Arsenal rest while Liverpool play! Who will it benefit the most?
You Gooners don’t need me to keep reminding you of our next game in the fixture list, but of course I will! 😜
As we all know our boys will be facing off against Liverpool on the weekend in what will be seen as our biggest test of the season in my opinion anyway.
Now I know each game is a test in its own right but this one seems to ring differently, especially as it is over the Christmas period and really it is a must-win game for us.
Both teams had games on Sunday, Arsenal the early kick off and Liverpool the late one.
But the next round of fixtures gives one team a rest and one a game.
So will it be a positive thing for us in the sense that Arsenal has six days to prepare and rest for the game at Anfield, whereas Liverpool have a midweek game in the Carabao Cup Quarter final against West Ham tonight before our fixture at Anfield?
It will be a case of seeing how it pans out on the day of course but I hope for one that Liverpool field a strong team in their midweek fixture and they West Ham give them a tough run for their money.
The question is though, will the rest for Arsenal benefit us or will the every three day game for Liverpool without a break in play for the week, benefit them and keep their momentum going?
The interesting thing about this game is that, in the Coral Live Betting, you will find that Arsenal are currently a massive 15/8 to win the game, which is probably one of the biggest odds you will find for Arsenal all season, maybe the fact that Liverpool play tonight could make that price look very generous to some shrewd punters?
I guess we will have to wait and see what happens on the weekend, but a rest is always nice for a few days to give the team a chance to recuperate and if any niggling injuries are apparent it gives them a chance to disappear, but then a break in momentum can also be a bad thing.
I just hope this time round it is a beneficial break for us and that we can push on and come away with at least one point if not three at Anfield on the weekend!
COYG!
Expect Klopp to field a rotated starting lineup and protect their key players despite West Ham being tough opposition.
I expect Klopp will do with his club against West Ham much the same as MA did against PSV.
15/8 odds are not “massive”. Not by a long way. In fact, in the context of this game they’re quite modest, less than 2/1 against, which is very generous to Arsenal. I suppose the bookies are factoring in tonight’s game and the possibilities of fatigue & injuries having an impact on Saturdays match. I would have expected it to have been played on Sunday, but am pleased with every little help we can get.
Jax Sunday is of course Christmas Eve, which is the obvious and only reason why the game is NOT on Sunday .
If it were not Christmas Eve, it would certainly have been on Sunday, which is naturally to our advantage, having extra rest.
As you and I will remember, decades ago, games were played on both Christmas Day and Boxing Day, but never on Christmas Eve.
Ah, yes. I didn’t think of that Jon. It’s a good thing they did stop those Xmas games, as some of the scores were bizarre, and lets the players spend time with their families and get festive.
Jurgen Klopp has no choice but to play a strong side, anything less the old fox David Moise will overrun Liverpool, West Ham still has a strong midfield despite Declan Rice moving on.
Yes, even as an opposing fan I’m glad Ward-Prowse found a new home after toiling for so long with the Saints. You have to admire his set play abilities.
On the face of it, Arsenal should be in better shape due to the added rest time but its too close to call. LIverpool didn’t take their chances against Utd, but will that happen two weeks on the trot? The league is much closer this season and there will be many more twists and turns. My heart ruled my head on Dan’s Predictor where I hope for an Arsenal win (1-2) where I think a draw is more likely.
It will be interesting to see how important getting through to the semi final is to Klopp and to what level he rotates his team. All will be revealed later today!
They’ve had their shooting boots on tonight
Have given West Ham a pasting.
I’m afraid we’re going to really miss Tomi on Saturday. We need to focus on eliminating space for TAA and not getting out muscled defending corners. If we do those things and somehow corral Salah (Kiwior?) I believe we will at least draw. West Ham really played like they didn’t care and was giving LP way too much space. Even though they still have a lot of talent in that squad you could really see how much they needed Rice.
I hope all those commenters suggesting that MA was crazy playing several starters against PSV noticed that all but one of LP’s starting XI against Manure played in the match against West Ham.
I had the nerve to say one of MA’s reasons for his player selection was likely preparation for Brighton and state that whether you rest players as a manager depends on considerations other than just giving extra rest and eliminating any possible injuries. Also, the idea that the decision is based on the individual player involved rather than who has played the most minutes this season regardless of anything else was just unfathomable for a “thinking” gooner. All the name calling on this site is very annoying. Thanks for lending an ear SueP.
I believe the West Ham/PSV match comparison is appropriate because getting to a Carabao cup semi-final is virtually without significance to a big club.
Those who described Arteta as “crazy”, “foolish” etc are generally those who look for anything to criticise however tenuous the rationale.
WH were just awful.
It will be an interesting and tough game at Anfield.
When considering a one off game such as the weekend the fact a team has a midweek Carabao game has limited bearing on the outcome.
This was Liverpool at home playing against a weakened WH. It may have been more of an issue if Liverpool had played a midweek game against another European “superpower”.
Absolutely, the most a club can do is allow its players to maintain good form and be prepared as much as possible for the next match.