We’ve got a point to prove when we travel to Anfield on Sunday as we look to kickstart our season after last weekend’s setback at Stoke.
It’s been five years since we last won at Liverpool - a 2-0 victory back in September 2012 - but with Laurent Koscielny and Alexis available again, we have been given a much-needed boost.
Our pre-match briefing has classic goal clips, an exclusive chat with Arsene Wenger, match facts and a chance to have your say on how we should line up.
ONE TO WATCH: LAURENT KOSCIELNY
Wenger says…
He was suspended for a while and apart from Stoke we did quite well with him not being there, but of course we are happy that he’s back and available for selection again.
He is very calm, he is more an introvert than an extrovert but still a passionate character. The fact that he doesn’t speak too much sometimes doesn’t mean that he doesn’t have inner turmoil, and that he doesn’t explode sometimes. Overall he is a very nice man but there is still a steel in him as a defender.
He has become a French international [since he came here], a regular and that French team is built around him. Overall let’s not put him under too much pressure because it is an important game for us. On the other hand I believe you want a stable defence to go into big games so that is why you are happy that he is back.
TEAM NEWS
ARSENAL: Cazorla (plantaris)
LIVERPOOL: Can (knock - doubt), Lallana (thigh), Coutinho (back), Clyne (hamstring), Bogdan (knee)
SPOTLIGHT ON: ALEXIS
Wenger says…
He loves to play football, he works hard to come back and he will be available on Saturday for selection. He works very hard and I have to decide now at what level to bring him back, on the bench or as a starter… but he is available.
It is important [to have him and Koscielny back] because one can save you goals and the other can score you goals, so they are two big boosts for the team. But I don’t focus too much on individual players, the most important thing is if our team performance is right. If that is right then we always have individual players who can make a difference, so let’s focus more on how well we want to play as a team.
EXPERT OPINION
Adrian Clarke says…
Liverpool have been very open from set-pieces and I’m not convinced by their defence. If you can get at their back four, and get the ball into the box, I don’t think they have any great faith that they’ll be able to defend it. Stoke have a much more disciplined and settled rearguard than Liverpool, so it’s just a matter of getting the right service into the area. There’s definitely fragilities.
I think Mo Salah and Sadio Mane are massive threats in this game. I would imagine that Klopp will start both based on looking to get behind Arsenal. When you look at the way we defended over the past two games, especially down the channels on breakaways and turnovers, it gives me kittens thinking about it. With Mane’s pace, Salah’s pace and probably Firmino down the middle to link it all together, Liverpool are tailor-made to get at this Arsenal defence at the moment. The pace up top is a worry, that’s for sure.
In previous matches between these two at Anfield, Arsenal have not coped with the press well. They’ve been unsettled, haven’t passed brilliantly, they’ve been knocked out of their stride. I really hope lessons have been learnt. I’d like to see Arsenal go a bit more direct, miss out the midfield at times, and certainly be more prepared for that press.
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