GW 11: Arsenal vs. Liverpool

Liverpool against Arsenal should be the main fixture to watch out for in gameweek 11. Both teams have endured great starts to the season with Liverpool unbeaten in the first 10 matches and Arsenal going on a run of 7 PL wins in a row before they tied against Crystal Palace last game week. With both sides expected to be in the top 4 this season this could be a really interesting match that might decide the overall fate of some of the top teams in the division.

First let's talk Liverpool. This reds side have been in fantastic form this season and last week they won at home to Cardiff 4-1. Of course Cardiff aren’t a real test of a top sides ability but this game will be great confidence booster for many of the players involved. With Salah and Mane both scoring they have a 3 and 2 goal scoring streak respectively with Salah scoring 4 in his last 3 and Mane scoring 3. The attackers aren’t the only ones in form at the moment with the Liverpool defence only conceding a mere 4 goals in the first 10 matches this season.

The players to look for in this match are Salah, Shaqiri and Fabinho although van Dijk should also be imperious at the back like he has been as of late. Like mentioned before Salah as scored 4 in his last 3 which extends his tally to 5 goals in the Premier League this season which is not bad for a player who has apparently started the season in bad form. He also has three assists this season so far which is more than any other Liverpool player in the Premier League at this stage.

Shaqiri is definitely one to watch after scoring his first competitive goal for the club last Saturday against Cardiff. Although his goal contribution numbers haven’t been outstanding this season he has provided an extra spark off the bench this season and has started to find his way into the starting team. Fabinho is the final player that should be interesting to watch for Liverpool. With Keita and Henderson injured he is starting to get some minutes and he made his first start in the PL last match against Cardiff. He made 99 passes in his last match which is a very good statistic and shows that he has embedded into the side quite nicely. If he gets a chance to start he could definitely impress.

Now on to Arsenal. Although Arsenal are very suspect at the back and haven’t looked incredible this season they have the players to cause any defence problems and Emery has been getting results out of the side. Before last week's tie against Crystal Palace they had won 11 matches on the bounce in all competitions. They have been playing good attacking football and big wins against Leicester and Fulham highlighted their strong attacking ability. Unai Emery does need to address their first half performances because they haven’t been winning a match at half-time this season.

The player expected to make the biggest impact for Arsenal is Alexandre Lacazette. ALthough he hasn’t scored for the gunners for the last 2 premier league matches he has been such a threat this season and has linked up the play nicely. Also, his finishing has improved massively this season and that's shown with 4 goals in 7 starts this season. Aubameyang will also be a crucial player and he would be the player expected to step up and get the goals for Arsenal in this one. He’s scored 5 goals in only his last 3 games and is tied in first at the top of the PL goal scoring chart with 7 this season. If he continues his form in this match you would definitely expect him to grab a goal.

In terms of injuries Bellerin and Monreal are both doubts for this game with Monreal recorded to have a hamstring problem and Bellerin a muscle issue. This is a real problem for Arsenal because they rely on these two attacking full backs to provide width in an otherwise very narrow attack. If they aren’t fit you would expect to see Xhaka and Lichtsteiner used. Liverpool are definitely going to be missing Henderson and Keita but they have strong back up players such as Fabinho and Wijnaldum who can definitely exceed in their absence. This is why Liverpool’s injury woes are slightly less worrying than Arsenal.

All in all, although both sides are dangerous Liverpool have a much more solid defence which should be the difference in this match. Also, the fact that Arsenal could have to use makeshift full backs and potentially play the inexperienced Matteo Guendouzi in defensive midfield should make it a pretty comfortable match for Liverpool and I expect them to rip through the Arsenal defence. For these reasons my predicted score for this week’s main match is 3-1 to Liverpool.