Liverpool and Arsenal are squaring off in the Emirates Stadium in a match with major implications in the Premier League table. The Gunners want to surpass Liverpool in the table and enter the top four, while the Reds want to get some breathing room over Arsenal and start putting pressure on Chelsea.
Of course, Liverpool will have a lot of confidence coming into this match given their recent history against Arsenal, as they’re on a run of three straight wins, all scoring at least three goals against the Gunners. That includes an absolutely scintillating 4-0 win at Anfield earlier this season, and a 4-3 match that wasn’t as close as the scoreline indicates in London a year ago.
Given the incredible form that Liverpool’s attack are in — having just set a record scoring at least three goals in four straight EPL road matches, as well as seven straight in all competitions — there’s plenty of reasons for Arsenal fans to be worried. They’ve been more stout of late, but have still looked vulnerable to the kind of cutting runs favored by Jurgen Klopp’s tactics, making Arsene Wenger’s game planning a truly difficult endeavor.
A win for Liverpool would see them stay in fourth place in the table, but they’d potentially close the gap behind third-place Chelsea to just one point depending on their result against Everton later this weekend. Arsenal, meanwhile, would love to move back into the top four, and with just one point between them and Liverpool, a win would get the job done. A loss, though, would be a big setback for the Gunners, making this a true six-point match in the upper end of the table just halfway through the season.
Liverpool are still dealing with a set of defensive injuries, with Alberto Moreno and Nathaniel Clyne still out and Joel Matip only potentially available, as well as a couple of reserve players out hurt in Marko Grujic and Adam Bogdan. Arsenal are without a pair of midfielders who are often at the core of their plans in recent years, with both Aaron Ramsey and Santi Cazorla on the sidelines. With both teams in similar overall form and needing a win, this could very well come down to which team can better exploit their opponents’ absences.
Match info, plus how to watch on TV and stream
Match Date/Time: Friday, 2:45 p.m. ET, 7:45 p.m. local
Venue: Emirates Stadium, London, England
TV: NBCSN (U.S. - English), Universo (U.S. - Spanish), Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Premier League (U.K.)
Online: NBC Sports Live, Fubo.tv (U.S.), Sky Go (U.K.)
Make friends: Check out The Short Fuse for more Arsenal coverage, and head over to The Liverpool Offside to learn more about Liverpool.
Listings for more countries can be found at LiveSoccerTV.