As Liverpool play Arsenal in the Premier League, Arne Slot should make two changes to the team that beat RB Leipzig while facing a conundrum over Curtis Jones.
Liverpool head to the Emirates Stadium with 11 wins from 12 games this season but their toughest test yet still lying in wait.
Having won two difficult matches already since the most recent international break, the Reds have shown they can ride out games when under pressure.
While Mikel Arteta’s usual side would present hefty opposition, injuries and suspension to key players have weakened them and Liverpool will hope to capitalise.
Here’s how Liverpool could line up.
Team news
Here’s what Slot revealed in his press conference:
- Federico Chiesa “might train” on Friday or Saturday but won’t be fit to play Arsenal
- Diogo Jota will “definitely not” train and therefore won’t be involved
- Conor Bradley may train on Saturday but, again, likely won’t figure in London
Liverpool’s XI vs. Arsenal
Slot should play his strongest available team against Arsenal and that is quite easy to predict at the moment.
The only positions up for debate are on the left and in midfield, as Cody Gakpo and Jones try to displace Luis Diaz and Dominik Szoboszlai from Slot’s first-choice XI.
Given Jones’ brilliance against Chelsea, it would be harsh not to include him. However, the 23-year-old’s performance was in Alexis Mac Allister‘s deeper midfield position for the most part, as opposed to Szoboszlai’s quasi-No. 10 role.
This could lead to Slot selecting the same midfield of Ryan Gravenberch, Mac Allister and Szoboszlai that played against Leipzig.
Here are some of the decisions Slot will likely take:
- Andy Robertson comes back in for Kostas Tsimikas at left-back
- Diaz starts instead of Gakpo on the left wing
- Szoboszlai plays in midfield as Jones is forced to start on the bench
This is how Liverpool would line up:
Kelleher; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Gravenberch, Mac Allister, Szoboszlai; Salah, Nunez, Diaz
Of course, with Szoboszlai having played 180 minutes for Hungary in the international break and the same again this week, Slot could well reward Jones with a place.
The other question comes in attack. We expect Darwin Nunez to play due to Jota’s injury, but if he were to drop out then Gakpo would be the most likely to fill in up top.
- Jones is rewarded with a start over Szoboszlai
- Gakpo starts up front for the first time this season
- Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk start their eight consecutive league game together
Here’s how this alternate team would look:
Kelleher; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Gravenberch, Jones, Mac Allister; Salah, Gakpo, Diaz
Under Jurgen Klopp, we would have had half an expectation of seeing Liverpool go to an injury-stricken Arsenal team and try to blow them away early on.
Under Slot, though, any victory will more likely be won across the 90 minutes with a nervous finish to endure.
Whichever way Liverpool decide to win, though, we’re here for!
