Arsenal could break an eleven-year-old defensive curse against Liverpool this week

Normally, Arsenal take on Liverpool with the express aim of trying to keep the Reds’ red-hot attackers quiet (often a failed mission, too).

But that might not be the case on Thursday as the Champions are still without talisman Mo Salah (he remains on AFCON duty) and, at any rate, they have simply looked disjointed for much of the Premier League campaign.

Those factors could work to the Gunners’ advantage and help them to end an eleven-year-old streak in midweek.

Because though Mikel Arteta has forged this backline into the meanest in this division, Arsenal have not recorded a PL clean sheet at home to Liverpool since August 2015; some heroics from Petr Cech saved a point for them that night.

Arsenal are in prime position to end their long wait for an Emirates clean sheet against Liverpool

Things have changed dramatically since then. Today, that mediocre CB pairing of Gabriel Paulista and Calum Chambers reads, instead, as William Saliba and another, better Gabriel – touted as among the best defenders in the business – while they gain instruction from a man who did not even get off the bench that night eleven years ago: Mikel Arteta himself.  

The boss confirmed in his pre-match conference that Riccardo Calafiori will miss the Liverpool match due to injury. But that problem aside, he will be at full strength at the back and might expect his men to make life difficult for the Liverpool frontline, one which could be without both Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike in addition to Salah.

After a solid start (only three goals conceded in their first ten PL games), the Gunners have been a lot more porous of late and Arteta will hope the return to full fitness of stars like Gabriel can lead to the return of that defensive solidity of old – provided there are no howlers such as that witnessed on the south coast last Saturday.

Arsenal often felt the brunt of Liverpool firepower over those eleven years but this clash feels like an opportune moment to break the shutout curse; it could enable a watershed night in their attempt to end that other, 22-year hex on the club too.