Arsenal host Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday in what promises to be a pivotal match in the battle for qualification for the 2015/16 Champions League, The RedmenTV’s Jack Harte previews the game.
Arsenal vs. Liverpool
Emirates Stadium, 12:45pm BST, Saturday April 4th 2015
Arsene Wenger’s side currently occupy third, six points ahead of the Reds and with a significant goal difference advantage.
The Gunners are in fine form, having won their last six league games, and recently beat Manchester United and Monaco away from home (though being eliminated from Europe on away goals).
Brendan Rodgers’ side had won their last five prior to the home defeat by Manchester United a fortnight ago and join Arsenal at the top of the form table over the last sixteen weeks, but that loss has put an extra edge on this meeting – the gap between the sides by Saturday evening will be 3, 6, or 9 points, with what could be deemed as many as or as few as seven matches remaining.
Manchester United host Aston Villa on Saturday, with Manchester City visiting Crystal Palace on Sunday, whilst challengers to Liverpool, Southampton and Tottenham Hotspur, travel to Everton and Burnley respectively.
The value that both sets of supporters place on performance is always evident, but there’s a clear sense that this Saturday’s meeting is all about the result given its high-stakes nature – the top four battle could be either be simplified or blown wide open once again this weekend.
League Performance (2014-15): Arsenal 3rd (60pts, +27); Liverpool 5th (54pts, +12)
Top Scorers (2014-15): Alexis Sanchez 13(19); Steven Gerrard & Raheem Sterling 6(10)
League Performance (2013-14): Arsenal 4th (79pts, +27); Liverpool 2nd (84pts, +51)
Top Scorers (2013-14): Olivier Giroud 16(22) Luis Suarez 31(31)
Match History:
20013-14 – 2-0 (Cazorla 19’, Ramsey 69’);
2012-13 – 2-2 (Giroud 64’. Walcott 67’; Suarez 5’, Henderson 60’);
2011-12 – 0-2 (Ramsey OG 78’, Suarez 90’);
2010-11 – 1-1 (van Persie PEN 90+8’; Kuyt PEN 90+12’);
2009-10 – 1-0 (Diaby 72’)
Ahead of Saturday’s meeting at the Emirates, The Redmen TV spoke with Frankie Hobbs, editor of Arsenal fansite The Highbury Clock – thanks to Frankie for providing his insight and opinion:
Nine seasons without a trophy ended at Wembley last May and you also won the Community Shield in August – has that silverware lifted a weight from the Club or was it ‘business as usual’ from August onwards?
Frankie: To an extent. Winning the FA Cup was fantastic and ended the trophy drought — now it’s time to go and win more meaningful trophies like the Premier League and Champions League.
Whilst neither of these will happen this season, I think for the first time in a while we genuinely are heading in the right direction. We’re signing top players and slowly putting things together. I would be very surprised to see us not challenge for the title next season.
You’ve a highly-successful and well-respected manager who’s character as a ‘stubborn visionary’ makes him a divisive figure – what are your thoughts on Arsene Wenger?
Frankie: Put it this way: If I had a dinner party and could invite any three people, I would pick Arsene Wenger and burn the other invites.
Arsenal fans owe so much to Arsene Wenger. He’s taken us from a successful English club and turned us into a modern superclub.
Yes, we had a few trophy-less seasons, but what gives us a divine right as a club to win things? Everyone laughs at his ability to finish in the top four but we’ve seen just how hard it can be to maintain that.
Liverpool finally got back in to the top four last year but have really struggled to maintain that this time around. Arsenal’s consistency under Wenger deserves more respect.
Your club is well-respected for its perceived self-sufficiency and you went through a relatively austere period whilst awaiting the stadium payback but the signings of Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez indicate a change of tact – you must be exciting to start building upon such solid foundations?
Frankie: As I said earlier, I think we’re finally heading in the right direction. Arsenal – with the great stadium and location – is becoming a destination for Europe’s top talent. If we can capture the title in the next few years then the sky is the limit.
