On paper, Arsenal should comfortably win at Liverpool on Sunday. Unfortunately for Mikel Arteta and his players, the game of football is not played on paper. Anfield will always be Anfield, and this match will be a huge test of the Gunners’ Premier League title credentials.
Here is a combined XI of the two sides, unsurprisingly dominated by the league leaders.
GK: Alisson (Liverpool)
The Brazilian shot-stopper has been one of the best goalkeepers in the Premier League this season and is undoubtedly Liverpool’s Player of the Year.
That takes nothing away from Arsenal’s Aaron Ramsdale, who had a decent debut season at the Emirates and has evidently improved in 2022-23.
RB: Ben White (Arsenal)
“No, he is not a Trent Alexander-Arnold,” John Barnes recently said when comparing Ben White to the Liverpool star. You’re not wrong, mate. White can defend for starters.
Trent’s technical ability is absolutely outstanding, there is no doubt about that. White has plenty of it himself and is much more reliable than his England teammate.
CB: Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)
Virgil van Dijk has not been himself this season, which is completely normal for a 31-year-old player off the back of a serious knee injury.
Saying that, he obviously gets in ahead of Rob Holding, who is expected to fill in for the injured William Saliba – who wouldn’t get in over Van Dijk anyway.
CB: Gabriel (Arsenal)
For me, Gabriel has been the best centre-back in the Premier League this season. The Brazilian has been playing next to Saliba for the majority of this season and has barely put a foot wrong, which is impressive given it is the latter’s first season playing in England.
I do really like Ibrahima Konate, but Gabriel’s incredible form this term makes him a shoo-in alongside Van Dijk.
LB: Oleksandr Zinchenko (Arsenal)
I completely bottled picking Nathan Ake over Andy Robertson in my Man City – Liverpool combined XI. The same mistake will not be made again this week.
Robertson was pants at the Etihad, which is not the reason he is beaten to a spot here by Oleksandr Zinchenko. The Ukrainian has been outstanding this term, offering Mikel Arteta something completely different as an inverted left-back/attacking midfielder/right winger.
DM: Thomas Partey (Arsenal)
Thomas Partey is arguably Arsenal’s most important player. When he is not playing, they tend to be pretty s**t.
Liverpool’s defensive midfielder, Fabinho, has been their biggest underperformer this…
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