Mikel Arteta will think about not losing a third game on the bounce and, after that, feel the need to compete in this season’s FA Cup when Arsenal take on Liverpool. The Gunners, who have won the competition a record 14 times, will aim to make it 15 to bring some daylight between them and their next-best opponent, Manchester United, with 11.
In any case, the big focus will stick with Arteta and his Arsenal squad, who are desperate to be seen as challengers than mere pretenders. A recent slump of form has seen the Gunners drop dramatically from being at the top of the Premier League table around Christmas to fourth at the start of 2024.
Between those two dates, Arsenal have lost back-to-back games against West Ham United and then Fulham, with those dropped points now challenging the Gunners to prove a significant point. Arteta will gladly find the escape route via the FA Cup, a competition he will want to challenge for and preferably win. But Liverpool stand in the way as the first hurdle.
Jurgen Klopp will reflect on some of the classic clashes between Liverpool and Arsenal in the FA Cup, as he will be eager to create some memories of his own. The German manager has won the competition as recently as 2022 and will want another to add to his tally.
Liverpool have hit a rich vein of form over the last few games and, most importantly, capitalised on Arsenal’s shortcomings to go five points clear of the Gunners. Whether Klopp will put all his eggs into this FA Cup basket remains to be seen, but surely, he will be thinking about winning this competition this season.
The last time Liverpool took a trip to the Emirates in this competition, they faced an inspired Alex-Oxlade Chamberlain performance, which ended in an Arsenal victory. In that season, the north Londoners went on to win the competition, and the Merseysiders will want to kill any such hope for Arteta’s men early on in this competition.
Team News & Tactics
Arsenal
Mikel Arteta updated the media with some of the injury-related news with his squad, and there are not many changes from the last two matchdays. Thomas Partey reportedly is far from resuming training, while Jurrien Timber remains a long-term absentee.
Meanwhile, Oleksandr Zinchenko appears close to a return to training, as per Arteta’s comments after missing out against Fulham. The Gunners boss will hope the Ukrainian international returns to fitness as Arsenal will not have Takehiro Tomiyasu, who has joined up with the Japan squad for the AFC Asian Cup.
Fabio Vieira also remains out, while Mohamed Elneny will play no part until the conclusion of Egypt’s AFCON commitments. Ideally, Arteta might name an unchanged lineup from the Fulham defeat, although Aaron Ramsdale might end up replacing David Raya in goal.
Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus will keep their places in the front three, with the latter replacing Eddie Nketiah in the lineup. Declan Rice will sit at the base of midfield, with Martin Odegaard and Kai Havertz best placed to support the England international.
Probable lineup (4-3-3): Ramsdale; Ben White, Saliba, Gabriel, Kiwior; Odegaard, Rice, Havertz; Saka, Jesus, Martinelli
Liverpool
Jurgen Klopp has multiple new problems ahead of this vital clash with Arsenal. Midfield enforcer Wataru Endo, having joined the Japan squad for the Asian Cup, will miss this clash. Mohamed Salah has also left for the Africa Cup of Nations, and by far, it represents the most significant blow to Liverpool’s chances in this clash.
Meanwhile, many others are missing from action, with Ben Doak, Kostas Tsimikas, Thiago Alcantara, Stefan Bajcetic, Andrew Robertson, and Joel Matip all absent from this trip to north London. Liverpool suffered another injury blow, with Dominik Szoboszlai sustaining a hamstring problem.
The issue could see the Hungarian miss the next few weeks, although Klopp will hope he returns before the trip to the Emirates earlier in February. Like Arsenal, Liverpool will likely field a strong starting lineup to keep their chances of winning and progressing in the FA Cup.
Darwin Nunez, Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz are the prime contenders to start in the front three. Alexis Mac Allister will return to the starting line at the base of the midfield, with Curtis Jones on the right side, while Klopp might think about fielding one of Harvey Elliott or Ryan Gravenberch on the other side of midfield.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, van Dijk, Gomez; Elliott, Mac Allister, Jones; Jota, Nunez, Diaz
Key Stats
- Arsenal have won the FA Cup more often than any other team. They have played three finals against Liverpool, winning two.
- Arsenal haven’t lost at home in the third round of the FA Cup since 1995.
- Arsenal have conceded just six goals in their last 11 FA Cup matches.
- Liverpool have scored at least 2 goals in their last 4 away matches against Arsenal in all competitions.
- Liverpool are unbeaten in 5 games across all competitions.
Player to Watch
Bukayo Saka
The Arsenal winger featured heavily in the news following Arsenal’s chatter about the PGMOL and their complaints about not providing enough protection for the attacker. The more significant issue for Saka is to bring his best form on the field, something he has failed to conjure up in recent weeks.
Meanwhile, he must find form in front of goal, as there are concerns whether he and Martinelli can replicate their numbers from last season. Saka must find his best self in the coming period, as it will prove crucial for Arsenal in the context of the title race.
Prediction
Arsenal 2-1 Liverpool
The Merseysiders are in a good run of form, but they will meet an Arsenal side desperate to avoid a third successive defeat. Liverpool are also missing a host of key players, including Mohamed Salah and Dominik Szoboszlai, which might end up costing the game.
Arsenal have a genuine intention to bring some joy after a fruitless few games, meaning Arteta will accept nothing less than a win to make a statement of intent. With home advantage on their side, the Gunners might take the win in a slender fashion to advance into the next round of the FA Cup.
