After starting their season with two straight losses, Arsenal have gone on an unbeaten run that was stretched to 13 games following their Carabao Cup win over Blackpool on Tuesday.
That run faces its biggest test this weekend, as Liverpool, level on points with Manchester City at the top of the Premier League, travel to face Unai Emery‘s side – whose two losses came against opponents of this calibre, City and Chelsea.
Jurgen Klopp has never lost a game to Arsenal as Reds manager, so Emery has his task cut out to ensure Arsenal go from 13 to 14 unbeaten.
Here’s a look at the key tactics on both managers’ minds.
CAN ARSENAL STIFLE LIVERPOOL’S ATTACK?
Unai Emery’s Sevilla team was known for its incessant pressing – something Liverpool likely remember from their loss in the 2016 Europa League final.
But first at Paris Saint-Germain and now at Arsenal, Emery has had to ease his demands when it comes to the press. This team has definitely bought into their new manager’s hard-working, hard-running mentality, but apart from Alexandre Lacazette, none of the other attackers are quite ready for that level of change in tactics.
Instead, players like Mesut Ozil, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang bring slightly more traditional off-the-ball play, positioning themselves to close off passing lanes. Liverpool don’t really do patient build-up, but they do rely on their passing game when they’re not counter-attacking. Will Emery’s tactics be enough to stifle that?
Emery hasn’t been able to instill his traditional pressing game with players like Ozil yet.
LIVERPOOL’S PRESS WILL FILL EMERY WITH ENVY
As he hasn’t been able to instill his full press in this Arsenal side yet, Emery will no doubt be watching Liverpool with a mixture of fear and envy on Saturday. Arsenal’s new manager would love to have something similar to the trademark Jurgen Klopp press at his disposal.
Instead, Emery will have to worry about whether his team will be playing into Liverpool’s hands. Arsenal haven’t quite ditched ‘Wengerball’ and though it’s worked wonders during their unbeaten run, it will hold no fear for the Reds.
Given the shakiness of the Gunners’ defence while playing out from the back, players like Roberto Firmino will be relishing this contest.
Whether Arsenal can pass around the Liverpool press will be the determining factor in this game.
Liverpool will press high again vs. Arsenal for the exact same reason - to enforce a side learning new methods into making a costly mistake. pic.twitter.com/23jPwX29ZJ
— Distance Covered (@DistanceCovered) October 30, 2018
TORREIRA HOLDS THE KEY TO STOPPING LIVERPOOL’S COUNTER
For the first time in a decade, Arsenal have a good holding midfielder. Since Gilberto Silva left the side in 2008, the club have either been looking for a replacement, or decided to ditch playing midfielders with defensive acumen at all, instead shoehorning the likes of Aaron Ramsey or Granit Xhaka into the role.
But Lucas Torreira has brought much-needed steel to this Arsenal side, and he’ll be the key player for the team on Saturday. Liverpool’s brilliant counter-attacking play is capable of blitzing any side. Torreira is the only player Arsenal have who can be relied upon to stop it.
He can’t do it alone, of course, but the defensive solidity Arsenal have had with him on the pitch shows how important he’s become.
Lucas Torreira's defensive stats this season:
— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) November 1, 2018
9 clearances
10 blocks
17 interceptions
18/23 tackles won
78% tackle win rate
The Next Gattuso. 🇺🇾🇺🇾🇺🇾 pic.twitter.com/jWSpU59vK7
