Arsenal vs Liverpool preview | Confirmed team news | Expected line-ups | Prediction

Arsenal desperately need a positive result when they take on Premier League champions Liverpool at the Emirates this evening.

The Gunners have seen their hopes of playing European football next season take a huge hit over the past week as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Leicester before blowing a lead to lose 2-1 to Tottenham in the North London Derby on Sunday afternoon.

Those results have left Arsenal sitting ninth in the Premier League table – four points behind seventh-placed Sheffield United and five off sixth-placed Wolves – with just three games remaining.

Following the decision to overturn Manchester City’s European ban, Arsenal must now finish in the top seven or win the FA Cup to secure Europa League football next season so they cannot afford to lose this evening.

However, Mikel Arteta faces an ominous task to get anything from the game as the Gunners will be up against a Liverpool side who are determined to break the 100-point mark after storming their way to the title this season.

The Merseysiders were held to a 1-1 draw by Burnley at the weekend meaning they need seven points from their remaining three games to reach 100 points so they won’t want to leave North London empty handed.

Team news

Arsenal have no fresh injury concerns to worry about but they’ll continue to be without number one goalkeeper Bernd Leno as he’s still recovering from a knee injury so Emi Martinez will continue in goal.

Pablo Mari, Gabriel Martinelli and Calum Chambers are also still out with long-term injuries while Eddie Nketiah will serve the second game of his three-match ban following his sending off against Leicester.

Matteo Guendouzi is also not expected to feature after being frozen out by Arteta, however, Mesut Ozil has taken to Twitter to declared himself fit and available for selection after returning to training following a back injury.

Liverpool are expected to be without James Milner as he’s still nursing a niggling hamstring injury while Joel Matip remains out with an ankle injury that’s set to keep him out of the last three games.

Jordan Henderson is also out for the season with a knee injury but Trent Alexander-Arnold is set to return after being rested at the weekend while Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain could be recalled in midfield.

Expected line-ups

Predicted score

Arsenal 1-2 Liverpool: Arsenal’s Premier League season is on the line here as defeat would all-but end their hopes of qualifying for Europe through the league so they desperately need to get something from the game. Arteta has certainly improved things at the Emirates but individual errors continue to undermine any progress and Liverpool will be ready to punish any mistakes at the back tonight.

Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane will jump on any opportunity the likes of Shkodran Mustafi, Sead Kolasinac or David Luiz may gift them and I think Arsenal’s vulnerability at the back will end up costing them again. The Gunners will put up a decent fight, but I think Liverpool will still take home all three points.