It’s a must-win game for Liverpool, but who will have the biggest say over the result?
This is arguably our biggest game of the season – win, and we’re right back in the mix, lose, and we have it all to do. With a likely eight point gap separating us with Manchester United and the Champions League places, we would have a real mountain to climb.
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We’ve only ever won once at the Emirates Stadium, and we’ll have to break a four-year duck at the Gunners’ North London home if we’re to take a step closer to achieving our number one priority – a top four finish.
Here are the five match-ups likely to decide it all…
5) Mamadou Sakho vs Olivier Giroud
With Martin Skrtel out through suspension, Liverpool will look to the Frenchman to be the new defensive leader in chief. He will have his hands full with his countryman, who has scored nine goals in his last nine games in all competitions. Either Kolo Toure or Dejan Lovren will step into the hole left by the Slovakian’s absence, but both are short of playing-time in recent months, and will be relying on Sakho to help ease them back into the team.
4) Jordan Henderson vs Francis Coquelin
The Liverpool captain will need yet another big game. He’ll be up against a relative unknown in Francis Coquelin, who has been a stunning and welcome find for the Gunners so far this season – answering their need for a quality defensive midfielder. The 23-year-old academy graduate has been in fine form, and this battle will decide who gets the best of the midfield engine-room. Henderson has the edge in experience, but can he make that quality count.
3) Daniel Sturridge vs Per Mertesacker
Daniel Sturridge looks set to be a surprise inclusion in the Liverpool team, despite his latest injury setback which ruled him out of the recent England games against Lithuania and Italy. We know that the 25-year-old has bags of quality and pace to burn. He’ll have every opportunity to impress against Mertesacker, who’s hardly renowned for being quick on the turn. This is an opportunity for him to grab a goal and silence all of his critics.
2) Alberto Moreno vs Hector Bellerin
Two of the most inexperienced players on the pitch. Moreno endured a difficult afternoon against Manchester United last time out, and will no doubt be eager to respond with a big performance here. He’ll be up against Bellerin, who at just 20 has been another impressive find for the Gunners. The Liverpool left and the Arsenal right will be free for these two to work up and down. Who does the best will be a decisive factor in the game.
1) Joe Allen vs Alexis Sanchez
We found it hard to cope with the Chilean back in December, when he helped inspire Arsenal’s comeback from a goal down. However, Allen has been steadily improving since the turn of the year, playing in the Lucas-like role in front of the defence. He’ll need to produce a similar performance to the one he did against Manchester City, when he not only kept the opposition’s best player quiet, but also helped his team push forward by starting new attacks.
