Arsenal v Liverpool
Monday 24th August – Kickoff: 2000hrs
Football – England – English Premier League
Arsenal and Liverpool have played out some classic contests through the history of the Premier League history. The 4-4 draw when Andrey Arshavin scored all four of Arsenal’s goals; Liverpool’s 5-1 success at Anfield in 2014, and the match when Robbie Fowler scored what was the quickest hat-trick in the Premier League, until Sadio Mane took that honour last season. It is a fixture synonymous with goals and every neutral watching on Monday will be hoping that the goals and entertainment are abundant once again.
Following the shock defeat at home to West Ham on the opening weekend of the season, Arsenal responded very well to get their first win and points of the new campaign at Selhurst Park last Sunday. The Gunners dominated for long spells and should have been out of sight with the opportunities they passed up, but Crystal Palace could still have gotten a share of the points with the pressure they created late on. Arsene Wenger would have been delighted with the majority of what he seen from his team but there will still be a concern at both ends of the pitch. If Arsenal are to mount a serious challenge for the title they will have to become more clinical in the final third and tighten things up in defence. The latest criticism was levelled at Laurent Koscielny who failed to show the courage and determination to block the shot that led to Palace’s goal.
Two wins from two games is just the start that Brendan Rodgers would have been looking for after a disappointing last campaign. Both wins have come by a single goal but that too will also be a source of optimism for the manager as his defenders came in for a lot of criticism in the previous campaign. Last Monday’s win at home to newly promoted Bournemouth was not without its controversy as the only goal of the game from Christian Benteke should not have stood due to Philippe Coutinho was stood in an offside position when trying to make contact with the cross. The visitors were also denied goal which was harshly ruled out for a foul. Like the win at Stoke the week before, it was not the prettiest of performances but that can be expected from a team who have made so many changes to their starting eleven this summer. A trip to Arsenal will be a good indication of how much potential this new-look team have.
Oliver Giroud opened the scoring last week and in some style, too. He’s expected to get the nod to lead the line on Monday but doubts still persist about whether or not he is the player for that position long-term if Arsenal are to win major titles. The French internationalist has a lot of qualities but it’s the ability to make the difference when games are tight that have Arsenal fans continuing to look for another option. Giroud did score in both games against Liverpool last season and will be looking to continue that run on Monday to further convince the supporters – and his manager – that he can be the number one striker in a team challenging for the title.
Benteke got off the mark for his new club last week and there’s no doubt that Rodgers has decided to play to his new striker’s stengths by getting the ball forward more quickly. Like Giroud, there is no doubt that Benteke is a very good player but due to the money Liverpool paid to acquire him, there is a lot of pressure on immediate performances. If he can managed to add to his tally on Monday evening, it could be an excellent way of winning over any supporters who felt Liverpoop overpaid.
Arsenal v Liverpool Betting Tips
Liverpool can join Manchester City at the top of the table if they can take all three points on Monday. That’s a feat that the Reds have achieved just once since Arsenal moved to the Emirates, however, coming on the opening day of the 2011/12 season. In the four meetings since then, Arsenal have won three and drawn the other, including a win on their way to the FA Cup triumph of 2014.
It has been suggested that Wenger’s men are better suited to playing away from home, as they come into the match with Liverpool having won only one of their last five league games in front of their own supporters. Before tha, however, Arsenal had won nine straight at home, including a 4-1 defeat of Liverpool last March. The Gunners would have seen that as slight redemption for the aforementioned 5-1 embarrassment the previous season.
I have alluded to the fact that when these two meet, goals can usually be expected. The last 22 encounters in all competitions have witnessed 78 goals – an average of 3.5 per game. As ever, there will be a plethora of quality attackers on show, but that itself does not guarantee goals. The home team will be keen to get a quick start but Liverpool will not want to give them too much encouragement and have shown against Stoke and Bournemouth that they can sit in and soak up pressure. Arsenal clearly possess more quality than either of those sides so it will be the biggest test for the new look back four. Joe Gomez is especially likely to be tested at left back.
Taking into account the record for goals in this game, and Arsenal’s first two performances of the season, I can see both sides getting on the scoresheet, something which has happened five in the last six meetings between the two. Over 2.5 goals is a similar price, and whilst it keeps 3-0 for either side on the table, I think it’s much more likely the game ends 1-1 so prefer both teams to score in this instance.
Both teams to score 4/5 @ Betfred
