Liverpool vs Arsenal preview | Latest team news | Expected Line-up’s | Prediction

Liverpool welcome Arsenal to Anfield tonight as the English heavyweights battle for a place in the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup. 

The Merseysiders warmed up for the game with a 2-1 comeback victory over Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday afternoon that saw them restore their six-point lead over Manchester City at the top of the Premier League table.

However, it’s League Cup matters at hand this evening and Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp will use the competition to blood some of his youngsters and to give his fringe players a chance to impress in the first team.

Unai Emery is also expected to rotate his squad for the trip to Anfield tonight but he needs to pick-up his Arsenal team following a hugely disappointing 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace at the weekend.

The Gunners blew a two-goal lead and saw a late winner harshly ruled out by VAR while captain Granit Xhaka was involved in an ugly bust-up with the Emirates crowd so Emery will be keen to ease the pressure with a positive result against Liverpool tonight.

Team news

Liverpool will continue to be without Joel Matip as the defender is still nursing a knee injury while Xherdan Shaqiri is once again ruled out with an on-going calf problem.

Klopp will rest the likes of Alisson, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Andy Robertson, Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah, Fabinho, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino ahead of Saturday league clash with Aston Villa.

Caoimhin Kelleher will start in goal while youngsters Neco Williams, Sepp van den Berg, Harvey Elliot, Rhian Brewster and Curtis Jones are all expected to feature. Joe Gomez, James Milner, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Naby Keita, Adam Lallana and Divock Origi should also be recalled.

Arsenal have taken Xhaka out of the spotlight as he hasn’t travelled to Anfield while Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, David Luiz and Calum Chambers are also confirmed absentees tonight.

Mesut Ozil returns to the Arsenal squad for the first time in a month while Emi Martinez, Hector Bellerin, Saed Kolasinac, Shkodran Mustafi, Rob Holding, Lucas Torreira, Joe Willock, Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli are all expected to feature.

Expected line-ups

Prediction

Liverpool 2-2 Arsenal: Obviously Liverpool would be the heavy favourites if the game was contested between the first teams but Arsenal’s second string should give a good account of themselves tonight. The side that Emery is expected to select has played together in the Europa League and the third round of the Carabao Cup this season and they’ve performed very well – winning all four games so far.

The Liverpool reserves also have lots of quality and being at Anfield will obviously give them an advantage but I can see Arsenal getting a draw tonight. There won’t be any extra-time so the game would go straight to penalties if it’s all-square after 90 minutes. The home crowd might just give Liverpool the edge in a shoot-out so I’m going for the hosts to go through on penalties after a 2-2 draw.