Arsenal’s Match Against Liverpool Chance For Redemption

Arsenal take on injury-stricken Liverpool next weekend. The Gunners have a chance to strike fear into the rest of the Premier League with a win at Anfield.

Two years ago 2013/14 title chasers Liverpool took on injury-crippled Arsenal at Anfield and thrashed them 5-1. This defeat sent Arsenal three points adrift of fourth place in the Premier League. It was also a demonstration of the Reds’ strength. It showed the gap in form between the two teams at the time, and Arsenal’s injury problems consigned them to another hammering at the hands of Chelsea two weeks later.

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Nearly two years later, the league table looks entirely different and the boot is on the other foot. In Arsenal’s last match, they went top of the Premier League with a 1-0 win over Newcastle. Liverpool’s injury list – the longest injury list in the Premier League at the moment – has left them without their star central midfielders, Philippe Coutinho and Jordan Henderson, and their first-team center backs Martin Skrtel, Mahamadou Sakho and Dejan Lovren.

Since Arsenal were stomped out at Anfield in February 2014, they have been undefeated against the Merseyside men. Their last match against Liverpool was a 0-0 draw at the Emirates at the beginning of the season. But that was before Jurgen Klopp took over – and each team’s fortune has gone in a different direction since then.

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Liverpool started strong under Klopp, but their results have not been consistent of late. While they stymied red-hot Leicester City in late December, they were put to the sword by Watford a week earlier and their most recent result was a second defeat this season to West Ham United. The defeats are not without explanation – no natural central defenders starting in the Reds’ back four against the Hammers was bound to have a negative impact on their team.

Arsenal currently find themselves in an interesting position going into this game. Their injury list was at peak length near the end of 2015, but players are returning imminently and their squad has still been consistently winning through the busy winter period. Granted, their schedule has not been very difficult and the harder games have yet to come. However, the game of football is about results – Arsenal currently sit top of the league.

Liverpool’s biggest wins under Jurgen Klopp have been catalyzed by their attacking players pressing opposition players and winning back the ball. Against Chelsea they took advantage of an uncoordinated Chelsea back four. Against Manchester City, the Reds antagonized City’s center backs and ended up notching four goals on the Premier League title favorites.

Three variables are crucially different from those games against City and Chelsea when Liverpool take on Arsenal. Not only do Liverpool miss some of their quicker attacking players in Philippe Coutinho, Daniel Sturridge and Divock Origi, but Arsenal also have the league’s most stable defense right now. The Gunners have conceded more than one goal only once in their last ten games, and they have let in only one in their last three.

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Thirdly, Liverpool are the home side in this fixture as opposed to those two big wins when they visited the Etihad Stadium and Stamford Bridge. As the home team in this tie, Liverpool have to switch up their play style in order to deal with Arsenal sitting back. Pressing Arsenal’s defenders can also come back to haunt a manager if his players are tired. Klopp will have tactical decisions to make regarding how his team set up when not in possession.

Tactically, Arsenal need only play the same way they have done in big games and they will find themselves on the winning end of this fixture. This match against Liverpool is a chance for not only redemption, but also a chance to prove their worth as a team that can play passing football as well as a team that can hit their opposition on the break.

If the Gunners force Liverpool to break them down, the Reds will be struggling for fluidity without some of their star attackers. Once the ball is in the Gunners’ control, the absence of a cohesive central two will open up space for players like Theo Walcott who can run in behind the defense and create goals.

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This match is huge for Arsenal’s momentum, and also huge for their fans’ security when approaching big matches in the future. If the Gunners can’t prove themselves capable of shutting down a crippled Liverpool side, Barcelona looks a dangerously difficult task.