Liverpool vs Arsenal at Anfield is always the fixture i look out for at the start of every season. it holds a fascination for me that i'm yet to fully understand, let alone explain. It does however border around the magical ground that Anfield is. Games there against Liverpool are almost never dull affairs and you can bet your bottom dollar that with the high stakes surrounding this particular tie, Saturday's match is definitely going to be fireworks.
Arsenal are title chasers while Liverpool are desperate to finish in the Top 4 and re-establish their Champions league identity which they lost in 2009. Both objectives at this stage of the season seem very attainable for the two sides, however they face stiff competition from formidable adversaries looking to ensure they come up short. Arsenal would have watched Chelsea's confident dispatch of Mancity at the Etihad and sensed their rival Londoners are starting to rev up their challenge. The professional and masterful delivery of that defeat had all the hallmarks of Mourinho's title winning DNA from Inter and Madrid and Wenger will feel now more than ever the pressure to ensure maximum points in this game than the one in November at the Emirates. On the flip-side, Brendan Rogers will not be under any illusion that the job is done in terms of securing 4th place. Seven points separate them and Man united in 7th place, and he will know that if their hopes of securing champions league football is not to crash and burn like it does nearly every year, a morale boosting result against the league leaders will be just what he needs.
Much has been made of the Suarez and Sturridge strike partnership, 37 goals between them in the 24 premiership games thus far is quite decent. However they are both petulant players who love a good sulk when things aren't quite going their way. I saw them bickering amongst each other in the derby with Everton ostensibly due to each others selfish tendencies, (particularly Dancing queen Sturridge). Individually they are both talented players but i'm yet to be convinced either of the two are willing to sacrifice that headline making opportunity in a game to make hay for the other partner who is in a better position to score. Essentially what i'm getting at is they are both selfish players who's game is tailored after self glory above everything else. In the game at the Emirates, they caused dangerous moments for us but the trouble they faced was who would sacrifice himself and play the Decoy. Koscielny and Mertasacker are two defenders who will stick to their duties like robots and their qualities are so tailored to each other it seems almost made in heaven. They have their frailties though, one is a hot head at times and can commit silly fouls in the box while the other is slow and easily beaten for pace. Sturridge for me is the better box finisher while Suarez is the more skillful runner and spectacular. If they had any brain, Sturridge who is One footed would sit back more and ping passes off the more mercurial Suarez. It may mean less goals for him but there you go, they'd be more successful against bigger teams whom they have struggled against.
For Arsenal, the Midfield is where we always win every game. Our plethora of skillsets in that department is oneof the reasons why we are Top of the league. Ozil,Arteta,Rosicky,Flamini,Ramsey,Carzola,Wilshere and Chamberlain are an impressive array of footballers gifted in unique and different ways. Any combination we choose can do a job, but of course not all the comobos are as effective as others. We have seen how the Flamini/Arteta outlet fails to inspire the team. Then conversely things get very dynamic when OX 's runsare brought in. Ozil is always the 1st man on the list in that department, his big money purchase ensuring his place in front of Giroud is uncontested. However, Mesut has done little recently to catch the eye. Stats are wonderful things, but i like to go with what my eyes can see. He needs to stamp his identity and authority in Big games like this and today, his team would be looking up to him to create magic in the Liverpool danger area. Jamie Carragher who is no favorite of mine, puts it well here regarding the German. I won't like to see Philip Coutinho outshine him in the key passes arena so c'mon Ozil show us again what you are capable of!
In our attack Giroud will again hold sway. In this fixture last season he was just a green horn in the English game and had a bad afternoon, He is a diff man now&will be throwing himself at Liverpool's fragile defense to put the smaller men through on goal.Podolski got one of our goals last season with a fine strike from the left side after a great Carzola pass, it remains to be seen if the Smiling German will be involved. But as always he remains a threat.
We are unbeaten in this fixture stretching nearly six years now, and today will be the worst possible day to do so. Our title hopes depends on it, our psychology going into the ''February of death'' depends on it. It promises to be explosive but i hope we come out on top, C'mon Arsenal!!
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