Stadium: Emirates Stadium, London
Referee: Kevin Friend, Assistants: S. Ledger, D. England, Fourth Official: J. Moss
Kick-off: January 31st, 01:15 IST
Both teams have been plagued by inconsistency at home and on the road, and will be looking to catapult themselves onto a winning run by claiming a win over the other.
Three points are all that separate the two teams, and whoever claims a win over the other could see themselves in the Champions League spots at the end of the season. Sixth-placed Arsenal have 37 points from 23 games, while the Anfield side have 34 and are a place behind the Londoners in seventh.
Arsenal: LWLWW
13 January 2013: Manchester City (H): 0-2, Barclays Premier League
16 January 2013: Swansea City (H): 1-0, FA Cup Third Round Replay
20 January 2013: Chelsea (A): 1-2, Barclays Premier League
23 January 2013: West Ham United (H): 5-1, Barclays Premier League
26 January 2013: Brighton & Hove Albion (A): 3-2, FA Cup Fourth Round
The Gunners have had an up and down campaign all season, winning ten, drawing seven and losing six of their 23 Premier League games. Arsene Wenger’s side have endured their worst start to an English Premier League campaign this season, and with just 15 games to go, his team lies in sixth place and are in no way guaranteed European football next season.
Their New Year’s fixture was against Manchester City at home, where they played almost the entirety of the game with 10 men, after Laurent Koscielny was sent off in the opening minutes of the first half. Vincent Kompany was sent off with about ten minutes of the game left, but by that time, James Milner and Edin Dzeko had done the damage.
They tried to make amends against Chelsea, but you would not know it from an insipid first half – if you’re an Arsenal fan – which saw Frank Lampard and Juan Mata put the home side 2-0 up before half time. The Gunners did raise their game significantly in the second half, culminating in Theo Walcott pulling one back for the Red and Whites, but their response was too little, too late.
They did turn their form around with a resounding 5-1 against West Ham United, with Lukas Podolski, Theo Walcott, Santi Cazorla and Olivier Giroud (2) getting on the score sheet after Jack Collison had opened the scoring at the Emirates. They had to dig deep to earn a win against Brighton and Hove Albion at the Amex Arena in the fourth round of the FA Cup, but came away from the south-east of England with a 3-2 win.
Arsenal will be hoping to pick up their third straight win in all competitions with a win against Liverpool. Then commandeered by Roy Hodgson, the Reds won 2-0 in North London in the same fixture last season, with Luis Suarez opening the scoring before Ignasi Miquel put through his own net.
Liverpool: WWLWL
2 January 2013: Sunderland (H): 3-0, Barclays Premier League
6 January 2013: Mansfield Town (A): 2-1, FA Cup Third Round
13 January 2013: Manchester United (A): 1-2, Barclays Premier League
19 January 2013: Norwich City (H): 5-0, Barclays Premier League
27 January 2013: Oldham Athletic (A): 2-3, FA Cup Fourth Round
Brendan Rodgers inherited a side in transition, one that was looking back to climb into the European elite, and so far, he has done a commendable job in piloting Liverpool’s ascent upwards.
The Reds have lost just one game more than the Gunners and will look to avenge the last two defeats they suffered at the hands of Wenger’s men on the last two occasions at Anfield.
Last season, Robin van Persie scored twice to hand the Gunners three vital points at Merseyside, while the men targeted to replace him, Lukas Podolski and Santi Cazorla, scored to give their new side a win early this season. But the Reds can take comfort from a 2-0 win of their own: the one they earned against the Gunners in their second game last season.
Liverpool began January with a handsome 3-0 win against Sunderland. Raheem Sterling and Luis Suarez (2) gave Rodgers the perfect start to January. That was continued in their 2-1 FA Cup Third Round win away to Mansfield Town, but the Reds’ celebrations of progression might have been soured by Suarez’s handball in the build up the Liverpool’s winner after new signing Daniel Sturridge scored the opener.
Manchester United at home is never a tough place to play and so it proved this time around for Liverpool as well. Robin van Persie and Nemanja Vidic scored to hand Welshman Rodgers his first derby defeat at Old Trafford. Daniel Sturridge tucked home a rebound to set up a nail-biting second half where Liverpool looked good value for getting an equaliser, but Sir Alex Ferguson’s men clung on.
Liverpool soon put things right with a 5-0 battering of Norwich City, with a goal apiece from Steven Gerrard, Jordan Henderson, Daniel Sturridge and Luis Suarez. Norwich’s woes were compounded when Ryan Bennett made it five with an own goal.
