Why Arsenal will dominate the midfield battle against Liverpool

Games are won and lost in the middle of the pitch, and the Arsenal midfield trio have shown this season that they are a match for any team in the Premier League.

After 29 games, Arsenal boast a 60.7% possession share with 470 passes played per game. Only Manchester City average higher possession numbers in the Premier League this season (64.6%).

Despite their patchy form this season, Liverpool remain strong in their possession numbers, with an average of 59% per game. They don’t necessarily have an issue retaining possession, it is how they use it that’s been the problem.

They average 227 passes in the opposition half, compared to Arsenal’s 271. For Arsenal, this starts with the high defensive line and Thomas Party at the base of the midfield.

Why Arsenal will dominate the midfield battle against Liverpool

Everything is positive. Arsenal are always looking forward, and Partey is the orchestrator of this. Throughout every game, he links with Martin Ødegaard to play short passes and move the opposition around, but we’ve also become accustomed to the sweeping, curling pass with pace whipped out to Bukayo Saka that takes numerous players out of the game.

And, on the other side, there is Granit Xhaka. This season he is seeing less of the ball, with the most important parts of his game coming off the ball, but when he gets it, he can really punish the opposition, as his five goals and five assists in the Premier League shows.

Like Xhaka, Ødegaard gets through huge amounts of work off the ball, leading the Arsenal press and winning the ball back high up the park. His tally of ten goals and seven assists make him a real threat in and around the box, also.

Liverpool lack that threat from midfield, with only Harvey Elliott scoring in the Premier League this season, while he and Henderson have just three assists between them.

Alongside their lack of attacking threat, mobility has been an issue for Liverpool in the engine room, with Henderson and Fabinho looking considerably stiffer and less able to get around the pitch as they once did.

This is a complete contrast to Arsenal, who shift the ball quickly, with every player constantly on the move, giving the player on the ball an option to pass to, all while pressing and hunting in packs to win it back out of possession.

And, all of this is before we even throw Oleksandr Zinchenko into the mix. His inverted role gives Arsenal an extra man in midfield and enables them to really smother the opposition.

Last week, City used John Stones in a similar position, and Liverpool’s midfield looked lost. They couldn’t get close to him, Rodri, Kevin De Bruyne or Ilkay Gundogun, and Arsenal are going to play with the same level of control, which could cause real problems for Liverpool.

The question isn’t about quality. Arsenal have the stronger trio in midfield. The question is whether Arsenal can get over the Anfield block that has left them winless for 11 years. Tomorrow is the perfect time to put that to bed.