Liverpool will travel to North London to take on Arsenal in the Premier League on Friday night in what promises to be an exciting contest between two sides chasing a spot in the Top 4. The Reds currently occupy fourth place but are in danger of being overtaken by Arsenal who sits just a point behind in fifth place in the league standings. The race for the Champions League places is now heating up with Tottenham Hotspur and high flyers, Burnley also in contention to finish in the top four places. So a victory on Friday night will go a long way towards ensuring who gets the upper hand going into the new year.
Liverpool will be without the services of Alberto Moreno and Nathaniel Clyne who remain long-term casualties but Jurgen Klopp might be able to welcome back Joel Matip and Daniel Sturridge with the duo back in training ahead of the clash with the Gunners. The German manager is expected to opt for his favoured 4-3-3 formation and might change it to 4-2-2-2 at times during the game as he has done often in recent matches. The Merseyside club will be boosted by the return of Sadio Mane who was rested against Bournemouth on Sunday.
The recent history of the fixture makes grim reading for Arsene Wenger’s men as the Reds are unbeaten in their last five encounters with the North London outfit in a run that has seen them win three and draw two of those five matches. However, this fixture promises goals and will be another great advert for the Premier League as it is historically highly entertaining to watch for any neutral fan.
4-3-3 Liverpool Predicted Lineup To Face Arsenal
Defence
Simon Mignolet will once again start in goal following his clean sheet against the Cherries on Sunday. The Belgian will be shielded by a backline of Joe Gomez at right-back, Dejan Lovren and Ragnar Klavan in central defence and Andrew Robertson in the left side of the defence.
It remains to be seen whether Klopp risks playing Matip who is in a race against time to be fit for the match.
Midfield
Captain Jordan Henderson might start in midfield or be replaced by James Milner as Jurgen Klopp has shown in recent weeks that he likes to rotate his squad. It is expected that Emre Can will start in a holding midfield role and might be partnered with the world-class Phillipe Coutinho operating in front of him.
Attack
Mohamed Salah will look to continue his goal-scoring form on the right flank and Sadio Mane is set to return on the left while Roberto Firmino will once again lead the lines for the Reds. Klopp’s attacking approach has seen them score 38 goals in 18 league games so it is likely that the Merseyside club will also find the back of the net at the Emirates in what promises to be a contest you won’t want to miss!
