Liverpool vs Arsenal preview: Team news, how to watch & prediction
Liverpool welcome Arsenal to Anfield on Wednesday night for a heavyweight clash in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup.
We head into the game off the back of a thrilling comeback victory over Tottenham Hotspur with second half goals from Jordan Henderson and a penalty from Mohamed Salah sealing a 2-1 win after Harry Kane had given Spurs an early lead.
The result means Liverpool have restored their six point lead over Manchester City at the top of the Premier League table so it was a huge result for Jurgen Klopp’s side as we look to end our long wait for a league title.
However, the focus must now shift to cup matters as Liverpool prepare to welcome another north London club to Anfield after being drawn to face Arsenal in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup.
The Gunners travel to Merseyside in turmoil after blowing a two goal lead to draw 2-2 with Crystal Palace on Sunday afternoon and they were left raging after a late Sokratis winner was controversially ruled out by VAR. The game was also overshadowed by an incident involving Granit Xhaka as he clashed with his own fans after being substituted.
Unai Emery is now facing growing pressure from a disgruntled fan-base so the Arsenal boss will be desperate to beat Liverpool on Wednesday night to try and turn their season around.
Team news
Liverpool’s priority is the Premier League and with a tricky trip to Aston Villa coming up on Saturday, Klopp will likely rotate his squad in the League Cup with a number of key players rested.
Mohamed Salah won’t be risked after limping off with a minor ankle injury against Tottenham while Virgil van Dijk will also get the night off after picking up a dead leg on Sunday afternoon.
Joel Matip has missed the last three games with a knee injury and remains a doubt to face Arsenal while Xherdan Shaqiri is still working his way back to fitness from a calf problem.
The likes of Adrian, Joe Gomez, James Milner, Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Adam Lallana, Ki-Jana Hoever and Rhian Brewster are all expected to feature as Klopp uses the full depth of his squad.
Arsenal are also expected to field a weakened team as Emery gives the likes of Bernd Leno, David Luiz, Kieran Tierney, Granit Xhaka, Nicolas Pepe and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang a rest.
Rob Holding, Sead Kolasinac, Shkodran Mustafi and Hector Bellerin should start in defence while Joe Willock, Lucas Torreira, Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and Emi Martinez are all set for recalls.
How to watch
Getting tickets for Liverpool games is a tough task these days while getting hold of Arsenal tickets for away games is virtually an impossible task. As this is a Carabao Cup match you might still be able to get your hands on a few spare tickets but the game is expected to be a sell-out with a full house on show at Anfield.
Those not lucky enough to attend can still watch the game live as the match will be broadcasted on Sky Sports, kicking off at 19.30, so subscribers can watch the match on TV or via Sky Go. Fans in the USA can watch the match on ESPN+.
Prediction
Liverpool eased past MK Dons 2-0 in the previous round while Arsenal thrashed Nottingham Forest 5-0 so there should still be plenty of quality on show at Anfield on Wednesday night. With both managers expected to field weakened line-ups, it should be a close game as the Arsenal second string have played together several times in the cups this season, winning all four games.
However, Liverpool are still favourites to go through and we should always be confident of winning at Anfield. The Arsenal defence has been woeful for years and we should be able to create plenty of goal-scoring opportunities. It’s usually an exciting game against Arsenal so I’m predicting another goal-fest with Liverpool coming out on top. Liverpool 3-2 Arsenal.