Liverpool can deal Arsenal a massive blow in the Premier League title race this weekend, but how confident are Gunners supporters feeling?
The Reds make the trip to the Emirates on Sunday afternoon, in what is one of the biggest games of the season so far.
Arsenal‘s 2-0 loss at Bournemouth last Saturday means they have lost ground on both Liverpool and Man City, so the pressure has been cranked up.
This will be Arne Slot‘s biggest test yet as Reds head coach, however, and coming away with a positive result of some kind would feel significant.
Ahead of Sunday’s match, we spoke to Arsenal fan and award-winning illustrator and picturebook creator Matty Long (@Matty_Long) to discuss a huge game in the title race, referee ‘conspiracies’ and more.
How would you assess Arsenal’s season so far?
Arsenal‘s season has been a bit messy and disjointed, certainly compared to the last couple of seasons.
That said, given the circumstances – injuries, suspensions and tough fixtures – it’s just about fine.
Does the team feel as strong as ever?
It’s hard to say yes to that when we seem to have players going off injured or red-carded in every game.
We are currently without our captain, Martin Odegaard, and we’re left guessing as to when Bukayo Saka might be back.
Jurrien Timber started the season brilliantly but he too appears to be injured, along with Riccardo Calafiori from the Champions League game on Tuesday.
I would say these disruptions, along with suspensions and a tough early fixture list, haven’t seen us build any sort of momentum.
Have there been any standout performers? Who has struggled?
It’s probably no surprise that our best player has been Saka, who has made nine goal contributions in seven Premier League games he’s played in this season.
An honourable mention for Kai Havertz, though, whose all-round game now feels essential to this team.
I’m concerned by our backup attackers in Raheem Sterling and Gabriel Jesus, who simply haven’t contributed enough in the minutes they’ve played.
What’s your take on the red card situation? Is there a ‘conspiracy’?
There’s no conspiracy but the threshold for the red cards we’ve earned this season has been incredibly low.
It’s hard to be told it’s ‘letter of the law’ and that the referee ‘had no choice’ when other similar instances are handled less harshly and with more common sense.
It works both ways, though, and Arsenal need to be smarter and not give the referee the spotlight they seem to enjoy more and more these days.
How do you rate Liverpool’s start to the campaign?
Very good overall, barring the blip against a Nottingham Forest side who might have a bit about them this season.
I think Liverpool fans should be really pleased, considering the managerial change and lack of new recruits in the summer.
What do you think of Arne Slot?
Slot seems to have come in and got Liverpool playing his way without much fuss.
They play with a good deal of control and awareness, as well as attacking intent.
Like the Dutchman’s head, they look rather polished, and you can’t really knock the manager so far.
What are your best and worst memory from Arsenal-Liverpool games?
Our 5-1 defeat at Anfield back in the 2013/14 season is probably the most painful I can remember.
But the 4-1 win for Arsenal at the Emirates gets me all dewy-eyed, with Hector Bellerin, Mesut Ozil, Alexis Sanchez and Olivier Giroud all scoring superb strikes.
Where do you see the key battles taking place?
Calafiori hobbling off against Shakhtar Donetsk means it could be Oleksandr Zinchenko – he has barely featured this season – up against Mo Salah at left-back.
It could even be 18-year-old Myles Lewis-Skelly there, but perhaps most likely is Jakub Kiwior, fresh from his awful backpass against Bournemouth!
We’re also without William Saliba through suspension, so hopefully Ben White can fill in at centre-back.
Further forward, I’m concerned about our ability to create and score chances without our two attacking linchpins of Odegaard and Saka, should they both be out.
Finally, hit us with your prediction…
I’m not confident about this one.
I am hopeful we can raise our game despite the circumstances, though, so I will say Arsenal 1-1 Liverpool.
* Matty’s book series, Super Happy Magic Forest, has been adapted into a TV show on CBBC, and can be watched on BBC iPlayer here.
