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It’s a gorgeous January night in north London: driving rain, bone-jarring cold, studied-haircut-busting wind. Football as nature intended.
“Arsenal’s bench is insane,” says Jonathan O’Malley. “By my reckoning the bench alone accounts for three eights of the Spanish midfield.”
I’m nodding like a dog at the first sentence. I haven’t a clue what the second means, though that might be because I’m adjusting to being awake at this hour.
“Rob, can I share one of my New Year’s resolutions with you?” writes Charles ANtaki. “ I know you’ll keep it under your hat. I’ve resolved to offer myself to Arsenal Football Club as their new centre-forward. HR will object that there’s little evidence that I can play football at the elite level (quite true; indeed, at any level whatsoever), and I certainly don’t score enough (in fact any) goals. But on those two criteria I’m more or less par with the current incumbent.
“What puts me ahead is maturity, listening skills and a pleasant demeanour. Admittedly those aren’t on the ‘essential’ side of the job description ledger, but surely they’d be on the ‘desirable’ list? Anyway: mum’s the word for the moment, until I hear back from the club.”
Has he really been that bad? (That’s a genuine question, not a rebuttal – you’ve seen more of Arsenal than I have.) Is he the Stephane Guivarc’h des nos jours? Or did the tactics mafiosi eventually conclude that Guivarc’h played an important role, unrecognised by the ignoramii, at France 98?
Arne Slot’s pre-match thoughts
[On the absence of Hugo Ekitike] Missing players is never nice. It makes it even harder when the other option as a No9 is also not available. Pace is an important weapon, especially against a team who have a lot of the ball and defend so far from their own goal.
[On bringing in Jeremie Frimpong] We’ve brought in a bit of pace with Jeremie. He’s been out for four or five months – not all the time, but mainly – and I decided to use him as a sub against Fulham so that he would could start tonight.
Both [Wirtz and Gakpo] can play as the No9. It will be fluid.
Arsenal are constantly improving, every year, and they are probably in the best moment of the last 5, 10, 15 years.
Andy Hunter
Arne Slot has said it hurts his principles as an attacking coach to hear his Liverpool team described as boring but he could not entirely disagree on current form.
Liverpool have stabilised after a damaging sequence of nine defeats in 12 matches, the club’s worst return in 71 years, with a nine-game unbeaten run but are struggling to produce convincing performances. Successive draws against Fulham and Leeds have prompted further criticism of Slot’s style and resulted in the champions falling 14 points behind the leaders, Arsenal, who they face at the Emirates Stadium on Thursday.
The Liverpool head coach admits being stung by accusations his team’s approach is dull. “I find it really hard to hear but I would not completely disagree,” said Slot, who could be without Hugo Ekitiké for a second successive game. “I would use different words and I would take certain things into account. I want to win as many trophies as I can but I think I am also known for the fact that my teams always try to play attacking football and I can only say they’re trying to do so.
Team news
Bukayo Saka and Leandro Trossard come into the Arsenal side in place of Noni Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli. Those are the only changes from the 3-2 win at Bournemouth.
Liverpool make one change from the draw at Fulham: Jeremie Frimpong comes in for Curtis Jones.
Arsenal (4-3-3) Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Hincapie; Odegaard, Zubimendi, Rice; Saka, Gyokeres, Trossard.
Subs: Arrizabalaga, White, Gabriel Jesus, Eze, Martinelli, Norgaard, Madueke, Merino, Lewis-Skelly.
Liverpool (4-2-3-1) Alisson; Bradley, Konate, van Dijk, Kerkez; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Frimpong, Szoboszlai, Wirtz; Gakpo.
Subs: Mamardashvili, Woodman, Gomez, Chiesa, Jones, Robertson, Nyoni, Ramsay, Ngumoha.
Referee Anthony Taylor (Cheshire).
Preamble
Good evening. Arsenal’s title wins of the modern era have usually involved a landmark game against Liverpool, and we’re just not talking about Michael Thomas. There was the Thierry Henry-inspired comeback at Highbury in 2003-04, the symbolic birth of the Invincibles at Anfield in 2001-02 plus Paul Merson’s winner on the same ground in 1990-91. Even the 4-0 defeat at Anfield in 1997-98 was a triumph of sorts: the reason Arsenal weren’t at the races was that they had won the title against Everton three days earlier, with all the ABV that entails.
Tonight’s game at the Emirates could be equally memorable for Arsenal. A victory over the reigning champions always has symbolic value for the teams hoping to dethrone them, and if Arsenal win tonight they will move eight points clear of Manchester City and Aston Villa at the top. It’s hard to imagine a team as good as Arsenal losing that lead, even with 17 games to go.
Like Shaun Ryder said, it’s a big night in the south.
Kick off 8pm.
