Catch all the LIVE updates of English Premier League, Arsenal vs Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium.
Probable Squads
Probable SquadsArsenal: Cech, Bellerin, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Monreal, Coquelin, Cazorla, Ramsey, Ozil, Sanchez, Giroud.
Liverpool: Mignolet, Clyne, Skrtel, Lovren, Gomez, Can, Milner, Firmino, Coutinho, Lallana, Benteke.
Referee: Michael Oliver
Managers: Arsene Wenger (Arsenal), Brendan Rodgers (Liverpool)
Head-to-head league record: Arsenal wins 64, draws 48, Liverpool wins 70
Arsene Wenger: “I expect (signings) like you, but at the moment we are not close. I listen to everybody, but my job is to make decisions. We want to develop players as well rather than overthinking whether to buy. I am not against buying when it is a plus for your team, (but) if it is just to buy a player at the level of the players that you have to make people happy, I am not ready for that. If it is somebody who brings something that you don’t already have in the squad, then of course you want to do that.”
Brendan Rodgers: “If you assess the last 10 games Arsenal have lost at home, it’s been about dangerous possession for the teams who have won. No matter when these games come in the season, they are always good for the psychological effect.”
Match Stats
- Arsenal have lost just one of their last seven Premier League games against Liverpool (W4 D2 L1).
- Only Manchester United (21) have secured more Premier League wins against Arsenal than Liverpool (16).
- Olivier Giroud’s next Premier League appearance will be his 100th. He’s scored 42 goals in 99 PL apps for Arsenal – only Thierry Henry (59), Ian Wright (56) and Emmanuel Adebayor (44) scored more in their first 100 PL apps for the club.
- Liverpool have only allowed their opponents three shots on target in their two Premier League games in 2015-16 so far; fewer than any other side.
- Martin Skrtel has scored three goals in his last two Premier League games against Arsenal – only against Man City has he scored as many PL goals (3).
- Liverpool v Arsenal has seen more hat-tricks than any other fixture in Premier League history (5).
- Michael Oliver will take charge of this match after refereeing two of the last three meetings between the clubs. He’s officiated 11 Premier League games involving Arsenal, with the Gunners winning just two and losing five.
- Liverpool took one point from their four away games against the top four clubs in the 2014-15 Premier League (Arsenal, Chelsea, Man City, Man Utd).
- After the opening two MD’s, Arsenal have attempted the most crosses (49, excl. corners) and Liverpool have made the fewest (14, excl. corners).
- Liverpool have won each of their last four Premier League games on a Monday, keeping a clean sheet in the last three.
Here is your #Arsenal team for #AFCvLFC pic.twitter.com/44tqqQ1UrY
— Arsenal FC (@Arsenal) August 24, 2015
.@mertesacker misses tonight’s game through illness while @6_LKOSCIELNY is absent with a mild back injury #AFCvLFC pic.twitter.com/pFqA4lYS2U
— Arsenal FC (@Arsenal) August 24, 2015
The @Arsenal team arrive at Emirates Stadium ahead of #AFCvLFC pic.twitter.com/V6PdHdRv2i
— Arsenal FC (@Arsenal) August 24, 2015
See the #LFC starting XI and substitutes to face @Arsenal in full in our matchday graphic pic.twitter.com/wLJ6CxPI6K
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) August 24, 2015
Confirmed #LFC team to face @Arsenal: Mignolet, Clyne, Skrtel, Lovren, Gomez, Milner, Can, Lucas, Firmino, Coutinho, Benteke
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) August 24, 2015
PHOTOS: A glimpse inside the away dressing room ahead of #Arsenal v #LFC pic.twitter.com/4qKOLnQhWq
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) August 24, 2015
.@mertesacker misses tonight’s game through illness while @6_LKOSCIELNY is absent with a mild back injury #AFCvLFC pic.twitter.com/pFqA4lYS2U
— Arsenal FC (@Arsenal) August 24, 2015
Arsenal’s three-goal salvo before halftime practically ended Liverpool’s hopes of finishing in the top four last season.
This time, it’s the Gunners who have something at stake – their pride.
Arsenal attempt to avoid their worst home start in 66 years Monday night against the unbeaten Reds.
Arsenal (1-0-1) are 5-2-1 in their past eight matches against Liverpool (2-0-0) across all competitions. Their latest meeting was in little doubt after the Gunners got goals from Hector Bellerin, Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez in an eight-minute span before the interval to cruise to a 4-1 thrashing at Emirates Stadium on April 4.
The performance put the Reds seven points back of fourth place, seemingly ending any hope of Champions League football.
Liverpool, however, are presented with a chance to deal Arsenal with a blow to their confidence Monday.
After opening the season with a humiliating 2-0 loss to West Ham two weeks ago, the Gunners are facing the possibility of losing their first two home fixtures for the first time since going 0-3 after a loss to Liverpool in 1949-50.
Arsenal avoided opening 2015-16 with two straight defeats, winning 2-1 at Crystal Palace last weekend.
“When you go through difficult moments together, that really helps to get where you want to get to afterwards,” midfielder Mikel Arteta told the team’s official website. “We haven’t broken in difficult moments and that is very important.
“I am really confident in this group.”
Confidence is particularly important for Olivier Giroud, who had a goal last weekend to end his eight-game drought in league play, dating to a tally in the last matchup with Liverpool.
“He needed that (goal),” manager Arsene Wenger said of Giroud, who hasn’t scored in five home matches.
Giroud and Arsenal are in for a test offensively against Liverpool, who have clean sheets in each of their first two games.
“Defensive organisation has been good and that’s important for us,” manager Brendan Rodgers told the team’s official website. “What we’re seeing is a character and spirit in the team and that’s going to be important for us.”
Another strong performance from Christian Benteke could also be vital. The forward scored his first goal for the Reds in last Monday’s 1-0 victory over Bournemouth and it was a contentious strike. The Premier League later admitted the goal should not have been allowed as teammate Philippe Coutinho was standing in a offside position when Benteke put the ball into the net. The offside rule was recently amended and now states players need not touch the ball to be ruled offside.
Despite the controversy surrounding his winner against Bournemouth, Rodgers was full of praise for Belgium striker Benteke.
“Because of his physicality and contact, he keeps the ball alive in a dangerous area of the field,” he said. “It gives us a different dimension to our game, whilst looking to retain that philosophy to move the ball and get fluency. That will come and grow over the coming months.”
Benteke, who spent the past three seasons with Aston Villa, has three goals in the past three meetings with Arsenal.
Coutinho is looking to get back on the scoresheet after all eight of his shots missed the target last week. His only shot on frame resulted in an 86th-minute tally in a 1-0 win over Stoke City on Aug. 9.
He had a goal in a 2-2 draw with the Gunners at Anfield on Dec. 21.
With Inputs From The Associated Press
