Arsenal can make a title statement with rare win over Liverpool at Anfield

Arsenal head to Anfield on Sunday afternoon knowing victory over Liverpool would be a real statement and put them another step closer to winning the Premier League title this season.

The Gunners have surprised everybody this year with their stunning title charge. Heading into the 2022/23 campaign, most pundits predicted Arsenal would be battling for fourth or fifth. Third was the very best they could realistically achieve. Liverpool were meant to be Manchester City’s closest rivals for the title once again.

However, Mikel Arteta’s men have lead the way for virtually the entire season, winning 23 of their 29 games so far. A resounding 4-1 victory over Leeds United at the Emirates Stadium last weekend ensured Arsenal remain eight points clear of City with nine games left to play. The defending champions do hold a game in hand and the top two have to play each other at the Etihad Stadium, but the Gunners are well placed to win their first Premier League title since 2004.

Man City have the opportunity to close the gap to five points if they beat Southampton at St Mary’s Stadium on Saturday evening and it would put the pressure on Arsenal to get a positive result at Anfield the following day. That may be easier said than done though, as the Gunners have a miserable record away to Liverpool in recent years. It’s been over a decade since Arsenal won a league game at Anfield, so they’ll need to put that right on Sunday if they’re to maintain their advantage over City.

Many have Arsenal as the narrow favourites to win this weekend, and on the face of it you can understand why. The Londoners are flying at the top of the table while Liverpool are enduring a hugely disappointing campaign, so this should be a terrific opportunity for Arsenal to end their Anfield hoodoo. However, it’s easily forgotten that for all their troubles this season, Liverpool have still been very strong at home and boast the third best home record in the division having won 9 of their 13 games so far. Therefore, Jurgen Klopp will be quietly confident of derailing Arsenal’s title charge with a much-needed win on Sunday.

Liverpool looked to have turned a corner not so long ago after thrashing Manchester United 7-0. However, their inconsistent form continued as they followed that up with defeat away to Bournemouth before being humbled 4-1 by Man City. A dire 0-0 draw at Chelsea in midweek has left the Reds sitting eighth in the table and 10 points off the top four, so they are facing an uphill battle to qualify for the Champions League next season.

How to watch

Anfield is expected to be a sell-out on Sunday with the passionate Liverpool fans getting behind their beleaguered side once again. With the Gunners doing so well, it’s no surprise that Arsenal tickets are extremely difficult to get hold of these days so there is virtually no chance of buying through an official channel at this point. If you want to try and get hold of a last minute ticket, you a reputable reselling site.

Thankfully, if you don’t manage to get a ticket to attend the match, you’ll still be able to watch all the action live as the game will be broadcast on Sky Sports. This is is always one of the most entertaining games of the season so it’s no surprise the TV companies choose it to be shown live. Subscription holders will be able to watch the game at 4.30pm on Sunday, while highlights will be shown on BBC later that night.

Injury concerns

Liverpool have been handed a huge injury boost with the news that Thiago Alcantara is back in full training after missing the last 10 games with a hip injury. The Spaniard will be assessed but he could return to the starting eleven on Sunday.

Virgil van Dijk is also set to return to the Liverpool side after missing the trip to Stamford Bridge in midweek due to illness. Joe Gomez is the man likely to make way with Ibrahima Konate keeping his place.

Luis Diaz is also expected to be named in the squad after building up his fitness in recent weeks. However, after several months out with a serious knee injury, a place on the bench is the best he can hope for.

Mohamed Salah, Andrew Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold are set to return to the starting eleven after being named on the bench against Chelsea. However, Stefan Bajcetic remains out after being ruled out for the rest of the season with an adductor injury. Naby Keita is also out with a muscle issue.

As for Arsenal, they could be without the services of William Saliba this weekend. The Frenchman has been nursing a back injury for the past three weeks after suffering the issue against Sporting Lisbon in the Europa League last month. Arteta was coy about Saliba’s fitness at his pre-match press conference today but hinted the centre-back could return to training on Saturday.

Takehiro Tomiyasu is certain to miss the game due to a knee injury that will keep him out for the season. Eddie Nketiah is a major doubt for the Gunners as he’s still carrying an ankle injury that’s kept him out in recent weeks. Mohamed Elneny is another absentee due to a serious knee injury.

However, Bukayo Saka has been declared fully fit after recovering from illness that saw him named on the bench for the first time this season during the win over Leeds last time out.

Likely Liverpool XI: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson, Henderson, Fabinho, Thiago, Salah, Gakpo, Nunez

Likely Arsenal XI: Ramsdale, White, Holding, Gabriel, Zinchenko, Partey, Xhaka, Saka, Odegaard, Martinelli, Jesus

Prediction

This has all the hallmarks to be a fascinating game. Arsenal are riding high and may feel this is their best chance in years to get a result at Anfield which would take them a step closer to winning the title. However, Liverpool are getting their injured players back and will be desperate to knock Arsenal off their perch. The Gunners have basically replaced Liverpool in the ‘top two’ this season, and Klopp won’t like that at all, so we could see a response from the Merseysiders on Sunday.

Liverpool have been very poor defensively this season so Arsenal will be confident of creating plenty of chances and should score a couple of goals, but the Reds are still a formidable force at Anfield and should take something from the game. We’re predicting an entertaining 2-2 draw this weekend, which may not be an ideal result for either side as they both desperately need a win – for very different reasons.

Prediction: Liverpool 2-2 Arsenal