Liverpool v Arsenal Sun 21st Dec 16:00 KO - Pre match talk

We look for another win and 3 points to get us back up towards where we belong, on Sunday, at home to Arsenal.

I'm guessing Mignolet is still being rested, and Balotelli has just been given a 1 game ban for his offensive picture on Twitter.

Sturridge, Flanagan, Suso and Johnson are all still out injured.

News on Lovren's injury should be revealed tomorrow at the Press Conference.

With those players out I'm guessing we will play either a 3-4-3 or a 4-3-3 formation.

Option 1:

Jones

Toure
Skrtel
Sakho

Henderson
Gerrard (c)
Lucas
Markovic

Coutinho
Sterling
Lallana

Subs: Mignolet; Manquillo, Moreno; Can, Allen; Borini, Lambert.

Option 2:

Jones

Manquillo
Skrtel
Toure
Moreno

Henderson
Lucas
Gerrard (c)

Markovic
Sterling
Lallana

Subs: Mignolet; Sakho, Enrique; Can, Allen; Coutinho; Borini.

Arsenal are likely to play 4-2-3-1 with this team:

Sczezney

Debuchy
Mertesacker (c)
Koscielny
Gibbs

Oxlade-Chamberlain
Ramsey

Sanchez
Cazorla
Welbeck

Giroud

Subs: Martinez; Chambers, Monreal; Flamini; Podolski, Campbell, Sanogo.

I'm pretty sure Arteta is still out so that weakenes their defensive midfield, with the Ox likely to push on.

That front 4 looks very dangerous, and if we defend well enough we could win this one, In fact I think we will win 2-1, with Hendo and Sterling getting our goals, and Sanchez for them.

YNWA!

Arsenal is a very attacking team but slow on the defence, work on the counter attack to perfection, there are plenty of gaps to exploit and we will take 3 points. Coming up against team that has a very good counter attacks, Arsenal will be destroyed.

Arsenal are nearly as sh*te as ourselves right now , so i'll predict a draw of 2-2 as we won't keep the sheet clean as usual .

Rosciky, Arteta, Ramsey and Wilshere are out, hence why Wenger was desperate for Ox to get fit. He'll start the game alongside Flamini with Sanchez, Cazorla, Welbeck & Giroud completing a very formidable attack. At the back, Kosceilny is out but Chambers returns.

So it will be Szczęsny; Debuchy-Chambers-Mertesacker-Gibbs; Ox-Flamini; Sanchez-Cazorla-Welbeck; Giroud

I'm dreading the fact that BR might start Allen ahead of one of Coutinho/Lazar/Lallana. Should we return to a back-4? I'm not sure on that.. might probably start Moreno but in place of who?

Rosciky, Arteta, Ramsey and Wilshere are out, hence why Wenger was desperate for Ox to get fit. He'll start the game alongside Flamini with Sanchez, Cazorla, Welbeck & Giroud completing a very formidable attack. At the back, Kosceilny is out but Chambers returns.

So it will be Szczęsny; Debuchy-Chambers-Mertesacker-Gibbs; Ox-Flamini; Sanchez-Cazorla-Welbeck; Giroud

I'm dreading the fact that BR might start Allen ahead of one of Coutinho/Lazar/Lallana. Should we return to a back-4? I'm not sure on that.. might probably start Moreno but in place of who?

Thanks for the info - They have quite a few injuries!

Arse wholloped Newcastle, they are coming into some better form.
Giroud is a much more experienced centre forward than Wellbeck, or Yaya "Borini" Sanogo - he makes them a more effective side.
Sanchez, Ramsey and Cazorla all playing well.
Like us though, they can be got at at the back.
Imo they have more goals in them at the moment, so expecting a tough game.
Whatever about the formation against Bouremouth, it was good to see a higher tempo and some crisper passing mainly in the 1st half.
Could start with the 1-3-7 again!
Though BR, if you persist with Jones, will be no mercy in the criticism if he costs us the game cause he is an accident not just waiting to happen, but has been, and is, happening...

Mignolet
Manquillo-Toure-Sakho-Moreno
Can-Lucas
Lallana-Coutinho-Markovic
Sterling

Will be at this one, hoping for a result but I can see our back line being frail again. Would take a draw from this one to be honest.

4-4 draw written all over it.

4-4 draw written all over it.

Are Arsenal going to score 4 own goals mate?

