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Arsenal v Liverpool Preview: Injury News, Preferred XI & Prediction

By on November 1, 2013

Arsenal welcome Liverpool to the Emirates tomorrow for a huge clash at the top of the table.

We lead our third placed opposition by just two points so this game can really be viewed as a ‘six-pointer’. Win and we open up a healthy five-point gap, but lose and the Merseysiders will leapfrog us, potentially in to top spot (depending on Chelsea’s result at Newcastle).

Much of the pre-match talk has centered around our summer pursuit of Luis Suarez and his flourishing partnership with Daniel Sturridge. Firstly, it’s obvious Suarez is a world class talent who we would loved to have signed but let’s not forget about the quality of the Arsenal attack as well. The likes of Ozil, Cazorla and Giroud are no mugs you know!

Brendan Rodgers has been spouting off about how the Uruguayan was ‘never’ joining Arsenal. But that’s pure PR bullsh*t. The player went public with his desire to leave and if we either persuaded him to submit a transfer request or put a realistic offer of over £50m on the table, he would have been sold. No question.

Rodgers is just smug because it worked out in his favour this time. But he’ll be going through it all again in January, and then again in the summer. Suarez probably wont end up at Arsenal, but I’ll be shocked if he’s a Liverpool player this time next year.

But for now we have to worry about stopping him on Saturday and he’s certainly the player we need to pay close attention to. Stop him and we stifle the majority of their threat.

Injury News

The bad news is that Mathieu Flamini will miss the game after picking up a groin problem last week against Crystal Palace, but the Frenchman could be back to face Man Utd next week.

Mikel Arteta returns to the squad and should start in midfield alongside Aaron Ramsey with Arsene Wenger set to recall his ‘big guns’ after resting several first team players for Tuesday’s 2-0 defeat to Chelsea in the Capital One Cup.

Serge Gnabry missed the game in midweek and remains out so he joins Theo Walcott, Lukas Podolski, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Abou Diaby on the sidelines.

The boss confirmed this morning that Theo could be back to face Man Utd next weekend while Podolski’s not far away either.

As for Liverpool, they welcome back Philippe Coutinho and the Brazilian could well make his first start in over six weeks after recovering from a shoulder problem.

Preferred XI

Prediction

These games have been pretty tough to call in recent years. I think we’re really going to miss Flamini in the middle of the park and if the likes of Arteta and Ramsey give Coutinho and Suarez too much room around the box to weave their magic we could be in trouble. But I’m going to back the boys to do the business and edge this one.

Arsenal 2-1 Liverpool. COYG!!!

What are your thoughts on the game? Will be see off the threat of Liverpool?

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