MY ACCOUNT
– Arsenal average 2.42 points per away game and exactly two goals per road outing
– Liverpool have not won in four games and scored just once during that run
– Recommended Bet: Arsenal win and over 1.5 goals
Arsenal face another acid test of their title credentials at Anfield on Sunday when they face a Liverpool side that have emerged victorious from the teams’ last six Merseyside meetings.
Inspired by the returning Gabriel Jesus, the Gunners struck four goals past Leeds last weekend to reopen an eight-point lead at the Premier League summit.
Mikel Arteta’s men could hardly be in better shape to end their Anfield hoodoo, having scored three or more goals in five of their last six top-flight matches.
That is in sharp contrast to Jurgen Klopp’s side, who have hit a goalscoring rut of late and created little of note in their 0-0 midweek draw with Chelsea.
Team news
Thiago Alcantara has returned to training and should provide a welcome boost to Liverpool’s recent lack of creativity in midfield if he makes the matchday squad.
Virgil van Dijk also appears to have fully recovered from the illness that kept him out of Tuesday’s draw with Chelsea.
Luis Diaz (knee) is still building up his fitness with the squad ahead of a likely return to action later this month, while Stefan Bajcetic (adductor), Calvin Ramsay (knee) and Naby Keita (muscle) remain out.
After taking Mohamed Salah, Cody Gakpo, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson out of his starting line-up at Stamford Bridge in midweek, Klopp looks likely to recall all four this Sunday.
As for Arsenal, Rob Holding looks set to deputise for the injured William Saliba in central defence once more as the Frenchman is still being dogged by a back problem.
Eddie Nketiah (ankle), Takehiro Tomiyasu and Mohamed Elneny (both knee) are still undergoing treatment and will not feature.
Bukayo Saka will return to the side in the probable only change to the line-up against Leeds with Leandro Trossard, who stunned Anfield with a hat-trick for Brighton in October, the unlucky forward expected to drop out.
The stats
Liverpool are unbeaten in their last nine Premier League home games against the visitors, winning seven and drawing two.
Klopp has won six consecutive league games against Arsenal at Anfield with his Liverpool sides overcoming their Gunners counterparts by a 22-4 aggregate scoreline.
However, the Reds have now lost more league games in 2023 (five) than they did in the whole of 2022.
Arsenal passed the 70-point mark with their 4-1 win over Leeds last weekend. No team with more than 70 points after 29 games of the season has failed to go on and win the Premier League title.
Prediction
Tuesday’s goalless draw with Chelsea at least ended Liverpool’s losing run, but they are 10 points adrift of the top four with games fast running out.
They will be desperate to win this game, but the signs within the camp are not good as Klopp freely admits he cannot be sure of the performance levels any more while his captain and goalkeeper got into a heated argument on the pitch this week.
Arsenal will possibly never have a better chance of ending their Merseyside malaise, which even continued when they lost at Everton earlier this year.
But that 1-0 defeat remains the only blemish on their superb away record and they certainly have the firepower to do what Chelsea could not — finish their chances against Liverpool.
Back Arsenal to win and over 1.5 goals in the game at 2/1 with LiveScore Bet.
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