EPL

The Numbers Game: Title-chasing Gunners go in search of long-awaited Anfield win

By Sports Desk April 07, 2023

It is over a decade since Arsenal won at Anfield in the Premier League, but they will be confident of moving a step closer to winning the title by beating Liverpool on Sunday.

The Gunners head to Merseyside riding on the crest of a wave following seven consecutive top-flight wins.

Manchester City can reduce Arsenal's lead at the top of the table to five points by beating bottom-of-the-table Southampton on Saturday and the champions will be hoping for a favour from the Reds.

Eighth-place Liverpool were held to a drab goalless draw at Chelsea after losing three games in a row and they are in desperate need of points to have any chance of securing a European spot.

The Reds have not lost at home to Arsenal in the top flight since a 2-0 defeat in September 2012 and have won their past six Premier League games against the London club in their own backyard.

Stats Perform use Opta data to preview another huge match for Mikel Arteta's side in the title race.

Reds in need of more home comforts

While this has been a season to forget for Liverpool, their struggles have not been due to their home form.

Jurgen Klopp's side have only been beaten once at Anfield in the top flight and won five of their past six Premier League home games.

They demolished Manchester United 7-0 in their last home match and have gone seven hours and 26 minutes without conceding a goal in the Premier League at Anfield since Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall's strike for Leicester City in December.

Klopp is looking to win seven in a row against the same opponent in his top-flight managerial career for the first time since doing so against Werder Bremen in the Bundesliga with Borussia Dortmund (2009-15).

The last manager to win seven consecutive home top-flight games against Arsenal was John Nicholson between 1921 and 1928 with Sheffield United.

 

Ramsdale can match Cech and Ederson

Arsenal have only conceded nine goals on their travels in the Premier League this season.

Aaron Ramsdale has kept nine clean sheets away from home in a brilliant campaign that could finish with the Gunners ending such a long wait to be crowned champions.

Petr Cech (11 in 2004-05, 10 in 2008-09) and Ederson (11 in 2018-19, 10 in 2021-22) are the only goalkeepers to have recorded at least 10 shutouts on the road in a Premier League season.

Ramsdale is just one away from joining a very exclusive club.

Salah back with a bang?

Mohamed Salah was restricted to a substitute appearance in the stalemate at Stamford Bridge this week, but the forward should be back in the side to take on the leaders.

Salah has been involved in 105 Premier League goals in 105 appearances at Anfield for the Reds (74 goals, 31 assists).

The Egypt star is looking to score in four consecutive home top-flight appearances for the first time since a six-game run between January and June 2020.

He also boasts a record that suggests he enjoys facing Arsenal, having had a hand in seven goals in five appearances against the Gunners at Anfield (5 goals, 2 assists).

Trossard to torment Reds again? 

Leandro Trossard scored a hat-trick for Brighton and Hove Albion in a 3-3 draw at Liverpool back in October.

Only two players have scored at Anfield for two different sides in the same Premier League season: Dean Saunders in 1992-93 (Liverpool, Aston Villa) and Robbie Keane in 2008-09 (Liverpool, Tottenham).

No player has found the back of the net at Liverpool's home for two different away sides in a single campaign.

Related items

  • Maresca confirms James will miss Leicester clash with hamstring injury Maresca confirms James will miss Leicester clash with hamstring injury

    Enzo Maresca confirmed that Reece James has suffered another hamstring injury and will miss Chelsea's Premier League fixture against Leicester City on Saturday. 

    James made 11 appearances in all competitions last season before undergoing hamstring surgery, which was designed to help him overcome his series of injuries.

    He returned to action in Chelsea's 2-1 defeat to Liverpool last month, completing his first 90 minutes in 569 days a week later against Newcastle United. 

    Though his latest injury setback is his eighth hamstring problem in four years, while also picking up thigh, ankle and muscle issues along the way. 

    Maresca played down concerns about a long-term lay-off but confirmed James will miss Saturday's match at the King Power Stadium. 

    "We have just one injured player and that's Reece, who unfortunately felt something small in training two days ago, and we don't want to take a risk for the weekend," he said.

    "It's a hamstring, muscular problem. We will see, we don't know for how long, for sure [we want him fit for longer]. At the moment it is not happening, but we hope it will happen soon.

    "He is out this weekend, but hopefully he can be back soon. It's probably difficult that he can be available for the Conference League [next Thursday], but hopefully soon."

    Since his debut season in 2019-20, James' most appearances came in the 2020-21 campaign, featuring 47 times in Chelsea's Champions League winning season. 

    His best run of matches during that time is six in May 2021, but he managed just 482 minutes under Mauricio Pochettino in all competitions last season. 

    James has, however, managed more minutes (6138) in the Premier League since the 2020-21 season than any other player in the current Chelsea squad, though Enzo Fernandez (4375) is second, despite only joining the club in January 2023.

  • Ramos in 'final phase' of recovery, says PSG boss Luis Enrique Ramos in 'final phase' of recovery, says PSG boss Luis Enrique

    Luis Enrique confirmed that Paris Saint-Germain striker Goncalo Ramos is nearing a return to action after sustaining an ankle injury on the opening day of the season. 

