Liverpool vs. Arsenal: Complete Preview, Live Stream, Start Time and More

Fresh off claiming the Carling Cup last weekend, Liverpool will welcome Arsenal to Anfield for a crucial Premier League clash on Saturday. If the Reds have any hope of making a late run toward the top four, it must start by securing all three points in this match.

Liverpool fended off a gamely effort from Championship side Cardiff City to claim the team's first trophy in six years. It's going to take an even greater run of success to earn a potential Champions League spot, however, as the Reds currently sit seven points behind Arsenal.

The Gunners are coming off a pretty exciting victory of their own. After falling behind Tottenham 2-0 in the first half, Arsenal rattled off five straight goals to shock Spurs. Carrying that momentum into this weekend's match will be vital.

Where: Anfield in Liverpool, England

When: Saturday, March 3 at 7:45 a.m. ET

Watch: ESPN2 and ESPN3.com

Betting Odds: Liverpool -101, Arsenal +265, Draw +230

Player to Watch for Liverpool: Luis Suarez

It's been tumultuous season for Suarez to say the least. Everybody knows about the racism allegations that caused him to miss several games, but coming back from those issues to keep playing at a high level is quite the accomplishment.

He's been in fine form lately, with two goals and two assists in his last three games, and his strong play up top was a major reason the Reds knocked off Cardiff City. If he continues to produce scoring chances at a high rate, the controversies from earlier in the season will keep fading away.

Player to Watch for Arsenal: Mikel Arteta

Arsenal brought Arteta in from Everton to provide extra playmaking skills in the midfield, but he's actually been more effective as an attacker than a distributor. The Gunners were likely expecting more than two assists in 23 league games.

If Arsenal is going to maintain fourth place, or even more up into the top three, Arteta will need to be a much more consistent contributor over the final 12 games. There's no doubts about talent, it's all about finding a comfort zone within the team's attack that allows him to thrive.

Key Matchup: Pepe Reina vs. Wojciech Szczesny

Saturday's match is fully expected to be a tight battle, which means the goalkeepers need to be on high alert for all 90 minutes.

Reina is in his seventh season stopping shots for the Reds and remains one of the world's best at doing just that. He has 10 clean sheets in 25 appearances during the Premiership campaign. The Spanish international has been through his fair share of key games, so he'll be ready to roll.

Szczesny, on the other hand, is just 21 years old. He's played with a lot more confidence in his second full season between the pipes for Arsenal, but he still makes his fair share of youthful mistakes. He'll need to avoid those if the Gunners plan on pulling off the upset.

What They're Saying

Charlie Adam talked to Liverpoolfc.tv about winning his first trophy with Liverpool since coming over from Blackpool:

"

I'm delighted. The character to come back from losing a goal so late was great. To win on penalties - we'll take that. I know it's been a long time to win a trophy but we're delighted.

That's why we come here - to win trophies. And after winning the first trophy of the season, hopefully it will kick us on now until the end of the season. I'd be delighted if it's the first of many. We're still in the FA Cup, we're still challenging in the league, so it's going to be a good end to the season.

"

Arsenal chief executive Ivan Gazidis wants Gunner supporters to stand behind boss Arsene Wenger, even though it's been a roller coaster season, according to ESPN:

"

We hear the noise, we understand the concern of the fans, we know that there are issues, we know we're not where we want to be.

But I can tell you that this team, our manager, the players, are absolutely united in what we have to do for the rest of the season, which is to finish in the top four. It's very much in our hands.

"

Prediction

Liverpool 2, Arsenal 1