Liverpool vs. Arsenal: Key Takeaways from Arsene Wenger's Pre-Game Presser

Arsene Wenger has confirmed Theo Walcott could make an appearance during Arsenal's trip to Liverpool on Sunday.

The Gunners boss spoke ahead of an intriguing Premier League tie which pits two stuttering teams against each other. Arsenal travel to Anfield in sixth position, while their hosts are currently five points behind in 11th.

Wenger confirmed that Walcott, Nacho Monreal and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain could all feature, as reported by Arsenal's official Twitter account:

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TEAM NEWS: @_nachomonreal, @theowalcott and @Alex_OxChambo to be assessed tomorrow. Koscielny is out pic.twitter.com/7yaSPWXyEN

— Arsenal FC (@Arsenal) December 19, 2014"

News surrounding Aaron Ramsey wasn't so bright, however. Wenger admitted the Welsh midfielder could be absent until the new year, per James Olley of the London Evening Standard:

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The manager noted the importance of the next couple of weeks, per Arsenal's feed:

Wenger also highlighted the physical strain on new players who are perhaps used to receiving a winter break:

Liverpool posed a continual threat during their loss to United—posting 19 shots on goal, per WhoScored.com—but ultimately fell short due to defensive lapses and a lack of ruthlessness.

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Raheem Sterling was one of the main culprits and missed a handful of glaring opportunities to get on the scoresheet, including a one-on-one with David De Gea in which he had an open goal to hit before taking an extra touch.

Sterling scored two during the midweek Capital One Cup victory over Bournemouth, though, keeping Wenger on high alert. The Arsenal boss believes Sterling has been important to Liverpool's cause for some time now:

The two sides clashed prior to the start of the season when it became clear Barcelona were to sell Alexis Sanchez. Arsenal eventually snapped the Chilean up, leaving Liverpool to spend cash received for Luis Suarez on the likes of Mario Balotelli, Rickie Lambert and Lazar Markovic.

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Sanchez has scored 13 and provided six assists in his 21 games for the Gunners, per WhoScored. Sterling is Liverpool's most productive player with five goals and five assists, but successful strikes have generally been hard to come by for the entire squad.

Liverpool are a far cry from the side who beat Arsenal 5-1 last season, a loss which Wenger still feels today, per Kevin Palmer of the Sunday World:

Wenger admitted Liverpool have failed to muster the same ferocity this season, though, noted by Arsenal's feed:

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Defeat for either manager on Merseyside will produce great pressure. Brendan Rodgers has so far failed to show Liverpool are genuine top-four contenders after finishing second last year, while Wenger is only ever one defeat away from having his future scrutinised by sections of the Arsenal support.

Oxlade-Chamberlain claimed Wenger's players "have to stand up" and show their mettle, per Olley. This is certainly true of the upcoming fixture, in which both teams will be looking to boost their Christmas run with a huge three points.

Wenger's injury problems continue to change, rather than ease, ahead of an encounter which will force Arsenal to hold their nerve. It's this type of difficult away trip which has seen the side slip so often in the past—highlighted by the loss at Stoke—meaning a memorable performance is needed to silence the Anfield crowd.