Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers will revert to a more familiar line-up after feeling ‘let down’ by the youngsters he selected to play against Oldham in the FA Cup.
Rodgers is still smarting from the cup defeat at the hands of the League One club, and will turn to his more senior pros for an immediate response tonight.
The Reds will be looking for a repeat of last season’s victory at the Emirates – their first away win at Arsenal for 11 years.
The Gunners, meanwhile, are looking for a marked improvement in their league form, having won just ten Premier games so far – their worst return since Arsene Wenger took over in 1996.
Theo Walcott, with a career best of 17 goals already, and Olivier Giroud, with four goals in the last three games, will pose the biggest threat to a Liverpool side still searching for consistency to go with their undoubted class.
Luis Suarez is, of course, the main man and he recently became the first Liverpool player to reach 20 goals in a season before the end of January since Michael Owen 11 years ago.
MATCH VERDICT
The first goal will be all-important, so much will rest on the shoulders of Suarez and Walcott. Home advantage will be enough to give Arsenal the edge but their confidence is still fragile so it won’t be easy.
MATCH STAT
There have been more hat-tricks scored in this fixture than any other in Premier League history (five).
MATCH ODDS
Arsenal win 13/10; Liverpool win 11/5; draw 5/2
Source: DSG
