Things to Think About Before Livepool’s Visit to Arsenal
We’re all just counting things down before the Big One on Sunday.
It’s late on Saturday night here on the West Coast of the United States and I cannot sleep. Not just because I have to file this story, but also because I am rapt with anticipation for Liverpool’s visit to Arsenal. It’s not just the marquee match-up this week, it’s an early heavyweight caliber tilt whose gravity pulls my focus to settle on it.
Which means, this is really all I can think about and need to figure out a way to while way the hours until kick-off. If, you’re like me, maybe it’ll be useful then to just shoot a bunch of questions I think might be answered by the result of today’s match.
Let’s run through them!
- Can Liverpool’s defense withstand an attack as good as Arsenal’s? Liverpool’s defense managed to do just enough to beat Chelsea, whose attack is 7th on Understat’s xG table. Arsenal is 4th. In this run of fixtures, Liverpool will also take on the 3rd and 5th place teams on that list, when they face-off against Aston Villa and Brighton respectively. Lastly, that loss against Nottingham Forest seems to look better and better each week as they are ranked 6th on that list.
- Who will start in attack for Liverpool? Given Diogo Jota’s injury, it feels all but certain that Darwin Nuñez gets the nod at the nine, but Cody Gakpo’s recent run of form might have something to say in terms of challenging Luis Díaz for the spot outwide. Relatedly...
- Who will start in midfield for Liverpool? Curtis Jones has emerged in hot form while Ryan Gravenberch continues to impress (and play all of the minutes). Given the compressed schedule, there’s bound to be some rotation. And one more on midfield...
- Will this be the match that sees Gravenberch rotate out? I’ve been impressed not just by the Dutchman’s form this year, but also by his durability. I’d like to see him be able to take a break. I’m also maybe just so used to seeing him man that deepest lying midfielder spot so well that I am concerned about what happens to the system when he’s not there to run the show.
- Can Liverpool offer us a strong performance to etch their names into the pundit’s list of title chasers? I believe they’re already there and given the many twists and turns that can happen in a season, I don’t put too much stock on one result, regardless of the opponent. That being said, much like taking points off of City, a positive result will undoubtedly carry more weight for certain sectors of the footballing world. It’s inevitable.
We’re mere hours away now. Hopefully these questions might help pass the time ahead of kickoff.
Source: liverpooloffside.sbnation.com
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