Recently crowned Premier League champions Liverpool will welcome Arsenal to Anfield in Sunday’s Premier League match which has little riding on it for the Reds.
In contrast, Mikel Arteta’s men could still suffer a catastrophic collapse and miss out on Champions League qualification next season, having recently suffered European heartbreak in Paris yet again.
What will perhaps go down as the most meaningless defeat in all Liverpool history, Arne Slot’s rotated side unsurprisingly took their foot off the gas against a full-strength Chelsea team last weekend, allowing the Blues to enhance their top-five credentials in a 3-1 success.
Now simply seeking their highest points total possible, Liverpool will breach the 90 barrier if they can triumph in each of their three remaining Premier League games, which will also serve as Trent Alexander-Arnold’s farewell tour following confirmation of his expected exit.
Champions League heartache in the French capital is nothing new for the Gunners, who memorably came so close yet so far to that elusive European crown in the 2006 European final against Barcelona in Paris, and their wait for another showpiece appearance is about to stretch into its second decade.
By failing to make the most of a stellar opening 20 minutes against a Gianluigi Donnarumma-inspired Paris Saint-Germain, Arsenal were their own worst enemies in the second leg of their semi-final on Wednesday, succumbing to a 2-1 loss and 3-1 aggregate defeat against the Munich-bound Parisiens.
In Arteta’s not-so-humble belief, the best team went out of the semi-finals, but the ‘best team’ have now also lost three straight games in all competitions; a 2-1 Premier League reverse to Bournemouth – which told the story of their season – was sandwiched in between both PSG failures.
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The visit of the Cherries saw Arsenal fail to win a 10th Premier League game in which they had led this season – a new unwanted club record – and their total points dropped from winning positions now reads an unsightly 21, their joint-most in a single campaign in the competition alongside 2019-20.
All of that leaves the second-placed Gunners with work to do if they are to be absolutely sure of a place among Europe’s elite next season, and while a five-game unbeaten run against Liverpool in the Premier League makes for good reading, not since Arteta’s playing days in 2012 have Arsenal won a top-flight fixture at Anfield.
Goals in each half by Lukas Podolski and Santi Cazorla earned an Arsenal Wenger-led Arsenal side 2-0 victory.
However, since that win, the Gunners have either lost or draw in subsequent visits at Anfield in league meetings.
Barring Gomez and shoulder victim Tyler Morton, the champions have a clean bill of health for Sunday’s blockbuster, where Slot is expected to revert to a more familiar side after experimenting with a few fringe players at Stamford Bridge.
Van Dijk netted his third goal of the Premier League season on his 299th appearance last weekend, and the Liverpool skipper is now set to become just the fourth Dutchman to play 300 games in the competition after George Boateng (384), Dennis Bergkamp (315) and Edwin van der Sar (313).
Arsenal’s fitness situation is also looking a little rosier after Riccardo Calafiori and Jorginho returned from injury to make the squad against PSG, where Jurrien Timber and Martin Odegaard also recovered from knocks sustained in the Bournemouth beating.
Calafiori could even be a viable option on the left-hand side over Myles Lewis-Skelly, who endured a rough ride against PSG on Wednesday, but the former’s lack of match practice ought to work in the teenager’s favour.
Long-term absentees Gabriel Jesus (knee), Gabriel Magalhaes (hamstring), Takehiro Tomiyasu (knee) and Kai Havertz (hamstring) are still missing, but the latter remains on track to feature before the end of the season.
SportsMole
