Liverpool take on Arsenal this coming Monday, in what will be the third game of our new Premier League campaign. After the Reds made the perfect start against Stoke and Bournemouth, Brendan Rodgers’ side will no doubt be desperate to continue that momentum in North London.
The Gunners, who started the season with a desperately disappointing defeat at home to West Ham, looked more like themselves last weekend when they beat Crystal Palace 2-1 and we’ll need to be at our best if we’re going to take all three points back to Merseyside and maintain our 100% record.
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With that in mind, here are five key battles that could decide the game:
5) Olivier Giroud vs Dejan Lovren
The Croatian has looked much better over the course of the first two games of the new season. However, he’ll have to maintain that recent run of form if he’s to get the better of Olivier Giroud and hold on to his place in the team long-term. Giroud was a thorn in our side all afternoon the last time we went to the Emirates Stadium and, having got off the mark against Crystal Palace last weekend, should be full of confidence heading into this game. This could be a make or break match-up for Lovren and for the new-look Liverpool back four.
4) Per Mertesacker vs Christian Benteke
There’s been a lot of positivity in the Liverpool camp surrounding Christian Benteke so far this season. The big man has got off to the near-perfect start, having scored on his home debut against Bournemouth last time out, but it’s in these games – against our top four rivals – in which he really needs to make his mark, if he’s to prove value for money. He’ll be up against an experienced old campaigner in Per Mertesacker on Monday, who will be looking to eliminate the Belgian’s threat in the air and stop him from holding the ball up. It should be an interesting tussle.
3) Mesut Ozil vs Emre Can
Ozil is Arsenal’s playmaker in chief and the responsibility for limiting his impact on the game will likely fall to our young German. Can hasn’t started a Premier League game for us yet this season but with Jordan Henderson struggling with an injury he’ll surely get his chance in this one. This is a big opportunity for Can, who will really want to establish himself as a Liverpool midfield player, having predominately been used as an emergency defender last season. He has the ability and now it feels very much like the time for him to start showing it.
2) Francis Coquelin vs Philippe Coutinho
Ozil’s opposite number and Liverpool’s number ten will be the one and only Coutinho, so often the man for the big occasion over the past couple of seasons. When he does find the net, it’s often in spectacular fashion, and he’ll be hoping to add to his tally of strikes at the Emirates Stadium. The Brazilian will be vitally important to Liverpool’s hopes going forward and all of our passing play is likely to run through the little wizard. The man tasked with stopping him will be Coquelin, who hasn’t had the best of starts to the season, but impressed against us last year.
1) Alexis Sanchez vs Nathaniel Clyne
Arsenal’s key man is still very much Alexis Sanchez. The club’s top scorer last season is now back from a successful summer with Chile at the Copa America – which they won on home soil. He was hugely impressive against us in both our games against the Gunners last season and Rodgers will be well aware that stopping him must be a priority. Sanchez will be up against much sterner opposition this season, with Nathaniel Clyne likely to be tasked with stopping his marauding runs down the left-hand side, so let’s hope the full-back can continue his fine form.
