Arsenal v Liverpool could be the most decisive fixture in the race for the top four so far this season. The Gunners could either go nine points clear of the Reds, or allow them to rein us in to a mere three ahead. We talked to Liverpool fan Jordan Chamberlain from to give us some insight from the Anfield perspective. Over to you, Jordan.
Rewind two weeks. Liverpool haven’t lost in the Premier League since mid-December, we’re scoring goals and rarely conceding, and we’re raring to go against an unfavored and ugly Manchester United team.
By that now infamous Sunday evening, the Liverpool picture was looking entirely less colourful…
We’d lost at home to our most hated rivals, and deservedly so, too – which rarely happens at Anfield. Steven Gerrard had let us down by picking up a red-card within 38 seconds of his entrance, and we’d fallen five points behind Manchester United with eight games to go in the race for top four…
But it was to get worse.
Not only was our most reliable defender Martin Skrtel (unfairly?) retrospectively suspended, but we were to find out that Adam Lallana, Raheem Sterling and Daniel Sturridge had picked up injuries.
So – in one game – we ruled five first-team starters out of the Arsenal clash.
From a Liverpool fan’s perspective, we probably couldn’t be playing the Gunners (a team we struggle badly against away from home) at a worse time…
You’re flying, and I really don’t think there’s a harder place to go in the Premier League right now, Stamford Bridge included. (If only we were playing you in Europe, eh…?)
But we have hope. Lucas – who is enormously underrated by those who don’t watch him every week – is back and raring to go. He’s a better defensive midfielder than Francis Coquelin right now, despite your Frenchman’s meteoric transformation.
Raheem Sterling and Daniel Sturridge have regained fitness, so along with Coutinho, three of the four players who tore you apart at Anfield in January 2014 will be starting in the attacking positions. Granted, Luis Suarez won’t be, and we’re a different team as a result – but our dynamic front-three is proven versus Arsenal regardless.
What’s more – we’ve not conceded a goal away from home in the Premier League in six matches. While this had much to do with Skrtel, his probable replacement Kolo Toure (remember him?) is solid – and only struggles with pace – which your in-form frontman Olivier Giroud doesn’t have.
We expect Arsenal to dominate possession, but because of our 3-4-3 formation, which uses rapid wing-backs, only two central midfielders, and pacy attackers – we’re actually most dangerous on the break.
Coquelin, Santi Cazorla and Mesut Ozil will surely dominate the ball in the centre of the park – but providing Lucas and a roaming Jordan Henderson can cut off their supply line to Alexis, Giroud and whoever else – Sterling, Sturridge and Coutinho (who we rate above your German no.11), can cause problems on the transition.
We’ll take 0-0 at half-time, and will need huge performances from everybody. But a win would be huge. Not only for our top-four chances, but also to get people to stop talking about Sterling for two seconds, which is getting incredibly tiresome.
Good luck, and may the best team win!
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