Liverpool welcome Arsenal to Anfield on Saturday, hoping to bounce back to winning ways in the Premier League.
The Reds’ three-game winning run in the Premier League was halted last weekend following the 0-0 draw with Manchester United. The result also saw them drop to second in the table, with Arsenal taking the top spot with a 2-0 win over Brighton & Hove Albion.
The Gunners bounced back from the 1-0 defeat to Aston Villa with a comprehensive win against Brighton at the Emirates Stadium. They will be keen to make a statement by winning against Liverpool and maintaining their position at the summit of the league.
With that said, let us take a look at the key battles that could define the outcome of this mouthwatering clash at Anfield.
#Bukayo Saka vs Kostas Tsimikas
Arguably one of the best young wingers in Europe, Bukayo Saka has been pivotal to Arsenal’s rollicking start to the season. He has registered eight goals and ten assists in 21 appearances across all competitions.
The England international was unplayable at times against Brighton last weekend, with the winger giving a torrid time to James Milner on his flank. Monitoring Saka’s on the right flank is tough as he can go either way and dribble past defenders with ease. Similarly, his vision to spot passes in the box is terrific and it can be stated that Kostas Tsimikas will have his work cut out in this fixture.
Tsimikas has deputised admirably well in the injury absence of Andy Robertson, offering defensive solidity and attacking flair from the left-back position in equal measure. The Greek will have to avoid excessive overlapping if he intends to keep Saka at arm’s length from the Liverpool goal. It remains to be seen if he can silence the Arsenal star at Anfield.
#Mohamed Salah vs Oleksandr Zinchenko
At the other end of the pitch, the battle for supremacy between Mohamed Salah and Oleksandr Zinchenko will be a spicy one.
Salah has been Liverpool’s standout player this season, contributing with assists and goals. However, he was not at his best during the 0-0 draw with Man United, failing to threaten the visitors’ backline much. Keeping that in mind, the Egyptian forward will be raring to put in a strong display against the Gunners.
Taming Salah is extremely difficult as he is very fast, creative and dynamic with the ball at his feet, and can singlehandedly destroy defences. Zinchenko will face an uphill task of stopping the in-form Liverpool star from making inroads against Arsenal. The Ukrainian may have to curb his tendency of inverting into midfield due to the potential threat posed by Salah, which may in turn disrupt Arsenal’s build-up play.
How Zinchenko keeps Salah quiet will be intriguing to watch, especially during transitions.
#Martin Odegaard vs Trent Alexander-Arnold
Martin Odegaard and Trent Alexander-Arnold are central to their respective sides’ progressive intentions and will have a great influence on whatever unfolds on Saturday.
In Alexis Mac Allister’s absence, Liverpool will rely heavily on Alexander-Arnold’s technical quality and vision in their efforts to both maintain dominance in midfield and build from the back. He will invert into midfield and use his technical skills to find the Liverpool forwards in the final third.
To restrict the Liverpool right-back’s influence in the match is to severely hamper the home side’s prospects of victory, and Odegaard will play a crucial role in making sure that happens. In addition to being creative on the ball, Odegaard is tenacious and industrious and he can use his pressing methods to disrupt Alexander-Arnold’s rhythm at the base of midfield.
The Norwegian playmaker’s pressure from the front should also cause the Liverpool midfield to become disjointed and might even lead to turnovers in advanced areas, potentially giving the likes of Saka, Martinelli and Jesus an opportunity to quickly pounce on and hurt the home side. Thus, Alexander-Arnold will need to be at the top of his game and avoid losing possession in critical areas of the pitch.