Another tough encounter with the Arse on Sunday, the diff between us right now is , we wish we had their attack , their glad they don't have our defence, result , victory to Arse, or so it seems, however,
We play to OUR strengths and that means hitting them on the break,
Keep it tight-ish at the back , swamp the midfield and counter attack at will, they WILL score for sure, so we need to score more, I'd be inclined to play this....
                 Mignolet
         Toure  Skrtle Sakho
Hendo.                         Moreno
                   Lucas
  Markovic.  Gerrard.  Lallana

                  Sterling

Bench; Jones, Manquillo, Lovren,Allen, Coutinho, Can, Lambert

We need to battle for midfield supremacy, controlling this area is key, their attack will create havoc so we need to stop the suppliers, do that it's game on, our pacier players can cause their defenders all sorts of worries , if we can pass it around like against B'mouth we can put these KUNTS to the sword,

Coutinho to come on on the hour, I'd throw Can in there to, for probably Gerrard & Hendo , I'll leave super sub Lambert as a last chance saloon and hope we won't need him,

2-1 Redmen


YNWA


Happy f***in Xmas   

If we're really aggressive and play Balotelli with Markovich and Sterling supporting him, I think we'll beat them. Arsenal are mentally and physically weak away from home.

Don't think this is going to be anything like last seasons match. Hard to see us keeping a clean sheet, so we'll have to score a couple in order to win.

First time up to Anfield this season and cannot bloody wait..!

Same result as last year would be amazing, but cant see it. Need to be on our game here, but I have a very good feeling about this one. We need to play to our strengths - too much time on the ball and Arsenal will decimate our defence. My biggest concern is the space we give teams at the back - this will be exploited.

Hoping for a 3 - 1  win here, but will take any win that is offered...

If we're really aggressive and play Balotelli with Markovich and Sterling supporting him, I think we'll beat them. Arsenal are mentally and physically weak away from home.

Ballo is suspended... So will no doubt be Sterling up top.?

Ballo is suspended... So will no doubt be Sterling up top.?

Yep. I think Mertesacker would like to see Lambert start up front, not Sterling.

Bit risky but I'd go with the same team as Wednesday with Sakho coming in for Lovren. Yes we might be vulnerable defensively but for the first time in months this system and the players in it have got us looking a threat again and I think we've got a much better chance of 3 points if we go for it against an Arsenal team that have hardly been brilliant this year.

I think Raheem will bag at least one goal on Sunday. We can win this if we can keep it tight at the back (big IF). Arsenals defence and midfield is shaky there should be plenty of space in the final third to exploit. We should definitely go with the same 3-4-3 formation of the last two games but Hendo and Lazar will need to be very disciplined in their defensive duties and not allow Arsenal any space on the flanks.

I think Raheem will bag at least one goal on Sunday. We can win this if we can keep it tight at the back (big IF). Arsenals defence and midfield is shaky there should be plenty of space in the final third to exploit. We should definitely go with the same 3-4-3 formation of the last two games but Hendo and Lazar will need to be very disciplined in their defensive duties and not allow Arsenal any space on the flanks.

Debuchy/Sanchez against Lazar and Welbeck/Gibbs against Hendo... we have reasons to be concerned. Toure and Lucas should literally have Giroud and Cazorla in their pockets if we are to stick to that line up

Brendan's said Jones will keep his place for Sunday.

Brendan's said Jones will keep his place for Sunday.

Good he deserves to. He doesn't have huge presence but still way more than Mignolet.

The more I think about it, the more confident I am that BR will line us up in the 3-4-3 we have played recently. BR doesn't seem to trust Manquillo anymore, and with Johnson and Flano both out injured we don't have any natural RB's.

If we do line up with a 3-4-3, then I hope BR drops Hendo for Moreno and switches Markovic over to the RM spot. I'd also bring Migs back in at GK. Other than that, I'd play the same 11 that started against Bournemouth:

Migs
Toure-Skrtel-Lovren
Markovic-Gerrard-Lucas-Moreno
Lallana-Sterling-Coutinho

Migs
Toure-Skrtel-Lovren
Markovic-Gerrard-Lucas-Moreno
Lallana-Sterling-Coutinho

I'd pretty much go with this, but I think I'd actually start Henderson over Gerrard. Stevie and Lucas seemed to get in the way of each other Wednesday, plus I think Hendo's workrate will balance the pairing out a bit more. (Granted, I wish we had a better option than an out-of-form Jordan.)