Will our Brazilian battler be able to get the better of the mercurial Spaniard…?
We take on Arsenal at Anfield on Sunday, and we’ll need to win our individual battles if we’re to come out on top.
These five could be completely crucial to our chances of success.
1) Raheem Sterling v Per Mertesacker
With Sterling set to continue playing as a false 9, Liverpool will surely try to get him isolated against Arsenal’s German centre-back, who he can beat for pace all day long. Merteacker is solid and positions himself well – but he’s very immobile, and our best chance of success could be to get Sterling running in behind the experienced defender.
