English Premier League: Arsenal vs. Liverpool Preview, Odds, Prediction

Arsenal meets Liverpool at the Emirates on Sunday afternoon with one intention, and that would be to beat the big rivals and keep their top spot in the standings. On the other side, the Reds have been shaky over the past few weeks, and didn’t show the performances we expected from them. The win in the UEFA Champions League against Rangers was routine, but again, plenty of flaws in the back line were obvious. Arsenal is on the rise this year, and a triumph here would boost their morale even more.

Preview

Arsenal (+155) beat Bodo on Thursday night, 3-0, posting a confident and strong performance even though backup players appeared on the Emirates’s field. Arteta was pleasant after the game, which tells more than any analysis.

This was the fourth in a row for the Gunners, who scored at least two goals in each, over the past three events three goals apiece. An especially impressive triumph was over the Tottenham Hotspurs, whom they trashed 3-1 in the North London derby, confirming their title-contender status.

Arsenal is five of five at home this year, with a combined goal difference 14-5. Gabriel Jesus and the boys netted twice or more each time, and all of the games have been with three or more goals. Also, all four of the EPL contests have been with both teams netting.

Liverpool (+160) was better than the Glasgow Rangers on Wednesday, beating the Scottish powerhouse 2-0 at Anfield. We need to say that despite their win, the fans weren’t particularly thrilled, as we saw several huge mistakes in the back line and, more importantly, the lack of chemistry in some cases.

The poor defense has been Liverpool’s problem all year long, with the Reds keeping their net intact in only three of the past 10 contests. Van Dijk and Trent are terrible, but we’ve mentioned that several times already, so we won’t do it anymore.

L’Pool played four road games since the campaign kicked off, and they have no wins. The current record away from Anfield is 2-2, with the Reds playing 2-2 in Fulham, then losing to United at Trafford, 2-1, playing without goals at Goodison against Everton and eventually losing to Napoli, 4-1 in Italy.

Latest News

Elneny and Smith Rowe are out for Arsenal.

Head to Head Games

The Reds can’t count on Arthur, Jones, Keita, or Oxlade-Chamberlain. Andy Robertson is questionable. The Reds have 94 wins over Arsenal, who won 81 times, and 62 ended with a draw.

Liverpool didn’t lose the past five games against the Gunners, winning four and posting one draw. But what has been impressive here is that Klopp’s crew didn’t concede a single goal in those contests.

Prediction

Arsenal will score in this game, as Liverpool’s defense plays incredibly sluggish football these days. They are among the worst backlines in the league when looking at the current shape. Arsenal will also allow one goal, because six of the previous nine they played were with both teams netting, and on the other side, Liverpool’s attack is among the best in the world. Those courageous ones should try over 1.5 HT.

Pick: Both teams to score -200