In contrast to that respect, you’ve often received barbed-congratulations on the annual ‘fourth-place trophy’ and last-sixteen exit – would you have swapped two or three years of Champions League football during the last decade for an extra couple of trophies; perhaps even a Europa League?
Frankie: Competing in the Champions League is pitting yourself against the best. And while Arsenal have struggled in recent years I would still rather that than play in the Europa League.
Yes, things haven’t gone our way in the Champions League but it’s hardly an easy competition to compete in. Real Madrid struggled a few years ago. They are doing well now. We’ve been deep in the competition under Arsene Wenger – I’m confident we’ll do it again.
In Harry Kane your North London rivals have a local academy-graduate who’s a safe bet to be shortlisted for a number of individual awards – Wojciech Szczesny, Kieran Gibbs, and Jack Wilshire tend to be in and around the squad, but does your academy need to be producing more and better?
Frankie: I think it’s always great to see academy graduates do well. It’s always tough for top clubs due to the demanding nature of the Premier League so the lack of academy players in the first team is unsurprising.
Having said that, Spurs have shown this season that in the right system academy prospects can flourish. So yes, we probably do need to do better, but then which one is it? Do we sign world class players or bring through the youth? It’s a never-ending headache for a manager.
Arsenal were busy in the transfer market last summer and added two more players in January – what are your thoughts on the transfer business overall?
Frankie: Overall we’ve bought well for this season and have spent a lot of money. Alexis Sanchez was a fantastic purchase and looks set to be one of the Premier League’s best for a number of years. Danny Welbeck and Calum Chambers haven’t set the world alight but are both solid, young English players that I’m confident will come good.
Mathieu Debuchy has been very unlucky with injuries and we haven’t seen enough of Gabriel Paulista to judge properly. As for David Ospina, the jury is out. I’m not sure he’s better than what we have.
Rather like ourselves, you struggled until December – what are your thoughts on the season so far and what have been the highs, lows, and other memorable moments?
Frankie: The most memorable moment was probably the win at the Etihad. Overall it’s not been great but I think we’re slowly getting there. As for lows, nothing will top the Monaco defeat at the Emirates. Probably Arsenal’s worst performance for years.
Other memorable moments include Danny Welbeck’s Old Trafford winner and Alexis’ volley vs. Man City early in the season.
With an FA Cup Semi Final and eight league matches remaining, what are your hopes and expectations for the rest of 2014/15?
Frankie: I want second place. And I think we can get it. We should be looking to retain our FA Cup also. As much as you don’t want to underestimate Reading, we should be comfortably beating them.
Are there any stories around the Club/amongst the fanbase that the mainstream may have missed out on?
Frankie: Gabriel Paulista is officially the hardest man in the world. Don’t try and argue with him about it, either.
Following last season’s title challenge, Liverpool have been awful and excellent in different halves of this campaign – what are your thoughts on Brendan Rodgers’ side?
Frankie: Look, I think Brendan Rodgers is a very capable manager. His stubbornness may come back to bite him though. And I’m not sure I agree with some of his selections. Playing Raheem Sterling at right-wing-back and Emre Can at centre-back really confuses me.
The club have struggled in the transfer market too. On the pitch, they have turned around their poor start and look to be playing good stuff. Having said that, I think they might just miss out on top four. And if they don’t win the FA Cup then I think questions should be asked about Rodgers. That doesn’t mean you sack him. Just think he should be questioned.
Turning attention to Saturday’s match then – how do you see the sides approaching the match, how do you see it playing out, and would you care to offer a prediction?
Frankie: I can see Rodgers trying to play quite defensive actually and try and hit Arsenal on the break. He’ll probably play Sterling out of position again – this time upfront – and his pace might cause us a few problems.
I just think we’ll have too much for Liverpool at home. Alexis, Ozil, Cazorla and co. will find a way to score more goals than Sterling, Coutinho and co. If I had to pick a score I would say 3-1.
Jack Harte
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