But the Reds’ hopes of stringing together a series of victories and find some form was brought sharply back to earth when they were stunned 3-2 by Oldham Athletic FC in the fourth round of the FA Cup. A Matt Smith brace and Reece Wabara’s goal gave the League One side a memorable win, meaning goals from Suarez and Joe Allen were in vain.
Rodgers knows how important qualifying for the Champions League is to the players, the fans and the club as a whole. Winning against Arsenal could just provide him the impetus he needs to propel his side into the top four.
Arsenal:
Arsene Wenger is able to welcome back to the fold Thomas Vermaelen, who went off with a bruised ankle against West Ham United at the Emirates. Whether the Belgium centre-back starts for the Gunners is not yet known.
Tomas Rosicky and Abou Diaby are both returning to full fitness, but former Everton man Mikel Arteta and Frenchman Francis Coquelin will miss out on the game, despite returning to full training.
Lukas Fabianski was also out for a significant part of last year, and after undergoing surgery on his ankle, is also part of the squad
With the January transfer window open, Gooners will be anticipating new signings this winter, but they would be wise to wait till the 31st of January to see if players – if there are any coming – do arrive at Ashburton Grove.
Gervinho is on international duty with Cote d’Ivoire at the African Cup of Nations.
Squad (from): Wojciech Szczesny, Lukas Fabianski, Vito Mannone; Bacary Sagna, Carl Jenkinson, Thomas Vermaelen (c), Laurent Koscielny, Per Mertesacker, Sebastien Squillaci, Kieran Gibbs, Andre Santos; Aaron Ramsey, Jack Wilshere, Abou Diaby, Tomas Rosicky, Santi Cazorla, Emmanuel Frimpong, Andrei Arshavin; Lukas Podolski, Olivier Giroud, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Theo Walcott
Predicted Starting XI: 4-2-3-1: Szczesny, Sagna, Mertesacker, Vermaelen, Gibbs, Diaby, Wilshere, Cazorla, Podolski, Giroud, Walcott
Liverpool:
Brendan Rodgers will be glad to have three of his senior players back for this game.
Goalkeeper Jose Reina and full backs Jose Enrique and Glen Johnson will return for the game against the Gunners and will most probably face fitness tests with such a high profile game marking their return from injury.
Both Jonjo Shelvey and Fabio Borini are also in contention for a place in the starting eleven.
Versatile Moroccan winger Oussama Assaidi is away with his nation at the African Cup of Nations.
Rodgers’ new signing Daniel Sturridge is sure to play some part in this game, but Philippe Coutinho, who is said to be on his way to Anfield, is still in the final stages of his move from Internazionale Milano.
Squad (from): Jose Reina, Brad Jones, Peter Gulacsi, Alexander Doni; Daniel Agger, Martin Skrtel, Jamie Carragher, Sebastian Coates, Glen Johnson, Jose Enrique, Andre Wisdom, Martin Kelly, John Flanagan; Steven Gerrard, Lucas Leiva, Jonjo Shelvey, Joe Allen, Jordan Henderson, Suso Fernandez, Raheem Sterling, Stewart Downing; Luis Suarez, Daniel Sturridge, Fabio Borini
Predicted Starting XI: 4-2-3-1: Reina, Johnson, Skrtel, Agger, Enrique, Lucas, Allen, Gerrard, Sterling, Sturridge, Suarez
Arsenal: Jack Wilshere
Wilshere has been the driving force of Arsenal since his return from injury, taking over at the right time from Spain midfielder Santi Cazorla, who has begun to show signs of fatigue.
The England international has come back to his competitive best in the last few weeks, and whether expected to or not, he will undoubtedly put in another lung-busting shift.
Scoring the winner against Swansea in the previous round of the FA Cup, he was a breath of fresh air against Brighton and will hope to prise open the Liverpool rearguard.
Liverpool: Steven Gerrard
What Jack Wilshere will become for Arsenal is what Stevie G has always been for Liverpool since he graduated from Melwood all those years ago. He is their go-to guy, their rescuer, their saviour.
Known for giving a 110% in big games, representing the heartbeat of the Spion Kop, he is the life blood of Liverpool Football Club. Expect him to drive the Reds from midfield. Any club will be lucky to have him and Liverpool know he will play an integral role in helping his side win the game.
Prediction:
With both sides plagued by inconsistency, the game could swing either way. But given home comforts, Arsenal might just edge this one.
Final Scoreline: Arsenal 2-1 Liverpool.
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