Brendan Rodgers Has Key Positions to Decide Ahead of Must-Win Game for Liverpool

The biggest game of the Premier League weekend is pretty straightforward to pick out: The top-four battle between Arsenal and Liverpool, taking place at the Emirates Stadium early on Saturday afternoon.

While the Gunners are perched safely in third at present, their visitors at the weekend can ill-afford any more slip-ups, fifth-placed and five points behind the top four after defeat to Manchester United before the international break.

While Liverpool have enjoyed a good run of form in 2015, reaching the last eight so far in the FA Cup and moving to within touching distance of the Champions League spots, the defeat to United was a damaging one. It leaves them still playing catch-up, with eight games to go and still having to visit Chelsea in that time, as well as this more pressing trip to London to face Arsenal.

For manager Brendan Rodgers, it's a big opportunity as well as a test: He has to get the right result for his team, in a critical matchup against a direct opponent and with conditions surrounding the fixture not ideal for the Reds. Come through it with three points and it will be a big answer to those questioning whether he has made the right decisions at times during the campaign, especially in big matches.

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The task will not be made any easier by the potential absence of first-choice striker Daniel Sturridge. An injury-riddled campaign means the No. 15 has played just 705 minutes of league action—yet his four goals in that time are still equal to the other three main strikers put together, Rickie Lambert, Mario Balotelli and Fabio Borini. Back in training, it is hit or miss whether he takes part against the Gunners.

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3420 minutes of play possible in league campaign. Sturridge 14-15, 705mins. Barely 20% if he doesn't return/does return and gets re-injured.

— Karl Matchett (@karlmatchett) April 2, 2015"

For that reason it is quite simple to imagine that Rodgers will not put his faith in any of those three to come in and deliver against the Gunners, instead looking to the joint-top scorer in the league for the Reds, Raheem Sterling, to be redeployed in attack.

Of course, that brings its own problems.

Sterling this week undertook an interview with BBC Sport to outline his plans to discuss a contract with the Reds at the end of the season, having already rejected one offer—and seeming to hint at considering a move away at the same time. It left the club more than a little annoyed, with the manager having to face the media's questions before the Arsenal game about his player when he doubtless would have preferred to concentrate on the match itself.

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Rodgers on Sterling interview: "There was no permission from the club. It surprised us all. But he's a young player who is still learning."

— James Pearce (@JamesPearceEcho) April 2, 2015"

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Rodgers: "Liverpool is one of the superpowers of world football. If it doesn't want to sell it won't sell."

— Tony Barrett (@TonyBarretTimes) April 2, 2015"

As far as Sterling himself goes, while his undoubted ability makes him one of Liverpool's biggest offensive threats, it is worth pointing out that he has not reached his greatest levels in recent weeks.

Still only 20, he can yet improve further technically and tactically, but it is in consistency and being one of the stars on a week-to-week basis—as Luis Suarez was last season, as Steven Gerrard has been before—which will see trophies and bigger contracts come his way. Sterling is not at that stage yet.

Between now and the end of the season, he will be one of the keys to whether the Reds get both the top four and the trophies he says he wants, with FA Cup glory a distinct possibility—quite probably against Arsenal in the final, their opponents this weekend, if both teams win the matches expected of them.

It isn't just in the attack, though, that Liverpool have problems.

Suspensions issued to both Steven Gerrard and Martin Skrtel for incidents in the United match mean the Reds are without two experienced leaders for the next three games.

Alex Livesey/Getty Images

Gerrard has not started often of late as a result of diminishing impact and injuries, but Skrtel has been a mainstay at the heart of the back three.

These absences could force a move away from the 3-4-2-1 which the Reds have used this term, though the literal replacements are still there if Rodgers is determined to stick with it: Glen Johnson could appear on the right side, Kolo Toure at the back and Adam Lallana moving into one of the 10 spots alongside Philippe Coutinho.

However, the return from injury of Lucas Leiva could mean it makes more sense for the Reds to alter their midfield pattern. Shifting to a 1-2 shape in the centre will add more solidity and protection to the back line, while also letting the energy and industry of Joe Allen and Jordan Henderson keep Arsenal pressed back, limiting their ability to supply their creative players.

Rodgers' tactics have never been about symmetry or being easy to display on screen but rather about filling spaces on the pitch and creating angles for passes.

@karlmatchett B/R

What you could essentially see in possession is something akin to the above, where the Reds occupy spaces in their own half and use Coutinho as the out-ball, before breaking forward quickly to support and overload in key areas of the final third.

Regardless of shape or selections, it's a game Liverpool have to win.

Losing to the Gunners—and United will almost certainly beat Aston Villa at home—would leave the Reds' top-four prospects all but over, with a huge eight-point gap to make up in seven matches. There would be no room for further error and even winning all remaining games wouldn't guarantee the top four.

It has gotten to the stage of the season now where, for all their good approach play at times, style doesn't matter anywhere near as much as points. Rodgers has on occasion pointed to the 3-0 defeat at Old Trafford in December as a turning point for the team's performances, despite the loss, but now their rivals have done the double over them this season.

Liverpool also lost at Manchester City, at home to Chelsea and only drew at home to Arsenal—the sole win over the top-four sides this term came at home to City a month ago.

This is the challenge facing Rodgers this weekend, proving he can set up a team to take on and beat the current best opposition in the league when it matters most. If he does, Europe next season—and Sterling staying, and increased transfer funds and everything else that goes hand-in-hand with the Champions League—is still possible.

Suffer defeat again and the Reds may as well write off their big competition prospects for 2015-16 now.

Follow @karlmatchett