In recent years, people have seen this tie as a battle between two Premier League has-beens. However, tonight’s match will see both teams desperately attempt to shake of this tag and get back to championship winning form.
Our last match against Liverpool earlier this season ended 2-0 with Santi Cazorla and Podolski scoring the goals. However, I would not anticipate such an easy game today. Although both teams have been showing similar form in the league in recent weeks, last weekends loss at Oldham will have seriously hurt Liverpool’s pride.
Brendan Rogers will want to steady the ship with a win at Arsenal tonight and will be heavily reliant on the in form Luis Suarez to gain three points. If Suarez is Liverpool’s key man, then Jack Wilshere is certainly Arsenal’s.
After being dropped to the bench for a rest at Brighton, Jack will be raring to go this evening. Oli Giroud had a superb match against Brighton and will certainly hope to continue that form against Liverpool.
Although it didn’t look like it would be the case early in the season, Liverpool have emerged as a challenger to Arsenal in the race for Champions League football. Liverpool are currently three points behind Arsenal in seven points, though barring catastrophe we should stay above them on goal difference even if we lose.
The Gunners on the other hand could go 5th and a point behind Spurs if we win and other results go our way. 10 league wins all season isn’t a stat we should be proud of, but 6 points against Liverpool over the course of a season certainly is.
Many people have voiced concerns about the form of Bacary Sagna and I think rightly so. He hasn’t been the player we’ve learnt to rely on recently and amidst rumours that Bac wants to leave the club, some have called for youngster Jenkinson to take his place. While I do think Sagna should and will start, his form needs to improve if we want to stand our best chance against Liverpool.
With regards to the team sheet, hopefully we will see a very similar line-up that started against West Ham, with the possible inclusion of Diaby instead of Ramsey.
Szczesny, Gibbs, Vermaelen, Mertesacker, Sagna, Walcott, Cazorla, Wilshere, Diaby, Podolski, Giroud.
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