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Arsenal are under fresh pressure after Manchester City convincingly dispatched Southampton on Saturday.
In what is seen as another real test for their Premier League title credentials, Arsenal visit Liverpool for a showdown at Anfield on Sunday.
Liverpool’s main objective is to win and keep their top-four dream alive, while Arsenal want a win in order to maintain an eight-point gap over City, who have a game in hand.
The Reds are eighth, 13 points below Manchester United, who are fourth, and a loss to the Gunners may complicate their chances of getting a Champions League ticket for next season.
As the Londoners travel to Merseyside, they hope Gabriel Jesus will have another remarkable performance. The Brazilian scored a brace against Leeds United in what was Arsenal’s second straight 4-1 win after another similar win over Crystal Palace.
The Mikel Arteta side is also looking to win their eighth league game on the bounce this weekend, as well as their fourth in a row away from home.
Given that the league leaders have scored at least three goals in each of the last five games, this should worry Liverpool’s backline, which has kept two clean sheets in the last five games.
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14:50 - 07.04.2023
PREMIER LEAGUE Klopp: Four reasons why Arsenal are fun to watch
But the German warns the Gunners that ‘it is Anfield’ ahead of the crunch showdown.
Team News
Mohamed Salah, Cody Gakpo, Trent Alexander-Arnold, and Andrew Robertson were benched for the game against Chelsea, and Jurgen Klopp is expected to draft them into the starting XI given the stakes the game carries.
After missing 10 games with a hip injury, Thiago Alcantara returned to training, while Virgil van Dijk is expected to start after missing the Chelsea goalless draw because of an illness.
Luis Diaz, who is recovering from a knee issue, is out of contention as Stefan Bajcetic with an adductor injury, Calvin Ramsay with a knee injury, and Naby Keita with a muscle issue are not available.
On Arsenal’s part, Arteta is sweating over the fitness of William Saliba, who has been kept out of the previous games by a back injury.
Eddie Nketiah, Takehiro Tomiyasu, and Mohamed Elneny are not available for the Spaniard as they are sidelined by ankle, and knee injuries, respectively.
What are the stats saying?
Liverpool are winless in their last three league matches, failing to score in two of them. They have won five of their last six Premier League home games (D1), including each of the last three by an aggregate score of 11-0.
Klopp could become the first manager to win seven consecutive home English Premier League games against Arsenal since John Nicholson did so with Sheffield United between 1921 and 1928.
Salah has been directly involved in seven goals in five appearances against Arsenal at Anfield, with five goals and two assists.
Arsenal have won their last seven league games, the longest winning streak by a top-flight club this season. The Gunners could win eight consecutive league matches for the first time since 2015.
Aaron Ramsdale could become the third goalkeeper to reach 10 clean sheets away from home in a Premier League season, emulating Petr Cech and Ederson.
Arsenal are winless in nine Premier League away fixtures against Liverpool. They last won a league match at Anfield in 2012, when current manager Mikel Arteta was in the team.
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09:15 - 07.04.2023
FOOTBALL ‘Beat Liverpool and wrap up the title race, but here is the worry’ – Arsenal told
This season, the Gunners are in a prime position to end a 19-year wait for a league trophy.
Predicted line-ups:
Liverpool: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Henderson, Fabinho, Elliott, Salah, Gakpo, Nunez.
Arsenal: Ramsdale, White, Holding, Gabriel, Zinchenko, Xhaka, Partey, Saka, Odegaard, Martinelli, Jesus.
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