Mohamed Salah will ruin David Luiz and Arsenal
Liverpool star Mohamed Salah will ruin David Luiz and Arsenal.
The tried and true triad of Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino, and Mo Salah are set to start on Monday, with the likes of Divock Origi, Takumi Minamino and Harvey Eliott available to come on.
I look for Salah to play at David Luiz with over the top balls and through balls designed to isolate him one v one with the Arsenal center back. Luiz has proven he can be beat and Salah is just the man to beat him; with Luis being a step slow these past couple of years.
The King’s pace and direct running will draw fouls and rash behaviour from the Brazilian, who has a reputation for diving in and being sent off in big games. This is the perfect moment for Liverpool to exploit that.
In the final third, I look for Bobby to score getting his first tally of the campaign. Mane and Salah are in the goals and they will continue to be hungry on Monday.
It’s doubtful we will see the Reds keep 94% possession as they did in the first half Thursday past against Lincoln City, but 60% of the ball is well within their reach against Arsenal.
In the defensive third Liverpool will need to be on their game. Both Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexander Lacazette are world class and efficient at getting in behind or exploiting spaces between the lines.
Auba will be particularly dangerous. He won the golden boot this past campaign and has started the season brightly.
Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez will need good anticipation and teamwork, communication to coral these two for 90 plus minutes. Look for Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold to have their usual say in proceedings pushing down the flanks and delivering crosses into the box.
Klopp and Liverpool will keep their streak alive and their unbeaten start to the season. They will turn around three days later and face Arsenal again in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup.
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A clean sheet, although desirable, is highly unlikely given the matches these two have played recently. I give the nod here and for all three points to Liverpool 3-2.
Words by Paul Landwehr.