Arsenal vs. Liverpool: Team News, Predicted Line-Ups, Live Stream & TV Info
Premier League football returns after the international break with a huge clash between two top-four contenders at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday.
Liverpool and Arsenal go into the match as the two in-form sides, but the visitors suffered defeat last time out and need three points to get their top-four ambitions back on track.
Liverpool's preparations for this match have been overshadowed by talk of Raheem Sterling's contract situation after the 20-year-old gave an unauthorised interview with BBC Sport.
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Arsenal are six points ahead of Liverpool, sitting in third place in the Premier League table. The Gunners have just picked up the March manager and player-of-the-month awards, with Olivier Giroud scoring five goals in their four wins.
Arsene Wenger's side have only lost to Liverpool once at the Emirates, that being back in 2011 when the visitors were managed by Kenny Dalglish. This match ended in a 2-0 home win last season, and the FA Cup encounter also ended in a win for the home side, 2-1.
The corresponding fixture back in December saw the two sides share the spoils, 2-2 at Anfield, with Martin Skrtel's header saving a point for Rodgers' Reds.
Date: Saturday, 4 April
Time: 12:45 p.m. BST (7:45 a.m. ET)
Venue: Emirates Stadium
TV Info: BT Sport, NBCSN and NBC Sports Live Extra
Live Stream: BT Sport and NBC Sports Live Extra (U.S. only)
Predicted Formations
Brendan Rodgers has English duo Adam Lallana and Daniel Sturridge available despite both being forced to withdraw from the England squad for their two internationals, while Lucas Leiva is also back after six weeks out through injury.
Rodgers, though, is without the suspended duo of Martin Skrtel and Steven Gerrard.
Arsene Wenger also has a full squad to choose from, with every player available.
Arsenal (4-2-3-1): Ospina; Chambers, Paulista, Koscielny, Gibbs; Coquelin, Ramsey; Sanchez, Cazorla, Welbeck; Giroud.
Liverpool (3-4-2-1): Mignolet; Can, Toure, Sakho; Sterling, Henderson, Lucas, Moreno; Lallana, Coutinho; Sturridge.
Form Lines (All Competitions)
Arsenal
Won 2-1 vs. Newcastle United
Won 2-0 vs. AS Monaco (Champions League)
Won 3-0 vs. West Ham United
Won 2-1 vs. Man United
Won 2-1 vs. QPR
Liverpool
Lost 2-1 vs. Man United
Won 1-0 vs. Swansea City
Drew 0-0 vs. Blackburn (FA Cup)
Won 2-0 vs. Burnley
Won 3-2 vs. Man City
Player to Watch
Arsenal: Alexis Sanchez
Chilean forward Alexis Sanchez is the man whom Liverpool wanted to replace Luis Suarez last summer, and who knows how things on Merseyside may have played out had he moved there rather than London. How Liverpool needed him earlier in the campaign.
But one of Sanchez's quietest games this season was at Anfield in the 2-2 draw in December. Liverpool will need to keep him quiet again here.
Liverpool: Raheem Sterling
Sterling has been on the backpages ever since his interview with BBC Sport earlier in the week, and Rodgers' pre-match press conference was dominated by questions about the 20-year-old attacker.
Sterling has been used as a right-sided wing-back in recent games, with Rodgers moving him wide in order to accommodate Sturridge and Lallana, a move that hasn't been met with wholesale approval from Sterling himself.
It will be highly interesting to see where Sterling is played and how he performs after recent headlines.
Key Battles
Toure vs. Giroud
A key battle here will be how Kolo Toure copes with the in-form Giroud. The experienced Ivorian is expected to replace the suspended Skrtel in the centre of Liverpool's three-man defence.
The former Arsenal man will need to be on top form in order to keep Giroud, and Arsenal's other attacking talents of Alexis Sanchez, Santi Cazorla and Theo Walcott or Danny Welbeck, quiet.
Moreno vs. Sanchez
Alberto Moreno struggled on his last performance, against Manchester United. The Spanish youngster was arguably at fault for both goals. If he is in the Liverpool side again, he could be up against Sanchez, or indeed Walcott. Either way, Moreno will need to improve on his defensive duties.
Odds (via Odds Shark)
Arsenal win: -130
Liverpool win: +350
Draw: +280
Prediction: Arsenal 1-1 Liverpool
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