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Arsenal Can Exploit Liverpool with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
By Josh Sippie
The Liverpool crowd is getting rather chatty going into the Monday match. Apparently two 1-0 wins against suspected bottom-half teams means you have the key to the Prem. First, it was Adam Lallana talking up this super secret plan that the Reds have formulated based off of those 1-0 wins. Now it is boss Brendan Rodgers doing the talking.
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Rodgers has indicated that the key to Liverpool’s match up is to dominate space against the Gunners. That is a pretty sound assessment when considering that Arsenal have not used their space well thus far into the young season. With limited width and pace, there has not been a lot of openings.
Arsenal did manage to make it work against a very stingy Palace defense however, and the Liverpool defense inspires no fear next to the Eagles. It is the same defense that Arsenal shattered 4-1 last season and a similar scoreline would not be surprising in the least.
Plus, Liverpool face an injury problem to the worst possible player: Jordan Henderson.
Henderson and James Milner had begun to form a pretty solid partnership at the base of the Liverpool midfield. They were very efficient at thwarting opposing attacks before they even got started. However, continue to keep in mind that those attacks they were thwarting belonged to Bournemouth and Stoke City, so even with Henderson, you have to wonder if the Red would have been capable of keeping out the vast array of Arsenal attackers. I think not.
Liverpool will likely turn to Emre Can if Henderson cannot go. While Can has been effective in his two substitute appearances, getting a start for a young 21-year old at a hostile environment like the Emirates is no enviable situation.
Arsenal can absolutely blow the lid off of any possible defense Liverpool are planning to haphazardly throw together by putting the Ox opposite of Alexis. Milner lacks any serious pace and the midfield would be scattered trying to keep tabs on Alexis and the Ox on opposite sides of Mesut Ozil. With pace down both wings, Nathaniel Clyne and Joseph Gomez will have their work cut out for them.
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It is Joseph Gomez that is the most vulnerable, as he will be suiting up at left back, where the Ox would be/should be opposing him. No 18-year old left back can handle an Ox in full sprint.
With occupied full backs, Olivier Giroud is more than capable of handling Martin Skrtel and Dejan Lovren, neither of whom troubled him last campaign.
From there, it is just a matter of Mesut Ozil and Santi Cazorla/Aaron Ramsey cutting, skinning and peeling the midfield of Liverpool, conveniently without Jordan Henderson.
Next: Arsenal's Predicted XI to face Liverpool