PREVIEW: Leaders Arsenal host champions Liverpool | OneFootball

Arsenal will bid to go eight points clear at the top of the Premier League table at the Emirates Stadium, as they host a Liverpool side looking to solidify their place in the top four on Thursday evening.

Mikel Arteta’s side have only dropped points at home once all season and will be looking to continue such good form as they host Liverpool whose own results have turned a corner; Arne Slot’s men have gone nine games without defeat following a thoroughly turbulent period between September and November.

When Enzo Fernández tapped home a last minute equaliser at the Etihad Stadium to share the points between Manchester City and Chelsea, those in the red side of London rejoiced as much as their blue neighbours, as this result meant that Arsenal took a six point lead at the top of the table heading into game week 21. City have now suffered back-to-back-to-back draws against Sunderland, Chelsea and Brighton to give the Gunners breathing room as they hunt down their first Premier League trophy since 2004.

Arteta has assembled a side with such overwhelming quality all over the pitch this season. Arsenal have the best defensive record in the league which at one point looked to rival the famous 15 goal season of Chelsea 20 years ago; there was a period of time where the Gunners would seldom concede a shot let alone a goal. That has dipped slightly but what remains is their ability to dominate teams throughout multiple areas of the pitch. The core of the side have overcome obstacles the Arteta teams of old would have crumbled under, further deepening the belief that this could be their season.

The standout performers haven’t let up either. Declan Rice seems to have added a whole other level to his performances and is arguably the best player in the league at the moment, the centre-half partnership of William Saliba and Gabriel is back in full swing which will further give confidence during their run in.

Battling confidence this season, Liverpool look a shell of the side that cruised to the Premier League title back in April last year, a summer of immense spending has so far failed to build on the successes of last season. The Reds spent over £400m on six players this summer, Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak fetched almost £250m and neither have set the league alite so far. Starting the season with five straight wins, Liverpools form then fell off a cliff where they won one of their next six matches in the league.

That said, they’ve since improved drastically. After nine games without defeat – eight of which coming in the Premier League – Liverpool now sit fourth in the table, and a win over the league leaders would bolster their top four credentials; they’d go four points clear of fifth place Brentford with a win.

Arsenal are still without full-back Riccardo Califiori who is returning from a thigh injury and this weeks fixture may come too soon for the Italian to return which would re-solidify Arteta’s preferred back line. Fellow defender Cristhian Mosquera could also return after the Spaniard sustained an ankle injury back in December and young superstar Max Dowman is also too far away from any return after injuring his ankle in December. Even if the youngster was fit it is unclear whether the youngster will be back into the first team after a string of heavy minutes were given to the 15 year old.

Liverpool have a much fuller treatment room in comparison, young Italian Giovanni Leoni sustained an ACL injury earlier in the season and wont feature for the rest of this campaign whilst record signing Alexander Isak will be side-lined for months following a broken ankle sustained during his goal against Spurs in December. Mohamed Salah has been away at the Africa Cup of Nations and is yet to return. Midfielder Wataru Endo is still out with his ankle issue meanwhile there is a slight chance Hugo Ekitike could be fit enough to make the bench after Slot left the Frenchman out of the sides draw at Fulham due to a thigh issue.

The game will kick off at 20:00 GMT on Thursday 8th January, and will be broadcast on Sky Sports in the UK.

Predicted line-ups

ARS: Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly; Ødegaard, Zubimendi, Rice; Saka, Gyökeres, Martinelli