Who: Arsenal vs Liverpool
What: English Premier League
The place: Emirates Stadium in London, United Kingdom
When: Thursday, January 8, at 8pm (20:00 GMT).
The right way to observe: We may have all of the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 17:00 GMT upfront of our textual content commentary stream.
Desk-topping Arsenal entertain defending champions Liverpool in a mouth-watering providing within the English Premier League on Thursday, with glory on supply for the previous however satisfaction closely at stake for the latter.
The Gunners are trying to find their first league title since 2003, whereas the Reds are licking their wounds from a season that has nearly inexplicably imploded following their runaway success final time period.
Al Jazeera Sport takes a better take a look at the match wherein a house win is totally anticipated, however nothing can ever be taken with no consideration within the Premier League.
How have Arsenal fared within the Premier League this season?
The Gunners have stormed to high spot as supervisor Mikel Arteta appears to be like to go one higher than three consecutive second-placed finishes within the English high flight.
Just one defeat in 21 matches to start the season – the loss coming at Liverpool – has marked Arsenal because the staff to cease on all fronts. Free-scoring in entrance of the aim and miserly on the again, Arteta seems to have lastly cracked the code.
How do issues stand within the Premier League title race?
The hole with second-placed Manchester Metropolis is six factors, forward of Pep Guardiola’s facet welcoming Brighton and Hove Albion on the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday.
Aston Villa are degree on factors with Metropolis, and journey to Crystal Palace on Wednesday, however their 4-1 defeat by the hands of Arsenal on December 30 was considered a critical dent to their title ambitions.
What has gone incorrect for Liverpool within the Premier League this season?
The Reds loved a shocking begin to the brand new marketing campaign, which made their demise this season all of the extra alarming. Slot’s facet gained their opening 5 league matches as a part of a seven-game successful run in all competitions.
Liverpool supervisor Arne Slot insists his reigning champions can nonetheless do “particular issues” this season.
“It’s 9 video games unbeaten however now we have positively had two attracts too many,” Slot instructed a pre-match information convention on Wednesday.
An excessive amount of the main target for the Reds’ slide, which noticed them lose the next 4 Premier League video games on the bounce after their effective begin, has centered on the fallout with their iconic ahead Mohamed Salah.
Slot has insisted the membership have moved on since Salah’s departure for worldwide responsibility with Egypt on the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, however questions stay throughout the park.
“We haven’t had the consistency however we’ve already overwhelmed some excellent groups, in order that tells you the expertise is certainly there however the consistency isn’t,” he mentioned.
Solely 41 objectives had been conceded by Liverpool final season, however 28 have already been let in throughout their 20 video games up to now this season.
The large summer season spending spree, which was headlined by Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz as marquee signings, has seemingly unsettled the steadiness of a facet that stormed to the title final season.
The expertise of each, and the remainder introduced in, is sort of clear, however whether or not Slot can gel them right into a facet able to salvaging this season and past stays to be seen.
The supervisor believes his facet are nonetheless within the reckoning within the league.
“There’s quite a lot of significance on this match as a result of we nonetheless have lots to play for within the Premier League,” mentioned Slot.
What occurred the final time Arsenal performed Liverpool?
Liverpool secured a 1-0 win in opposition to Arsenal in an early-season encounter between the perimeters within the Premier League on August 31 at Anfield.
Dominik Szoboszlai scored the one aim of the sport with an explosive free-kick within the 83rd minute of an in any other case tight match.
What occurred within the corresponding recreation between Arsenal and Liverpool final season?
The edges couldn’t be separated in final season’s Premier League match at Emirates Stadium, though Liverpool needed to twice come from behind – together with a late Mohamed Salah leveller – to snare a 2-2 draw.
Bukayo Saka and Mikel Merino had given the Gunners the lead twice within the first half with Virgil van Dijk netting in between.
The Reds, nevertheless, needed to nervously wait till the 81st minute for Salah to safe a degree.
When did Arsenal final beat Liverpool?
Arsenal’s final win in opposition to Liverpool got here three seasons in the past, courtesy of a 3-1 victory at Emirates Stadium in February 2024.
A fiery match noticed 9 yellow playing cards proven and Reds defender Ibrahima Konate despatched off within the 88th minute when his facet had been nonetheless trying to find an equaliser.
Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli scored in both half to twice give the Gunners the lead, both facet of Gabriel Magalhaes’s personal aim.
Leandro Trossard rounded off the scoring within the ninetieth minute.
Stat assault – Arsenal
The Gunners are on a seven-game successful streak, throughout which they’ve netted 13 objectives and conceded solely six – two of which got here within the win in opposition to Brighton of their final recreation.
The north Londoners are the one staff to retain an unbeaten dwelling file within the Premier League at this stage, successful 9 of their 10 matches at Emirates Stadium. The Gunners have fired in 26 objectives in entrance of their very own followers within the league this season, and conceded solely 5.
Bukayo Saka, such an enormous a part of the Gunners’ type of latest seasons, is aiming to change into the primary Arsenal participant to attain in 4 straight league dwelling video games in opposition to Liverpool.
Stat assault – Liverpool
Liverpool are unbeaten in 9 matches, successful 5, however have drawn their final two – each within the league.
The Reds have saved just one clear sheet of their final seven league matches – a 2-0 home victory in opposition to Brighton and the 0-0 draw at Leeds two video games in the past.
Eight objectives have been shipped in that point, with 12 scored.
4 of their six defeats this season have come on the street – the place they’ve additionally gained 4 and drawn two – with 18 objectives conceded on their travels and solely 17 scored.
Even bottom-of-the-table Wolverhampton Wanderers haven’t shipped so many objectives away from dwelling.
Arsenal vs Liverpool – stat assault
Liverpool are unbeaten in three matches in opposition to Arsenal, successful the final match and drawing twice.
That victory for the Reds, nevertheless, ended a six-match winless run within the league, throughout which the Gunners gained twice.
The final victory for the Reds previous to that stretch was the final time the Merseysiders gained at Emirates Stadium, again in March 2022, with objectives from Roberto Firmino and Diogo Jota.
The Gunners have gained two of the three league conferences in London since then.
Head-to-head
That is the 246th assembly between the perimeters, with Liverpool successful 95 of the matches and Arsenal rising victorious on 81 events.
Arsenal staff information
Max Dowman and Cristhian Mosquera miss out, with each combating ankle issues, whereas Riccardo Calafiori is a doubt as a result of an unspecified damage.
Kai Havertz was rested from the squad that was named for the win at Bournemouth and should should make do with a spot on the bench at greatest as his restoration from a earlier damage is managed.
Predicted Arsenal beginning lineup
Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Hincapie; Odegaard, Zubimendi, Rice; Saka, Gyokeres, Trossard
Liverpool staff information
Salah stays at AFCON with Egypt, whereas Isak is a long-term absentee with a leg damage.
Fellow ahead Hugo Ekitike missed the draw with Fulham as a result of a muscle downside and stays a doubt.
Florian Wirtz is nursing a hamstring downside however is predicted to proceed to play by the difficulty.
Giovanni Leoni and Wataru Endo stay longer-term absentees.
Predicted Liverpool beginning lineup
Alisson; Bradley, Konate, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Mac Allister, Gravenberch; Szoboszlai, Wirtz, Jones; Gakpo
Arsenal and Liverpool type guides
- Arsenal: W-W-W-W-W
- Liverpool: W-W-W-D-D
