Arsenal vs Liverpool: A litmus test for our young Gunners?

Can familiarity breed a positive result? Having gained little reward for their efforts on three previous occasions this season, Arsenal will hope to finally uncover the winning formula against Liverpool on Wednesday night as the Premier League’s two most in-form teams meet in a blockbuster clash.

Although momentum is building steadily in north London, the Reds are near the peak of their powers and an unbeaten domestic run this calendar year suggests our task will not be any easier this time around.

However, five consecutive victories and top four occupation mean confidence is currently brimming at the Emirates, and another battle with the league’s elite can serve as a litmus test for Mikel Arteta’s burgeoning squad.

The evaluation will partly consist of proving an ability to learn from mistakes, and something Arsenal must be particularly watchful of is the frontal press. This key stylistic facet was ruthlessly picked apart on Merseyside in November when Liverpool repeatedly dragged our frontline centrally during build-up phases, with the subsequent freedom out wide affording ample space for their full-backs to lay siege to the Gunners’ goal.

https://twitter.com/Arsenal/status/1503701281780776963

Arsenal can demonstrate the progress made this season in their midweek Premier League clash with Liverpool 

Somewhat ironically, this issue was best counteracted in the away leg of January’s Carabao Cup tie, when an early red card forced the boss to abandon his front-footed principles and grind out a draw. But the team have executed their preferred game-plan throughout the campaign – against even the toughest of opposition – and, while remaining wary, should back themselves to demonstrate its efficacy again in midweek.

Arsenal’s mental resilience is another attribute that will be intensely scrutinised in this encounter. Inexperience at the highest level is an injunction that has been frequently levelled at the club over the course of their youthful reboot, and the potential issues it can present were evidenced by the dearth of success on the road in the first months of the campaign, including the aforementioned first-half collapse at Anfield.

Such concerns may not be quite as acute before a match in front of an increasingly united home crowd, but the character displayed in recent weeks to maintain form and capitalise on struggles elsewhere indicate that the required psychological strength is developing within the group. The lessons learned in the opening games have provided harsh yet invaluable experience to help them cope with ongoing demands.

This latest instalment of this classic Premier League encounter may well be considered something of a free hit as, despite motivation to widen the gap in the race for Europe, victory over Klopp’s quadruple chasers is still improbable and dropped points here will likely not be rued in the final standings.

Nevertheless, anything that helps us inch closer to a long-overdue Champions League return is always welcome and the sense of belief and unity coursing through the team suggests that, if we remain true to our philosophy, there could be a surprise in store.