Match Preview: Liverpool Facing Huge Test Against League-Leaders Arsenal
Arne Slot's side will be hoping to make it ten games unbeaten...
Liverpool’s trip to the Emirates this week is a pivotal moment in a season that has already seen expectations collapse at a worrying pace. While Arsenal chase the Premier League title, Liverpool turn up in North London full of questions, short on solutions and playing like a team sleepwalking toward mediocrity.
A win would be massive. Not in the title race, because that’s done, but in the race for fourth, and for any chance of salvaging a campaign that began with promise but is now teetering on the brink. The recent dropped points by Manchester United and Chelse have opened the door. But judging by recent performances, Liverpool are struggling to walk through it.
Sluggish, Predictable and Underwhelming
Liverpool’s unbeaten run flatters to deceive. The draws with Fulham and Leeds exposed the cracks just as much a defeat would. The football is slow, predictable and largely joyless. One shot on target in the first half at Fulham. Sideways passing. Static movement. It’s not enough.
There’s no cutting edge. No identity. No spark.
The high-intensity pressing that defined Liverpool under previous regimes has faded into half-hearted, isolated runs that leave gaps and offer nothing in return. The front line rarely presses as a unit. Midfielders look unsure. The whole approach reeks of hesitation.
Giovanni Leoni, Wataru Endo and Alexander Isak are all out with long-term injuries and with Hugo Ekitike a major doubt, Arne Slot’s squad is threadbare in key areas. That is further compounded by Mohamed Salah’s absence due to the African Cup of Nations.
Liverpool Predicted XI: Alisson, Bradley, Konate, Van Dijk, Kerkez, Gravenberch, Jones, Szoboszlai, Frimpong, Gakpo, Wirtz.
Arsenal Have No Reason to Fear
This isn’t like previous trips to the Emirates. Arsenal aren’t wary. They aren’t playing for a draw. They will smell blood.
They’ve already shown their teeth this season. Their demolition job on Aston Villa and attacking performances against Bournemouth and Brighton have underlined their status as league leaders for a reason. Defensively, they’ve conceded the fewest goals in the league. Going forward, they’ve found multiple ways to break sides down – wide play, late runners, set pieces, technical brilliance. You name it.
Martin Odegaard is starting to look sharper, Declan Rice is dominating midfield battles, and their depth now means players like Trossard and Gabriel Jesus are rotating in without any noticeable drop in quality. They don’t need Bukayo Saka to be brilliant every week because they’re scoring goals without their talisman even hitting top gear.
Set pieces are another major weapon. Arsenal have already notched 13 goals from dead ball situations. Liverpool, who no longer even have a set-piece coach in place, are among the worst in the division at defending them. That’s a recipe for disaster.
Same Mistakes, Different Week
The real problem here isn’t just the matchup, but also the fact that Liverpool don’t learn. They go into games with the same shape, same energy (or lack of it), and get the same results.
Leeds should’ve sparked urgency. Nothing. Slot is under pressure now, and rightly so. The performances are not good enough and the players simply look like they’re going through the motions.
Tactically, there’s little sign of evolution. The pressing game has been abandoned, but without a coherent replacement. There’s no compact shape in transition or natural flow in possession.
And this is where the fans are. Not just frustrated with results, but disillusioned by what they’re watching. The style of play is lifeless and boring, and the squad lacks balance and creativity. And it doesn’t matter how often Slot points to stats or unbeaten runs because when you’re walking into another game dreading what you’re about to see, something has gone seriously wrong.
A Night That Could Go Very Wrong
This is one of those fixtures where, if it unravels, it could unravel badly. Arsenal at home with the crowd behind them will be aggressive. If Liverpool go behind early, it could easily end three or four nil. And that could be a serious problem for Slot.
Nobody’s expecting Liverpool to dominate this game. But they need to show something. Some steel and structure. Anything. Because right now, the club’s direction is drifting. A heavy defeat here would not just hurt on the table, it would deepen the sense that this season is slipping away completely.
A draw would be respectable. Ugly, but respectable. A win? It would be the shot in the arm this team desperately needs. But to do that, Liverpool will have to be smarter than they’ve been all season. Sit in, be compact, frustrate Arsenal, break with purpose when the space opens up. And above all else, defend set pieces with discipline.
No one in their right mind is backing Liverpool to win this comfortably. But sometimes, football is about stubbornness. Dig in. Make it horrible. Stop Arsenal from playing their game. Scrap for everything.
If Slot is to find a foothold again, it has to start here.
Score Prediction: Arsenal 3-0 Liverpool