Arsenal and Liverpool are due to face off in the Premier League on Saturday at the Emirates Stadium post the completion of the final international break of the season.
Both teams will want to start the final phase of the season on a positive note. A victory will put Mikel Arteta’s side to within one point of Liverpool which will be a huge fillip for the Gunners.
With so much on the table, this is already one of the most anticipated games of the football weekend and Liverpool seem like they have more to lose than Arsenal on Saturday.
Here are three things to look forward to when Arsenal face Liverpool
Diogo Jota heading Liverpool’s attack
Diogo Jota joined Liverpool in the summer, bolstering a rather formidable attack. Despite Liverpool having a proven front three since he arrived, the Portuguese star has arguably been the most effective attacker with injury hampering his season till this point.
Jota earned his place in Liverpool’s starting eleven through some impactful substitute appearances.
He has particularly been excellent in the international break, scoring thrice for Portugal and will surely feature heavily in Jurgen Klopp’s thoughts when he decides his starting eleven.
It will be interesting to see how Jurgen Klopps sets his team up for this match. He may even go for a 4-2-4 where he can play all his top forwards and take the game to the opposition. Arteta will be wary of Jota’s form and will need to counter his impact on the pitch.
Aubameyang getting back in form
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has been extremely poor for the Gunners this injury-riddled season but reports suggest he is fit and in line to feature against Liverpool.
He is a player who can deliver in big games though and still remains Arsenal’s talisman. Arteta will play Aubameyang on the left-wing in the absence of Smith Rowe which will allow the manager to start Lacazette in the striker’s position.
Alexandr-Arnold has a huge task on his hands to deal with the combination of Tierney and Aubameyang and this is a battle that will be keenly fought on the pitch.
Midfield battle
Arteta is likely to put his faith in Thomas Partey for the defensive midfield role in a bid to intercept Liverpool’s flow in the attack. Similarly, it will be Fabinho’s job to cut off the supply of balls to the front three of Arsenal.
Thiago Alcantara will look to have a positive impact on the proceedings as Liverpool are expected to have a lion’s share of the possession. The result will hinge a lot on whether the Liverpool forwards can kick start their goal scoring form once again. It will not be that easy though as Arteta is a manager who comes up with meticulous plans to stifle the opposition.
If Liverpool fail to be clinical in the final third, it could backfire resulting in Arsenal scoring through counter attacks. Hence, wresting control in midfield will be crucial so that both teams can avoid crucial mistakes at either end of the pitch.