Arsenal vs Liverpool: Predicted starting XI in barn burner

Arsenal may not be favorites to take anything from their clash with Liverpool, but here is how they may line up to try and do just that.

Arsenal, Unai Emery — Arsenal (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

If you’re a Liverpool fan, you are expecting three points. If you’re an Arsenal fan, at least the majority that I’m seeing, you’re desperate to just keep it close. But there is still a degree of optimism that comes from going 12 matches unbeaten – and not just against scrap teams.

Leicester City and Watford were far from “scrap” teams, and Sporting CP, on their home ground, is much the same. This Gunners team is a lot stronger than people are giving them credit for in their infinite quest to discredit this club.

Mainly, that comes in the attack. Arsenal have actually outscored Liverpool thus far into the season, and only Manchester City have scored more goals. Meaning that there will probably be at least a goal or two, maybe even three, by the Gunners.

Of course, Liverpool’s defense has improved drastically, so this will be an excellent test of what many have been wondering – can this attack really threaten any defense out there?

It’s easy to say yes, just given how strong they have been, but we won’t know until we see it. So let’s talk about how this club may line up against Liverpool, starting in goal.

Keeper

Seeing as how Petr Cech was between the sticks against Blackpool, I’d expect Bernd Leno to be the man in charge against Liverpool. It’s not like he’s never faced top-tier attacks before. He has, both in the Bundesliga and in Europa and Champions League match-ups.

Leno is no rookie. However, he will still want to be at his absolute best in what could be considered his first “big league” Premier League match-up. His starting job may be at stake too, with Cech back healthy, so I wonder if that doesn’t add a little more inclination to perform adequately, as if he needed any more.

That was the easy part. Let’s get into the defense, where we have more questions than I probably have answers. We start with the fullbacks.