Arsenal could hardly have chosen a better time to take on Liverpool.
It’s a match that hasn’t exactly favored them in recent title races, often at a time when Liverpool were firing on all cylinders, full of threats and capable of blowing games open within minutes.
This version is different. Still dangerous, still clumsy, but a little diminished in a way that suits Mikel Arteta’s team.
At the Emirates, with a chance to go eight points clear at the top, Arsenal will see this not just as an opportunity but as a test they must pass.
Liverpool’s attack without Salah
Liverpool’s post-Salah evolution has been deliberate, cautious and sometimes quite blunt.
Arne Slot’s shift to a diamond in midfield has given Liverpool control and compactness. They are difficult to pressure, difficult to counter and often able to push teams back through large numbers in central areas.
What they no longer possess is the constant threat that once defined them: the power of running.
Without Salah, and without a comparable replacement, Liverpool lack reliable 1v1 dribblers and runners in behind. Their attacks are built through delicate combination play rather than full speed in transition.
It looks neat. It sounds progressive. But it also forces the game through increasingly narrow margins.
Even if Slot has flirted with the old dynamic, using wider triangles and more adventurous spacing, the lack of balance is still there.
Too much depends on a complicated interplay. Too few players who can simply run away from defenders and make decisive moves.
Arsenal can exploit the Liverpool press
Slot’s diamond has another drawback: the press.
Liverpool are still aggressive out of possession from goal kicks, often man-to-man and forcing direct play, where Van Dijk and Konate usually win the first touch.
However, in open play the press is zonal and rigid. Central defenders stay in place. Midfielders hold lanes.
That creates a problem. There is almost always a reserve player between or in front of Liverpool’s lines.
Arsenal are exceptionally well equipped to take advantage of that. They’ve already done that.
Aston Villa and Bournemouth both use similar diamond pressing structures; Arsenal dismantled them by spreading the pitch, dropping midfielders deep and overloading the central zones until the press collapsed.
Expect similar patterns here. Wide centre-backs, Raya positioned high, fluid rotations between Odegaard and Zubimendi, and constant attempts to force Liverpool into decisions they don’t want to make.
Arsenal vs Liverpool tactics: why Arteta keeps the lead
The crucial difference in the teams’ lineups isn’t just the structure – it’s the comfort in any game situation.
Arsenal can dominate possession, but can also defend deep without panicking.
Liverpool’s reduced transition threat means Arsenal can deploy numbers forward more freely, allowing midfielders and full-backs to join attacks from deep positions without the same fear of it coming back to bite them.
When Liverpool have the ball, Arsenal will apply selective pressure. If they don’t, they will wait in a zone block. Patience will be absolutely essential as Liverpool’s form can delay games. But Arsenal are mature enough to accept that now.
And if the momentum shifts, Arsenal will have advantages that Liverpool simply do not.
Liverpool are the worst team in the league; Arsenal are the best. Arteta’s side also boast greater athleticism on the pitch; they are bigger, faster, stronger.
And crucially, in Liverpool’s absence, Arsenal have more of a goal threat from multiple zones – something we usually associate with the opposite.
Arsenal’s psychological hurdle
Of course, the game is about more than just tactics.
Liverpool are a known psychological hurdle for Arsenal. The Gunners have been here before: close, convincing and yet haunted by the feeling that something could slip away.
Three runner-up finishes have only increased the pressure on Arteta to finally deliver silverware.
A win here obviously wouldn’t give them the title; it’s way too early for that conversation. But it would silence a lingering doubt.
Meanwhile, Liverpool comes to the Emirates with a different kind of uncertainty. Slot’s position as head coach is being questioned and he no longer has the unconditional support he once had.
A heavy defeat to Arsenal could seal Slot’s fate, especially considering how far removed this team has seemed from Liverpool in recent years.
Arsenal vs Liverpool Prediction
This is the rare encounter where every likely game situation is in Arsenal’s favour.
They are better at transition. Better at sustaining pressure. More reliable from set pieces. More physically dominant. And playing at home, where even a cautious Liverpool approach will ultimately be tested.
Liverpool still has top players capable of decisive moments. Arteta knows his players cannot switch off. But this version of Liverpool no longer overwhelms teams by default.
If Arsenal turn up, as we know, and keep their own nerves in check, they will win.
Are Man City still in the race? Why Arsenal must capitalize now
Pep Guardiola is right: Manchester City are better than their recent results suggest.
City was not outplayed tactically against Sunderland, Chelsea and Brighton. They were the better team in all three games, but were undone by small margins.
Control is back and Guardiola has clearly stabilized the system after a stuttering start to the season. The problem for City is timing.
Catching up in a title race removes all room for error. Variance always comes in the end, whether it’s missed opportunities, referee swings or simply bad luck.
Injuries also often contribute to that pressure, and City will probably feel that too after a double injury in defense.
The absence of Ruben Dias, Josko Gvardiol and John Stones will make them fragile at the back in the coming weeks.
Guardiola will almost certainly address that in the market – they have increased their interest in Marc Guehi – because that is what City do.
Until then, however, there is vulnerability.
The schedule offers some peace and quiet. They have just two Premier League games left this month, and one of them is at home to bottom-placed Wolves.
But Arsenal cannot count on any favours. They have to do this themselves.
Arsenal will drop points between now and May. That is inevitable in the Premier League. That’s exactly why it’s so important now.
Now is the time to reduce the gap, not manage it. To deflate City psychologically. To get them to look at the calendar and prioritize other competitions.
Arsenal must retreat while they can.
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