Arsenal face Liverpool at the Emirates on Thursday.placeholder image
Arsenal face Liverpool at the Emirates on Thursday. | Getty Images
Arsenal face a huge top-four clash with Liverpool on Thursday night at the Emirates
Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal were certainly the big winners of the festive period in the title race, as the Gunners secured five straight victories to open up a six-point lead at the top of the Premier League table.
Champions Liverpool are next in town at the Emirates and while the Reds are not directly involved in the title race at present, Arne Slot’s men have risen back into the top four and will provide a stern test nonetheless.
One of the biggest games remaining this season on paper for either side, Arsenal will hope to avoid an upset having only dropped points at home once in the league all campaign. Liverpool, meanwhile, will face a rare occasion of coming into a match as underdogs.
Arteta has a largely clean bill of health in his squad and a strong selection of players to choose from amidst the opportunity for further recruits in the January transfer window, though they will hope for one or two injury concerns to be resolved ahead of Thursday.
Will Riccardo Calafiori be available to return against Liverpool?
Arsenal left-back Riccardo Calafiori is the biggest absentee for the league leaders at present, having missed the last three matches with an injury picked up in the warm-up ahead of the encounter with Brighton on December 27.
Arteta confirmed that the Italian had suffered a “very awkward” injury and ruled him out of the trip to Bournemouth last time out. While he will continue to be assessed, Arteta stated in his press conference on Wednesday that Calafiori is still out, and “in the last phase of his recovery”.
Piero Hincapie and Myles Lewis-Skelly have both deputised during the absence of the Gunners’ £42m signing from Bologna, with Hincapie looking the more likely player to get the nod to continue in the starting XI considering his reliability across the back-line in recent weeks. Lewis-Skelly, meanwhile, has made just one league start all season amid faltering World Cup hopes.
Centre-back Cristhian Mosquera is also on the treatment table and has not featured since early December, with his return to action not expected until later this month. The returns of Gabriel and William Saliba at the back have meant that, save for another defensive injury crisis, Mosquera can take his time with his recovery.
Arteta could rotate in attack again after changes at Bournemouth
Arteta demonstrated Arsenal’s supreme squad depth as he rotated in attacking areas for the 3-2 victory at Bournemouth, while it was midfielder Declan Rice, returning from injury, who scored an unlikely first brace of his Premier League career to secure all three points.
While Noni Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli impressed on the south coast, Arteta is likely to revert to his first-choice wide options in Bukayo Saka and Leandro Trossard for the visit of Liverpool. Both players have been in scintillating form as of late and look the Gunners’ most threatening attacking players at present.
Captain Martin Odegaard has also seen a return to form since he came back from injury and has kept summer signing Eberechi Eze out of the side. It will be interesting to see if Eze is introduced from the bench on Thursday, as he has entirely sat out the last four league matches.
Up front, Arteta continued to trust in Viktor Gyokeres from the start last time out despite the impressive return from injury of Gabriel Jesus. It would certainly be a surprise if the Spaniard were to make a change at striker against Liverpool for such a huge match, but the Swede will know that the pressure on him to find the back of the net is rising.
Full predicted XI (4-3-3): Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Hincapie; Odegaard, Zubimendi, Rice; Saka, Gyokeres, Trossard.
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