please log in to view this image please log in to view this image please log in to view this image Venue: Anfield Wednesday, January 13th 2016 KO Time: 20.00 BST please log in to view this image Head to Head Against Liverpool: Played: 200 Wins: 72 Draws: 52 Losses: 76 Goals For: 263 Goals Against: 282 Goal Difference: -19 Last 6 Meetings: Arsenal 0-0 Liverpool Arsenal 4-1 Liverpool Liverpool 2-2 Arsenal Arsenal 2-1 Liverpool (FA Cup) Liverpool 5-1 Arsenal Arsenal 2-0 Liverpool please log in to view this image Arsène Wenger reported the following team news ahead of the Premier League game against Liverpool: on the team news… We will have to test Ospina who was not available on Saturday. We have Rosicky back in training so the situation is getting better. on Ospina… Ospina is a muscular issue and we have to check if he will be available or not. Overall I think he has a 60/40 chance to make it. on Tomas Rosicky… He will be back in full training this week, it is fantastic because he has been out for very long and it is good to know that a player of that calibre is back in our squad. on Alexis… We think he will be short for Wednesday, he has a chance to be available for Sunday [against Stoke]. He is always keen to play. If you listen to Alexis, he can always play - even when he is injured. We try to be cautious. With a muscular injury you never exactly how big the risk but he is very close. If you look at him training he is very close. please log in to view this image
Big game, we cannot start slow, and will have to be up for this and put Liverpool under pressure right from the start.
As long as we keep a clean sheet for the first 10 minutes, half of their team should go off injured...
Wenger said before the Sunderland game that Sanchez is 'a bit short' for the Liverpool match and could 'maybe' be in contention for the Stoke match. I find it slightly concerning that the date he's been predicted to come into the team has been pushed further back over the last few weeks, but I hope it's Wenger being extra cautious. Personally, I still feel that with Liverpool missing Sturridge, Henderson and Coutinho (three of their main players), we should still have enough to win the game really, with or without Alexis. I'd expect the team to look like: Cech, Bellerin, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Monreal; Flamini, Ramsey; Walcott, Ozil, Campbell, Giroud. Chamberlain played well yesterday and was unlucky not to score, but his passing is still erratic and Liverpool do have some players that can hit us on the counter if we're not careful in possession, so he needs to go back to the bench. Also, I'm expecting Debuchy to leave on loan in January, which is a bit annoying because we don't really have anyone that can play in his position who can do a solid job. We can't expect Bellerin to play every game from now until the end of the season. The last time Chambers played at RB, he was torn to shreds and it wouldn't have done wonders for his confidence. If he does leave, I hope AW has someone lined up to bring in as second-choice RB.
Ahh didn't know that about sanchez, that is annoying. Agree with pretty mich everything else, that is the team id expect as well, and the nice thing is that bar bellerin, theo and giroud everyone has had a rest - and as soon as sanchez is back id imagine that theo and giroud will get rested for the odd game. Liverpool are really weakened through injury, both the main players you mentioned but also in defence, so we really need to take advantage and cause havoc! Imo we really need debuchy to stay until jenks comes back in the summer, i cant see us being able to sign anyone decent on loan for 6 months to sit on the bench and we will be fine once jenks comes back.
Good time to be playing Liverpool really with their fixture pile up and injuries. It will still be a massive 3 points if we do win at Anfield though.
We need to really get at there defense in this game, I don't want us to approach this game sitting back and hitting them on the counter, I want us to come out hard and give them something to worry about. They could well only have Toure and Lucas fit to play at CB and we need to give them a tough time, Toure looked knackered last time he played before his hamstring issue so if he is worked hard could well drop and Lucas isn't naturally a CB. Added to there other injuries further forward I hope we start fast and really go at them, try and dominate the game.
I'd be tempted to tell Theo to work as more of a second striker with Giroud than as a winger to put extra pressure on there back line.
Just looked at Liverpool's injury situation, dang, they are crippled at the moment, and are there for the taking if we show up in a ruthless mood.
I'd be tempted to rest Giroud. He's looking tired. I would start Theo up front. Maybe Arteta is still a bit short. If he was fully fit I would rather him that Flamini. Arteta can dictate our passing rhythm better than Flamini. With Coutinho injured I imagine we would have a lot of ball so Arteta would be better. We have to win this!
Unfortunately I'm not sure we've got the personnel to rest Giroud until Sanchez comes back, unless you want to play Oxo instead of Giroud - which imo weakens us significantly. I think our main worry with Liverpool at the moment is Firmino, if we park Flamini on him then it could allow Ramsey to make a few late, devastating runs into the box and cause all sorts of problems.
No way to rest Giroud, we need all our attacking players out there as we are already short as it is. He might be looking tired, but he is on good form at the moment, so not the time to drop him, he had a good weeks rest before the FA Cup game, so he shouldnt be that tired.
At least by the Stoke game (on Sat) we should have Sanchez back together with Arteta and then the week after that we should have Rosicky back which will give us far great ability to rotate our strikers, particularly with some cup games coming up. And we should be in a much better position come the Southampton and Chelsea games at the end of the month (hopefully with a new signing or even two by then as well!).
No chance we should be resting Giroud, we are most likely up against cobbled together CBs, we should be getting Giroud right in there to throw his weight about and have Walcott making runs inside too.
Can you imagine managing Sanchez's fitness/injuries?! Wenger has said he says he's fit when he's clearly not so it must be really tricky to be certain you're not risking further problems. On another note, is it true that Sanchez has never assisted Giroud? Someone told me that last night in the pub and I didn't know if it was bollocks. They never look great as a pairing when on at the same time so it may be right. I guess some players never click for whatever reasons. Happily, Özil has no prejudice with who he assists so, you know, yay. We should win this game on paper considering Liverpool's problems. Obviously we have our own injury issues but it pales in comparison to them. My only concern is that it's away, Klopp has had good results against "bigger" sides (maybe play with less pressure?) and Liverpool are a team who like hitting on the counter, something we're usually absolute suckers for. Other than that...I'm 100% confident! I'd go with Brunel's starting 11, at the moment it's kind of picking itself. That gives you pace and drive with AOC as a sub...and that....that's about it really. Arteta, Gabriel, Gibbs on the bench. Not a huge amount of attacking options unfortunately. Hope we don't Liverpool ourselves.
Very true...hmm. Still have a feeling this will be one of those annoying ****y games where they rock up with no pressure due to the injuries and shaft us. I don't like this being top, it confuses me. I'm endlessly and annoyingly optimistic when we're 4th and doing "ok". Not sure what to do with myself now. At least our football is slightly unreliable. Keeps me on familiar ground I suppose!
Scousers have signed Steven Caulker on loan from QPR so they'll have at least one recognised centre back. Is he not getting games at QPR or are they trying (again) to free up the wage bill?
