Match Preview – Arsenal vs Liverpool

With a slew of mouth-watering ties scheduled, another one is just round the corner. Liverpool travel to North London on Wednesday, to square off against potential fourth place contenders, Arsenal. Although Tottenham currently occupy that position, either Liverpool or Arsenal are tipped to step up their game. Also, Everton stand between them and Spurs, but Everton have lacked the firepower and even commitment of late, which has affected their mettle. Arsenal are in 6^th position with 37 points, followed by Liverpool at 34.

Liverpool taking on Arsenal should be a cracker. Here are a few things to look out for in the match at the Emirates.

The Formation

Arsene Wenger likes to stick with the solo striker position, which is exactly what Brendan Rodgers is emulating. Olivier Giroud and Luiz Suarez are dependable center forwards, the latter more than the former, including recent form. Giroud has just woken up to the possibility of scoring, and the four goals in the last two were a nice start. Suarez has been prolific, managing eight in as many games recently. Apparent interest from Bayern Munich’s new boss, Josep Guardiola, is a clear indicator of how important he is.

So a 4-1-4-1 for Arsenal is understandable, with Abou Diaby most probably taking up the responsibility of the central defensive midfielder. Theo Walcott will be given a free leash to jet past defenders. The same role will be reprised by Daniel Sturridge, who has had a clear impact immediately post his transfer from Chelsea. Liverpool will stick with their trusted 4-4-1-1, with Borini on the bench. Steven Gerrard will play a key role here, as he will have to control the opposition’s creativity, lest it gets out of hand.

Mentality

What would usually be a tough match to call, looks an easier proposition this time around. Given the tepid Liverpool game against Oldham Athletic, where the underdogs took the game to the regulars and ended with a win by 2 goals, Arsenal look to have the upper-hand, at least on paper. The Gunners, fresh from a victory over Brighton and Hove Albion, will be looking to cement their spot in the Champions League qualification process. Even though the victory wasn’t as convincing as they would have wanted it to be, they did hang on to secure a spot in the next round of the prestigious FA Cup, their last discernible chance at domestic silverware.

Arsenal have won just 10 of their 23 games, which is not a very good sign. Liverpool are even worse off with 9 wins. Both the teams know exactly where they lack when they compare themselves to Manchester United, leading the table with 18 wins, one short of their cumulative total.

The Midfield Minefield

This is the deciding factor of the game. The defense and attack of both teams is surprisingly brittle and strong at the same time, which certainly calls for more amusement than concern. The game could dry out very quickly if the teams cancel each other out, which cannot be completely ruled out. The midfield, however, will rule the game, and with that in mind, Arsenal clearly have the better hand. Lucas Podolski, Santi Cazorla, Jack Wilshere and Theo Walcott make for a heavy midfield which can double up to launch deadly attacks. Liverpool lack in the same depth, and cannot count on just Gerrard, Joe Allen or God forbid, Jordan Henderson. Downing and Shelvey do not command the confidence Wilshere and Cazorla do, even for their own teammates. Call this perspective skewed, but it reflects the common sentiment. Liverpool can try and completely shut the opposition down, park a bus, and try and use Sterling to dart across and finish the home side. They have to frustrate Arsenal if they wish to earn a win.

Unless Rodgers tries something dramatically different from what we have seen of late, a prediction of a 2-1 win to Arsenal would be fair. Maybe a bit of Dalglish would have helped.