- Reds lead all-time 84W-59D-78L
- Liverpool won 4-3 on Aug. 14
- Arsenal last won at Anfield in ’12
Two powerful teams dealing with wildly disappointing 2017s meet at Anfield on Saturday in a high-powered clash (Watch live at 12:30 p.m. EDT on NBC and online via NBCSports.com).
Liverpool and Arsenal carry relatively woeful form into Saturday’s match. Fourth-place Arsenal lost to Watford and Chelsea before a narrow win over Hull City, the last of which followed a blowout loss at Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League.
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The Reds, meanwhile, have found wins hard to come by since the calendar turned and recently were crushed by struggling Leicester City. Now in fifth place, Liverpool is more than a result out of second place (let alone their former aim of first).
Liverpool has done well against good sides, still unbeaten against the Top Six including a 4-3 win over Arsenal. Their Saturday opposition is a bit more predictable; Arsenal only has one loss to a lesser light (Watford). Their other losses? Chelsea, Man City, Arsenal, and Liverpool.
What they’re saying
Liverpool’s Adam Lallana on their record vs. poor sides: “Possibly it’s a mentality issue and something that we need to learn quickly because time will eventually run out. I want to achieve something special here at Liverpool and to do that we can’t just perform against the big teams, we need to perform against every team and treat them the same.”
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger on his future: “I have been here for 20 years and I had many times the opportunity to leave so I don’t think I have to convince you that my preference has always been Arsenal. But of course I am objective and lucid enough to make the right decision for myself and the club as well. The club is free to make the decision it wants and I will respect that.”
Prediction
Given their seasons, it wouldn’t be shocking for either to produce a rout. That said, we’re betting on the equal misery that would come from a 2-2 draw.
