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Liverpool v Arsenal preview | Confirmed team news, Ozil to start + prediction

By on October 30, 2019

Arsenal have to put Sunday’s drama behind them and focus on trying to reach the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup when we take on Liverpool at Anfield this evening.

It’s been another turbulent few days at Arsenal as we blew a two-goal lead and had a perfectly good winning goal ruled out during a 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace on Sunday afternoon.

Ordinarily the headlines would have been about the ludicrous VAR decision and the pressure building on Unai Emery, however, the focus has all been on Granit Xhaka and his disgraceful behaviour at the weekend.

Enough has been written about the situation but it was another poor day to be an Arsenal fan so hopefully the players can put a smile back on our faces with a positive showing against Liverpool tonight.

We thrashed Nottingham Forest 5-0 in the previous round but obviously this is going to be a much sterner test away to the run-away Premier League leaders and reigning European champions – who eased past MK Dons in the third round.

Team news

Arsenal have a healthy squad as only Reiss Nelson is missing through injury but Emery is set to rest a number of key players with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, David Luiz, Kieran Tierney, Matteo Guendouzi and Nicolas Pepe among those expected to make way.

Xhaka hasn’t travelled to Merseyside so he’ll be taken out the spotlight while the likes of Emi Martinez, Hector Bellerin, Rob Holding, Sead Kolasinac, Joe Willock, Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli are set for recalls.

Mesut Ozil is back in the Arsenal squad after being exiled by Emery so the German playmaker is set to feature for the first time in almost a month.

As for Liverpool, they’ll be without the injured Joel Matip and Xherdan Shaqiri while Jurgen Klopp is expected to make wholesale changes to his starting eleven as his priorities lay elsewhere.

Caoimhin Kelleher will start in goal and youngsters like Neco Williams, Sepp van den Berg, Harvey Elliot, Rhian Brewster and Curtis Jones are set to feature.

Line-ups

Hopefully we see Ozil starting in the No.10 role while Alexandre Lacazette might get another run out in order to help him build up his match fitness.

football formations

football formations

Predicted score

Arsenal have a woeful record at Anfield and usually I’d be fearing the worst heading to Merseyside to face a formidable Liverpool side. However, both teams will field their second string line-ups and I actually think our ‘reserves’ will give them a good game tonight. The Arsenal team have played together four times now this season in the cups and have been superb having won all four games – scoring a whopping 15 goals in the process.

I do think it will be a tight match tonight as Liverpool also have lots of quality with the likes of Oxlade-Chamberlain, Keita and Milner in the team but I fancy Arsenal to edge it. Liverpool 1-2 Arsenal: