better.
#4 Bukayo Saka (Arsenal) vs Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool)
In the battle of the creators, it is an unlikely one. While Alexander-Arnold has always been one of Liverpool's primary passers, Bukayo Saka's rise at Arsenal has been unbelievable but deserving.
Both Englishmen lead their respective teams in terms of key passes. But Alexander-Arnold (3.3 per game) blows Saka (1.7 per game) out of the water in sheer numbers. The Liverpool man also takes more shots per game (1.9 to 1.6) but Saka completes more dribbes (0.8 to 0.1) per game.
While the two will not see much of each other directly, their battle will prove all the more decisive depending on who has a better night. With Alexander-Arnold also involved in defending duties against Smith Rowe and Aubameyang, Saka has a chance to put one up over his full countryman.