    Ramos, who scored 14 goals in 40 appearances in all competitions in his debut season for PSG last year, has not featured for the Parisiens since their 4-1 win over Le Havre in August.

    But despite his absence, Luis Enrique's side sit top of the Ligue 1 standings ahead of welcoming Toulouse to the Parc des Princes this Friday. 

    They are also the top scorers in the division, netting 33 goals in 11 matches so far, nine more than Marseille, who are second in the scoring table. 

    And as the hectic festive schedule kickstarts, Luis Enrique revealed Ramos has already returned to full first-team training. 

    "It was the 25th and that is in a few days, so it is the final phase of his recovery," Luis Enrique told reporters.

    "As for when he is available (to play) we do not know. We will see in training, he is doing really well and is in full training."

    Following Friday's fixture against Toulouse, PSG travel to the Allianz Arena to face Bayern Munich in the Champions League, hoping to ignite their European campaign. 

    The Ligue 1 champions are at risk of failing to qualify for the knockout stages of the competition having taken four points from their first four games this season.

    They currently sit 25th in the new 36-team league table, and with an important week coming up, Luis Enrique insisted he would think about rotating his squad. 

    "You mustn't only think about the game against Toulouse but also the workload for players with their national teams," he said. 

    "So we will make decisions based on what we think. We want to win against Toulouse, which is our main target."

    Ousmane Dembele did not feature during the international break after he left the France training camp with a hamstring issue, though he is expected to feature this Friday. 

    "In theory, it was nothing serious. I don't think it was a big issue and these things happen during the season," Luis Enrique said.

    "It is normal with such a busy schedule, he should be available to play."

    While Toulouse sit 10th in the league standings, they will provide PSG with a difficult test. They come into the game on the back of three consecutive wins, all without conceding a goal. 

    PSG have also not won any of their last two meetings against Toulouse (D1 L1), and could go three games without a win against the Violets for the second time in the 21st century after a winless streak between December 2007 to October 2009 (five). 

  • Hurzeler: Brighton need to 'work to get momentum' despite Man City win Hurzeler: Brighton need to 'work to get momentum' despite Man City win

    Brighton and Hove Albion boss Fabian Hurzeler believes his players need to rebuild their momentum following a two-week break after their 2-1 victory over Manchester City.

    The Seagulls came back from a goal down in dramatic fashion to inflict City's fourth successive defeat in all competitions last time out.

    Though the international break came at a bad time for his in-form team, Hurzeler refused to criticise the schedule ahead of their trip to the Vitality Stadium.

    "You always have to work to get momentum. It's always a new game and no matter if there's a break between games or not, the game starts from zero," he told a pre-match press conference.

    "You have to go into the game and do the things you can influence to the maximum.

    "You can't say 'we won against Manchester City and now the momentum will keep going', it's about fighting for momentum.

    "It's a new game, a different challenge and a really big challenge because Bournemouth are one of the strongest teams at the moment."

    Bournemouth have also beaten City recently, with the Cherries also triumphing over Arsenal and Southampton in their last three home matches.

    "They can play very intense, they run a lot, they have individual quality, they are in good shape. For me at the moment, they're one of the best teams in the league," Hurzeler said of the Cherries.

    Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola, meanwhile, was keen to stress that his players need to keep their concentration against Brighton. The Cherries were beaten 3-2 away to Brentford last time out, despite having taken the lead twice.

    “You never want to lose the last game before the break because at the end you remember the last feeling. We will remember this week, the actions here against Brentford," he said.

    "We can prepare very well for the game against Brighton, that is going to be also very demanding.”

    PLAYERS TO WATCH

    Bournemouth – Evanilson

    Evanilson has scored four goals for Bournemouth since joining the club in August. He is tied with Antoine Semenyo as the club's top scorer, although his goals have come in one fewer appearance.

    The Brazilian forward has found the net in three successive matches and will become the first Bournemouth player since Callum Wilson in 2019 to score in four straight top-flight games should he do so on Saturday.

    Brighton – Danny Welbeck

    Danny Welbeck is Brighton's leading scorer so far this season, with six league goals – a total that includes three opening goals.

    He has scored two away goals so far in the current campaign, coming on the opening day at Everton and the only goal of the game at Newcastle United last month.

    MATCH PREDICTION: DRAW

    Bournemouth come into this in 12th place in the Premier League on 15 points after 11 matches, having lost 3-2 to Brentford in their most recent game.

    At home, though, they have taken 10 points from five matches (three wins, one draw, one loss) and come into this with three successive victories at the Vitality Stadium. They have never won four Premier League home games in a row.

    Brighton have earned seven points from five away games (two wins, one draw and two losses) and, despite being six places above their hosts in the table, there are just four points between them.

    While Bournemouth have won four of their five Premier League home games against Brighton, Fabian Hurzeler's side come into this in good form having won three of their last five (one draw, one loss) Premier League matches – as many victories as they managed across their previous 16 league games (six draws, seven defeats).

    OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

    Bournemouth – 41.2%

    Draw – 25.1%

    Brighton – 33.7%

© 2024 SportsMaxTV All Rights Reserved.