Arsenal Vs Liverpool: 5 key players to watch – Granit Xhaka’s big test

1. Granit Xhaka

While Liverpool’s defensive deficiencies primarily lie with the shortcomings of the defenders themselves, Arsenal’s come from the lack of protection that the midfield is able to provide. There has not been a game more evident of this fact than the early-season dismantling at the hands of the Merseysiders.

Granit Xhaka is the man that Wenger has tasked with anchoring the midfield. But there are some key flaws in his game that are difficult to overcome. Firstly, he is unaware of danger, which is a fairly important trait for someone who is predominantly asked to defend. That means he is already slow to react to developing situations. But then, to compound his troubles, he is then extremely slow himself, struggling to cover large spaces, often finding himself out of position because of his immobility.

Now, those issues are not necessarily his fault. He is not afforded much support, for example, in midfield. Wenger must ensure that his midfield partners are more positionally disciplined that Aaron Ramsey was last time out. But they are issues that are not exactly hidden. It’s not as if Arsenal, and Liverpool, do not know about them.

Next: Arsenal Vs Liverpool: Predicted starting XI

It is up to Wenger to help Xhaka. It is up to Xhaka to perform at the highest level that he can. It is up to Liverpool to try and engineer situations that expose him. In the first meeting, they were able to do that consistently. If that happens again, it will be a very, very long evening for the Arsenal defence.