Having wrapped up the Premier League title already, Liverpool are now eyeing an unprecedented feat, they are on course to break Manchester City’s 100-point record, but standing in their way next will be Arsenal.
On paper, it looks like a tricky game, as neither Arsenal nor Liverpool come into this game in the best of forms.
Ever since Jurgen Klopp’s side were officially crowned champions of the Premier League, they’ve taken their foot off the pedal a bit it seems, as the Anfield outfit were thrashed 4-0 by Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City. Their latest 1-1 draw with Burnley added more fuel to the argument that they are not firing on all cylinders.
On the other hand, the Gunners recently succumbed to a 1-2 derby loss at the hands of Tottenham, which all but ended their hopes of playing European football next season through league rankings.
A win against the Merseysiders would really help Mikel Arteta’s side to boost their confidence, but Arsenal’s shaky defence remains a cause of worry.
This, in turn, makes the match between these two sides an interesting proposition. With that said, here are five players worth looking forward to in the Premier League clash between Liverpool and Arsenal on Wednesday night.
#5 Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)
Ahead of the fixture between these two teams, Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta praised Virgil van Dijk, while also adding that the Gunners need a statement signing just like the Dutchman.
Indeed, the former Southampton star has been very influential in the Reds’ recent success, and no wonder Arteta is full of admiration for Van Dijk.
He is arguably the best centre-back in world football right now and could have a big say in the final result of the game between the two aforementioned sides.
#4 Alexandre Lacazette (Arsenal)
After scoring against Wolves and Tottenham, Alexandre Lacazette is finally starting to look like his former self and Mikel Arteta will be hoping that the French striker remains a consistent goal threat for the remainder of the season.
The Emirates outfit really need the Frenchman to step up his game, which would indeed help to decrease the goalscoring burden on skipper Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
As evident from his stunning long-range strike against Spurs, Lacazette’s confidence is back and Arsenal supporters will be hoping he can deliver the goods against the newly-crowned Premier League champions as well.
#3 Alisson Becker (Liverpool)
Having won the Premier League Golden Glove in his first year with the Reds, with 21 clean sheets to his name last season, Alisson Becker faces a tough challenge to retain his personal accolade this time around.
After missing a major chunk of games earlier in the season due to a calf injury, the 27-year-old has done reasonably well since returning to full fitness, as his tally of clean sheets for the current campaign stands at 13.
Currently, Nick Pope leads the way with 14 shut-outs to his name, alongside Manchester City custodian Ederson. Therefore, in order to win the Golden Glove again, Alisson would have to be at his brilliant best in all of Liverpool’s remaining games, starting with the match against Arsenal.
#2 Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Arsenal)
Having failed to find the back of the net against Spurs, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will be raring to go on Wednesday night. The Gunners will rely heavily on their talisman to help them get past the challenges in the upcoming round of fixtures.
Besides, the Gabon international also has the Premier League Golden Boot to take care of. Aubameyang currently has 20 goals to his name, three less than Leicester City’s Jamie Vardy, who currently leads the race.
This is why all eyes will be on the Arsenal skipper when he leads his team out against Liverpool at the Emirates.
#1 Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
Not far behind Aubameyang in the Golden Boot race, Mohamed Salah, who has 19 goals to his name, will be out to silence his critics against the Gunners.
Despite being a key cog in Liverpool’s recent dominance, Salah has been called ‘selfish’ by a certain section of the media. Having provided nine assists in the Premier League alone, it doesn’t make sense why the Egyptian winger has been ostracized lately.
Since the Premier League resumed in late June, he has either scored or provided an assist in every match barring two – the defeat against Manchester City and the draw versus Burnley.
Salah has been so important to the Reds that whenever he has failed to have a substantial impact on a game, Liverpool have struggled. That being said, we expect the 28-year-old to add to his tally of goals against the struggling defence of Mikel Arteta’s side.
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