This weekend, we are treated to a Premier League classic in the FA Cup third round as Liverpool travel to face Arsenal. The two sides met last month in an entertaining 1-1 draw.
Arsenal
For the first time since May, Arsenal have experienced a blip in the Premier League, losing their last two matches. Nonetheless, Mikel Arteta’s side have still been excellent overall, with the Gunners sitting in fourth place with 12 wins from 20 matches.
Unfortunately for Arsenal, they have conceded in four of their last five matches in all competitions, which isn’t common for the side with the second-best defensive record in the league with 20 goals conceded. They’re also not quite as fluid in attack this season, scoring 1.85 goals per game on average, the seventh-highest record.
Last time out, the Gunners travelled to Fulham, where they suffered a 2-1 defeat. Despite taking the lead early on through Bukayo Saka, Arsenal failed to take control and were caught out by Raul Jimenez before the half-hour mark. Fulham took the lead just after the break and comfortably sat in deep for the remainder.
Liverpool
The Reds have been on fire this season, and despite completing a midfield overhaul, they currently lead the way in the Premier League. Jurgen Klopp will be thrilled with the fact that in 20 games they’ve won 13 and only lost once, but they’re unbeaten with 11 men on the field.
Furthermore, Liverpool’s dominance can be highlighted by them scoring the joint second most goals in the league, 43, while conceding the fewest number of goals, 18. They’ve also only failed to score in one game all season.
Last time out, Liverpool hosted Newcastle on Monday evening. Klopp’s side were relentless from the first minute and tallied up 18 shots and 2.49 xG alone in the first half. The score was 0-0 at halftime due to Mohammed Salah missing a penalty, but he redeemed himself in the second half, scoring twice and setting up another. The Reds now hold the record for the most xG in one game, 7.11, and the score ended 4-2 after a crazy second period.
Verdict?
Arsenal versus Liverpool is always a game that sees goals, drama, and fight, which is the perfect mixture for an FA Cup classic.
That is expected again, but due to their current form, you would expect Liverpool to progress into the next round.
Liverpool are priced at 9/2 to win the tie and both teams to score on SkyBet, and even though Salah is unavailable, that price holds value.
The final prediction is Arsenal 1-2 Liverpool.
