Arsenal vs Liverpool: 4 crucial elements needed to win

Arsenal host Liverpool on Wednesday and…well, not many give them much chance of causing an upset. It’s nothing personal, as unless you play in sky blue and come from the east of Manchester, the odds are stacked against you.

Having secured a fifth straight Premier League win for just the second time in Mikel Arteta’s tenure with their 2-0 victory over Leicester, Arsenal are one of the in-form teams in the country. If only they weren’t playing the only side in the division on a better run, eh?

In fact, you have to go back to 2009 for the last time two teams in the English top-flight went into a fixture both boasting 5+ win sequences. Even when factoring in the points difference, it’s going to be quite the occasion.

From the hosts’ perspective it’s all about consolidating their place in the top four. With three games in hand over the three sides below them, and one game in hand over Tottenham who they boast a six point advantage over, a loss wouldn’t be too detrimental to their goals.

Arsenal vs Liverpool: 4 crucial elements needed to win Wednesday’s huge Premier League clash between Klopp & Arteta’s sides

As for Liverpool, Manchester City’s goalless draw at Crystal Palace has granted them even greater incentive to leave the Emirates Stadium with all the spoils as they can move to within a point of top spot. That invitation isn’t ideal. Cheers, Pep.

Sliding into the mindset of this being a ‘free hit’ will not be accepted by Arteta. While their fine form has relieved some of the pressure in the sense that a loss won’t completely derail their top four ambitions, a win would have significantly boost hopes of a return to the Champions League as well as having a positive knock on effect on the team’s belief, as well as a negative impact on their rivals.

However, with new fixture dates announced that will see Arsenal play five times in April – including three games in seven days where there will be only 64 hours separating an away tie at Chelsea and the home visit of Manchester United – maybe the concept of a ‘free hit’ fizzles away.

The bottom line is, however, that in order to beat Liverpool it will require a near perfect performance. There can be no passengers. To break a record under Arteta and claim six straight league wins for the first time, Arsenal will need to nail four crucial elements.

1. Score First

Much of what needs to be done will seem relatively obvious. Sadly, that doesn’t translate to it being straightforward, since nothing is against this opposition.

The importance of scoring first in this game can’t be stressed enough. Looking at it purely from the perspective of the atmosphere, Arsenal’s immense home support this season can be cranked up beyond its maximum decibel level with the opening goal, handing the Gunners he confidence and initiative to build on that lead.

If Liverpool do score first it tends to mean it is curtains for the opposition.

In the 25 matches this season where they’ve taken the lead they have gone on to win 20 of them. The five occasions where they didn’t claim all three points ended in draws. Once they get their noses in front they’re one of the most formidable sides in Europe; they grab hold and don’t let go.

But how about when they’re trailing? What will provide some comfort to supporters if Arsenal do take the lead is that Liverpool have only won on two of the seven occasions where they’ve been fallen behind this season.

In total, those seven matches have seen them claim nine points. Food for thought? Well, it doesn’t change much in the approach, it just reinforced the importance of going in front.

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2. Winning Duels

Talk about the basics, eh?

You can win football matches without having to dominate the duels. Wolves are a strong and physical side and they outscored Arsenal aerially and in tackles in both of the Premier League meetings this season. The problem is that they’re not Liverpool.

Duels in this particular fixture are paramount. Winning their individual battles is how Liverpool continue to exert their pressure. When they got on top of you with their blistering pace in the press and counter-press it is these situations where they stamp their authority.

There will be long spells where they turn the screw. They’ll hound Arsenal down at every opportunity. In these moments it is not composure on the ball that matters and instead composure off the ball.

When we hear teams being ‘rattled’ by Liverpool it’s often because they’re first to every ball physically and mentally. They can charge down on the defenders playing out of the back and force errors, which is part of their devastation, but they’re engaged physically from the first minute to the last.

It’s more than just quality on the ball.

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3. Support Thomas Partey

Key to Arsenal’s recent success is their well-documented change of system. Releasing Granit Xhala further up the field where he can aid with retaining possession in more threatening areas has increased the responsibility on Thomas Partey to connect all the dots.

Sometimes lining up in a 2-3-2-3 shape in build up where the Ghanaian has his full-backs laterally and the two No. 8’s in front on the angle, what Arsenal have done is always have passing options for the midfielder to progress the ball.

Of course, it isn’t as simple as merely giving him options as that unfairly undervalues what he brings on and off the ball, but this is exactly what Liverpool will seek to nullify on Wednesday. They know that suffocating Partey, cutting off his lanes of supply, or both, will be their key to success.

He is far more vulnerable now as the lone No. 6 and one only need look back at the reverse meeting at Anfield to see how Sambi Lokonga was targeted in the same position in front of the back four.

Partey is playing his finest football to date in an Arsenal shirt and his ability to chop into space and dummy past him man is divine. Yet with a storm of Red bodies closing in there has to be the support for him at all times – whether that be someone else coming short to give the central defenders an option in build-up or with efficient movement in front when he’s on the ball – or else Arsenal will suffer.

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4. Find Gabriel Martinelli in Behind

All teams have tactics. Every side goes into matches with a plan in place on how to maximise their strengths and nullify their opponents’. The difference is that Liverpool have a higher calibre of player to execute those demands.

The standout area of this Liverpool team that everyone looks to target is the space behind Trent Alexander-Arnold. His role this year is even more dynamic than before, with him making underlapping movements into midfield where he can operate as a No. 8. He’s just brilliant.

But the advancing runs come at a cost. Liverpool know this. Protecting the spaces he vacates is crucial, as they are aware it’s an area that the opposition will look to target.

How this is done would normally be with the striker (Lacazette) coming short to drag a defender out of position and prompting a shift at the back, opening the avenue for a run in behind (Martinelli) the right-back.

With a defender like Virgil van Dijk who can effectively defend all on his own and cover all the space makes the task all the harder. It won’t be a simple matter of one man coming short and then a dink in behind, Arsenal have to maintain the variance in how the build-up that they’ve shown throughout this run to avoid predictable patterns of play.

They’re a more balanced attacking side now. Finding Martinelli down that side has become second nature. Against Liverpool, however, it’s about maintaining their principles because as much as it is well known, that is an area Arsenal can exploit with the Brazilian’s blistering pace.