Arsenal vs Liverpool
Arsenal will entertain newly crowned Premier League champions, Liverpool, tonight at the Emirates as they look to fight for a European slot.
Mikel Arteta has come out to say it would be a huge blow if his side fails to qualify for Europe next season.
Failure to qualify will see Arsenal go without European competition for the first time since the 1995-96 season, while it will be a third successive campaign without Champions League football.
The gunners lost to Tottenham Hotspur at the weekend and will look to get back to winning ways against the most difficult opponent in the league.
Toby Alderweireld scored a late winner for Spurs in the North London Derby on Sunday in a game that was undone by Arsenal’s leaky defence.
Arsenal should have gone on to win the game against Tottenham. They had a better shape and they were the better side at creating chances. But they got lazy in the second half, and it was the same old story.
The Liverpool side have been crowned champions before the loss to Manchester City and would most likely win against one of the weakest defensive sides in the league. Arsenal’s shape has improved, but their defenders have not, and that could come back to haunt them again.
Team news
Arsenal
Arsenal won’t have young forward Eddie Nketiah available for tonight’s game against Liverpool. The youngster serves the second match of a three-game suspension following his red card against Leicester City.
Mesut Ozil’s back will be assessed, while Bernd Leno, Gabriel Martinelli, Pablo Mari and Calum Chambers are set to miss the remainder of the season.
Liverpool
Liverpool will most likely select from the same squad that drew with Burnley.
James Milner remains out and Joel Matip and Jordan Henderson will both miss the rest of 2019-20 because of injury.
Trent Alexander-Arnold is set to return at right-back, having been rested on Saturday, and Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, against his former club, look set to contest one midfield place.
Head-to-head
- Arsenal are winless in nine Premier League meetings with Liverpool since a 4-1 victory at the Emirates in April 2015 (D4, L5).
- The Gunners have conceded 90 goals against Liverpool in the Premier League, a club record against a single opponent.
Stats and facts heading to the match
- Arsenal’s defeat against Tottenham ended a four-match unbeaten run (W3, D1).
- The Gunners can win a maximum of 59 points this season, which would be their lowest-ever total for a 38-match campaign.
- They have won just one match this season against established top-six teams (D3, L5).
- Arsenal have dropped a league-high 15 points from winning positions since Mikel Arteta’s first game in charge in December.
- Alexandre Lacazette has scored two goals in his last three league appearances, equalling his tally from the previous 14 games.
- Liverpool need to win their remaining three games to surpass Manchester City’s record of 100 Premier League points.
- They can set a new club top-flight record by securing a 31st win of the season against Arsenal.
- Since the restart, Liverpool have gone winless in three of their six Premier League matches (D2, L1). The Reds had only failed to win two of their previous 38 games in the competition.
- The Reds have won their last five Premier League games in London, including all four this season. Liverpool last won 100% of their top-flight games in the capital in a single season in 1933, when Arsenal and Chelsea were the only London sides in the division.
- Jurgen Klopp is unbeaten in his eight Premier League games against Arsenal (W5, D3), with Liverpool scoring 26 goals in those games. He’s only faced Everton (9) more often without defeat in the competition, while only against Watford (27) has his side scored.
Prediction: Arsenal 1-3 Liverpool
Manchester City vs Bournemouth
Manchester City might make it a third consecutive 5-0 Premier League victory as they welcome Bournemouth on Wednesday. Newcastle United and Brighton have been victims over the past couple of days.
Related: Manchester City wins appeal to overturn two-year European ban
Bournemouth, on the other hand, are fighting to stay up in the league and had a wonderful result against Leicester, coming back from a goal down to defeat the Foxes 4-1. They could prove to be a dangerous opponent for the Citizens.
Team news
Manchester City could have Ilkay Gundogan and Joao Cancelo back after missing the Brighton win with minor injuries.
Sergio Aguero remains the only absentee as he continues his rehabilitation after knee surgery.
Bournemouth defender Nathan Ake could miss the rest of the season because of the groin injury he sustained during the win over Leicester.
Joshua King’s hamstring problem will be assessed but Adam Smith definitely misses out with a head injury.
This leaves the Cherries stretched in defence, with Chris Mepham and Simon Francis still sidelined by knee injuries, although Steve Cook did come off the bench against Leicester after recovering from a hamstring problem.
