Liverpool vs Arsenal
Sunday’s Premier League action rounds off at Anfield with a mouth-watering clash between downtrodden Liverpool and title-bidding Arsenal.
Back to Anfield for the first time since a historic 7-0 triumph over bitter rivals Manchester United at the beginning of March, Liverpool have a point to prove after going winless in four straight competitive games (D1, L3). Though a 0-0 draw at Chelsea in midweek Premier League action was a slight improvement on back-to-back league losses at Bournemouth and Manchester City, Liverpool’s hopes of securing Champions League qualification are at an all-time low. Stuck in eighth, ten points clear of fourth-placed Man Utd, the ‘Reds’ will be desperate to build on a flawless home league record in 2023. After a scoreless draw against Chelsea in their first Premier League match at Anfield this calendar year, Jurgen Klopp’s men have won their last three home league games in a row by an aggregate score of 11-0. On top of that, they’ve been victorious in six consecutive top-flight H2Hs against Arsenal at home, scoring 3+ goals on each occasion.
On the other hand, visiting Arsenal eased past bottom-half Leeds United 4-1 last weekend, making it seven Premier League wins on the trot and re-establishing an eight-point cushion at the summit. But with second-placed Man City having a game in hand, the ‘Gunners’ must stay focused to optimize their chances of halting a two-decade title wait. After a dramatic 3-2 win in the reverse fixture in London, Arsenal could complete their first league double over Liverpool since 2009/10, but it’ll be everything but straightforward. The visitors have kept a clean sheet in just 20% of their Premier League clashes against the ‘Reds’ (12/61), most recently achieving that feat at Anfield in 2012. But after netting 3+ goals in their last five league outings (W5), keeping Liverpool at bay may not be necessary.