please log in to view this image please log in to view this image please log in to view this image Venue: Emirates Stadium Monday, August 16th 2015 KO Time: 20.00 BST please log in to view this image Head to Head Against Liverpool: Played: 199 Wins: 72 Draws: 51 Losses: 76 Goals For: 263 Goals Against: 282 Goal Difference: -19 Last 6 Meetings: Arsenal 4-1 Liverpool Liverpool 2-2 Arsenal Arsenal 2-1 Liverpool (FA Cup) Liverpool 5-1 Arsenal Arsenal 2-0 Liverpool Arsenal 2-2 Liverpool please log in to view this image Arsène Wenger has revealed the latest team news ahead of Monday night's game against Liverpool at Emirates Stadium: on the team news... From the Palace game we have no injuries and we have still Wilshere, Welbeck and Rosicky to come back. And we have no suspensions. So we should have a similar squad for the Liverpool game. on Rosicky and Wilshere... Rosicky is progressing nicely but he is far away. Wilshere should be the first back from those players, he is making good progress. Liverpool Board Match Thread: http://www.not606.com/threads/pl-arsenal-vs-liverpool.308765/
Interestingly, I thought I'd look at our record against Liverpool over the last 15 years (in all competitions) and it is actually pretty decent. Since the 2000/2001 season: WDWWDDWWLWLWWWWLDDDLDDWWWDDLWWDWLWDW That's 17 wins, 6 losses and 12 draws. Obviously none of these past results have any bearing on what will happen next week and to be honest, I doubt many of the players are actually aware of our record against Liverpool, but I just thought it's nice to see that we have enjoyed getting the better of them more times than not. Onto the game itself, they don't seem to have had much joy against us away from home in recent years and I doubt this match-up will be any different. They've not looked impressive in both of their opening fixtures and although we haven't looked particularly solid at the back, we look a lot more fluid going forward. They haven't really been tested by Stoke and Bournemouth, understandably so, given it's the start of the season. Reckon it'll be a close game, but we should have too much for them with the speed and strength we have in our attack. Hopefully we won't be as wasteful in the final third as we were against Palace. This game won't define our season, but we need to show that we mean business and that the West Ham game was an anomaly.
I think it will be a close game. No 4-1 scoreline but a closer contest, 2-1 to Arsenal. We have the advantage playing at home and they don't seem to do very well at the Emirates. 1 win in 15 years says it all.
We have to come and attack, press all over the pitch and really put the running in. Looking forward to the game it'll be a right kick in the nuts early doors for the loser.
It will be annoying for either team to lose, but there will still be 35 games left and a 6-point lead for you (if you did win) wouldn't really mean much at this stage of the season. It would be far too early to draw conclusions based on this one match. You get a rough idea of how the season will pan out 12-14 games into it.
I agree, nothing is won or lost but a game like this can be used as a springboard and get some early momentum going.
I'd drop one central midfielder for this game, don't want another situation where we have too many CM's and become too narrow lacking proper movement and pace. I'd go with this team: please log in to view this image
That's what I'd expect and why I think 4-3-1-2 is our best option. Seeing as there's no chance of Rodgers playing Lucas I'd go......... ----------------Mingo------------ Clyne-Skrtel-Lovren-Gomez ------------------Can-------------- -------Hendo-------Milner----- -------------Countinho---------- ----------Benteke-Ings-----------
That's a very central formation for the team - the only player you can realistically say will attack down the flanks is Coutinho, and maybe Milner. It could work, but could leave you very exposed as Ozil, Giroud, Walcott/Oxo and Santi like drifting to the flanks when there's space. And then if we play Bellerin then even more so. Is your new Brazilian ready to play yet?
He hasn't but he's known for working hard and hassling defenders, I think he would suit the game. I'm looking at a narrow formation to stifle you through the middle which is where you are most dangerous, our full backs are capable of giving us width when needed.
Fullbacks are capable of providing width but that means they also have to track back or that could leave them exposed to Arsenal on the break. Something we did against Crystal Palace was to leave some men forward when defending so as to provide an outlet for the counter.
I actually think the game will come down to desire more than tactics, I have a feeling it'll be a good game with a few goals.
Hoping for a good match with Liverpool obviously coming out on top. You haven't strengthened as much as I feel some of your lot have wanted, but you still have a very good side. If we avoid conceding in the first 30, I will be happy. We seem to grow defensively more confident as time passes. Clyne and Gomez/Moreno need to have good defensive games. Has Coquelin really been as amazing for you as some seem to claim? Remember a few years ago he was just another prospect destined for mediocrity. Has he turned it around?
Last season from when he came in, he was amazing - a proper terrier, tackling everything, with very good positional sense allowing him to intercept or cut out attacks before they'd started. A perfect foil to Santi, and him, Santi and the fullback/CB or sometimes Sanchez would hunt down and isolate the no 10/playmaker and nullify them, like what happened in the Man C game last season. This season he hasn't looked very sharp, and was very poor in the West Ham game, but it's only been 2 games in...
On paper we should be beating Liverpool, we're at home, with a fairly established team, while Liverpool at the moment have a lot of new faces, so still learning to play with each other etc. Anything less than a win will not be a good result, if we won our first home game, then a draw would have been acceptable, but that first home loss means we can't really afford another slip up this early. 6 out 6 from our next 2 games.
