Arsenal vs. Liverpool: Reds Must Pounce on Wounded Gunners

Liverpool haven't won at the Emirates since 2000, but that is all about to change come Saturday morning. The Reds are coming off a disappointing draw against Sunderland and look to build on the positives of that performance against the vulnerable Gunners.

Anticipate Liverpool to come out firing on all cylinders and to put their disappointing draw last week behind them.

Here, we'll take a look at how the Merseysiders will show no "mersey" to a diminishing Arsenal squad.

Injuries, Bans and Transfers

With both Jack Wilshere and Abou Diaby already suffering from ankle injuries, the Gunners' already depleted squad took another hit after their Champions League match against Udinese earlier in the week.

Both their starting LB Kieran Gibbs and backup CB Johan Djourou acquired hamstring injuries. Not to mention they'll be without starters Alex Song and Gervinho, who are both serving three-match bans for their unsuitable antics against Newcastle.

Throw in the departure of Gael Clichy to Man City and Emmanuel Eboue to Galatasaray, and Arsenal already have their work cut out for them.

If that's not enough, with the transfer of Cesc Fabregas and the fateful departure of Samir Nasri on the horizon, the Gunners are left with relying on unseasoned and inexperienced players to the fill the void.

Team Chemistry

With the aforementioned players already out of Saturday's game, Arsenal's starting XI looks to be in disarray.

Team chemistry and cohesion will play a big role in the match against Liverpool. The Gunners still have a few individual talents at their disposal, but how they link up with each other is much more eminent.

Players like Theo Walcott, Andrei Arshavin and Robin van Persie are Arsenal's biggest threats going forward, but the squad has their inadequacies in the center of the pitch.

With Jack Wilshere out, Aaron Ramsey is looking to fill the vacancy left by Fabregas as the play-making architect. With a supporting cast of Tomas Rosicky and possibly youngsters Emmanuel Frimpong or Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, the Gunners will have their struggles in midfield.

Inexperience

With all the positions that are susceptible in Arsenal's squad, Arsene Wenger will have no choice but to start Carl Jenkinson at LB.

The 19 year-old has had little playing time in Arsenal's preseason, though he did gain some experience in their Champions League qualifying match against Udinese, being subbed on for the injured Johan Djourou.

Jenkinson is far from proven at the Premiership level, so look for Liverpool to test the youngster at every given opportunity.

Absence of Cesc Fabregas

Not to overlook the imminent departure of Samir Nasri, but the loss of Arsenal's captain cannot be understated.

He had been the driving force behind their attack for several years. Though Aaron Ramsey and Jack Wilshere seem up to the challenge, filling the void left by the Spanish international will be no easy task.

Without the playmaker on the field, Arsenal will have a tougher time maintaining possession and controlling the tempo of the game. Ramsey and Wilshere are solid midfielders, but neither of them have quite the vision, awareness or passing ability Fabregas has.

Mutiny of Arsene Wenger

Between the frustrations of six trophy-less seasons and not being able to retain the services of his two best players, Arsene Wenger's approval rating can not be high among supporters.

With all the recent injuries and match-bans, Wenger must be held accountable for not significantly splashing around in the transfer market like most fans and players had envisioned.

It's safe to say the majority of people associated with the club are at their wit's end, and rightfully so.

If the Gunners fail to advance to the group stages of the Champions League, coupled with a poor start in the league, Wenger could be out the door sooner rather than later.

What Does All This Mean?

Arsenal are as frail as they've ever been.

With all the different plot lines ranging from UEFA investigating possible touchline violations by Wenger, the match-bans and injuries, the loss of star players and lack of activity in the transfer market, to Cesc Fabregas winning a trophy within 10 minutes of joining his new club; it seems like there's a whole lot of anxiety in the air at the Emirates.

The Gunners are on a downward spiral, and Liverpool are well aware of that. They'll take full advantage of all the blunders of Arsenal's season and go straight for the jugular.