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bet9ja.comThe Reds can maintain their six-point advantage at the top of the Premier League as they take on Unai Emery's Gunners at Anfield

If Liverpool can end 2018 on a high, then they really will start to believe at Anfield.

Six points clear at the top of the Premier League after a perfect Christmas, Jurgen Klopp's Reds will be looking to hammer home that advantage when they BET9JA 100% WELCOME BONUS - CLICK HERE >>> Arsenal to Merseyside.

The sides drew 1-1 when meeting at the Emirates back in November, with Alexandre Lacazette cancelling out James Milner's strike. The Gunners have not won at Anfield since 2012, but will be looking to become the first side to beat Liverpool in the league this season.

Liverpool do not have any suspended players for this game.

Klopp is likely to make a couple of changes to his side, most likely in midfield. He admited after the Newcastle win that he had been unhappy with the "protection" his side offered in the first half, though the fact they ran out 4-0 winners suggests things were not too bad!

We can expect Fabinho to return, either in place of, or alongside, Jordan Henderson.bit.ly Gini Wijnaldum is a staple in these kind of games, but Naby Keita's flexibility could bring him into the side as a left-sided midfielder.

If it does, Xherdan Shaqiri could be the unlucky man despite netting his sixth goal of the season against Newcastle. Shaqiri didn't start at the Emirates either.

Emery has major worries in defence, where Rob Holding is a long-term casualty, Hector Bellerin is out until the New Year and Shkodran Mustafi, Laurent Koscielny and Nacho Monreal are all carrying knocks.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan is out until February with a foot injury, and youngster Emile Smith-Rowe is also sidelined, along with Danny Welbeck.

This will be the 227th meeting between these two teams in all competitions, with Liverpool winning 86 times to Arsenal’s 79 (61 draws).

Arsenal are without a win in their last five trips CLICK HERE TO BET >>> Anfield to face Liverpool in the Premier League (D2 L3), conceding two or more goals in each match (17 in total).

Liverpool have gone seven games unbeaten against Arsenal in all competitions (W3 D4) – they last embarked upon a longer such run in February 2000 (14 games).

Liverpool’s Roberto Firmino has been directly invovled in eight goals in his last six Premier League games against Arsenal (5 goals, 3 assists).

Only Robbie Fowler (9) has netted more Premier League goals against Arsenal for Liverpool than Firmino (5).

The Spaniard was not convinced by the Liverpool forward while he was in Paris but admits he is BET RIGHT NOW >>> among the world's best

Unai Emery turned down the chance to sign Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah while at Paris Saint- Germain due to having concerns over the Egypt international.

The decision came while Salah was plying his trade at Roma, where he spent 12 months on loan and a further year on a permanent deal.

Salah went on to join Liverpool for a then club-record £36 million (€46m), which could rise by £7m due to a series of add-ons, and netted 44 times in his maiden campaign at Anfield.

That form has continued into the 2018-19 campaign, with the 26-year-old having found the net 15 times for the Reds, who lead the Premier League table at the halfway stage.

Emery will come face-to-face with the player he rejected when Liverpool host Arsenal on Saturday.

But the Spaniard no longer has doubts regarding Salah, who is now a player he rates as one of the best in the game.

"We spoke about the possibility of signing Salah to Paris Saint-Germain when he was playing at Roma," Emery said.

"We had some concerns and then he signed for Liverpool [in June 2017]. These concerns have gone.

"Now if you are speaking about the five top players in the world, one is Salah.

"Today I can say to you, if we were to sign him, we would be signing a player in the top five in the world."

Asked specifically about his worries, Emery added: "How he can take his performances into a big team, for example, PSG."

After finishing third in the Goal 50 standings, Salah was voted into sixth in the 2018 Ballon d'Or, with Luke Modric, Cristiano Ronaldo and Antoine Griezmann completing the podium.

The Premier League's two leading goalscorer will go head-to-head, and Al Hain-Cole thinks the Gunners star offers better value than Mohamed Salah

The Premier League’s two most lethal attackers will go head-CLICK HERE TO BET >>>-head at Anfield on Saturday as Mohamed Salah’s Liverpool take on Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s Arsenal.

Boasting 12 goals from the opening 19 fixtures at the half-way point in the campaign, Salah is William Hill’s 3/1 (4.00) favourite to open the scoring for the league leaders, and priced at just 3/4 (1.75) to grab a seventh goal in six matches.

However, Aubameyang is currently leading the race for the Golden Boot after hitting the net 13 times in the league, and on offer at 13/2 (7.50) to break the deadlock on Merseyside.

Considering his form, the Gabon international certainly offers plenty of appeal at 17/10 (2.70) anytime odds after scoring six goals in his previous seven league matches.

Neither of the two big hitters were on target in the reverse fixture at the Emirates Stadium, where Alexandre Lacazette cancelled out James Milner’s opener in an exciting 1-1 draw.

The Frenchman has scored just once in seven league games for Unai Emery’s team since that stalemate, but is available at 15/8 (2.88) to prove the hero once again in this one.

Responsible for five goals and three assists in his last six league matches against the Gunners, Roberto Firmino is a 6/5 (2.20) shot to add to his rather unimpressive return of four league goals for the season in important circumstances CLICK HERE TO BET >>>.

Sadio Mane also enjoys playing against this opposition after scoring in three of his previous five encounters, and is priced at those same 6/5 (2.20) to get on target for the third meeting in a row at Anfield.

Meanwhile, nobody has scored more goals against Liverpool in the current Arsenal squad than Mesut Ozil, although he is a longer 11/4 (3.75) anytime shot after falling out of favour with Emery this season.

TEAM NEWS

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp could opt to freshen up his side, with Fabinho and Naby Keita amongst the contenders for a recall to the starting line-up.

James Milner and Dominic Solanke are both ruled out, but Alberto Moreno has recovered from a back problem.

Arsenal are short of defenders with Rob Holding and Hector Bellerin still out and Nacho Monreal's fitness uncertain.

Shkodran Mustafi is nearing a return from a hamstring injury, although this game may come too soon CLICK HERE FOR FAST & EASY BETTING >>> him.

Captain Laurent Koscielny should be fine despite suffering a minor foot issue in the draw at Brighton.

No extra pressure on Liverpool, says Klopp

Arsenal's former chairman Peter Hill-Wood dies at the age of 82

MOTD COMMENTATOR'S NOTES

@Wilsonfooty: There have been so many classic encounters over the years between Liverpool and Arsenal that you cannot help but be excited by the prospect of the latest clash.

Liverpool have won every Premier League game they have played since drawing at the Emirates back in early November, setting a pace that even Manchester City have failed to match.

Everyone knows that compared to last season's halfway mark Klopp's side have won far more points (16 more), conceded far fewer goals (16 less) - but they have also scored two more goals.

Given that you could argue that there's more to come from the Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino axis - that's a surprise.

Arsenal's stats are also better than last season, but stopping Liverpool's steamroller in its tracks will not be easy.

VIEW FROM THE DUGOUT

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp: "They [Arsenal] are good, strong with the ball and very lively. Their counter-attacks are crazy-quick.

"[Pierre-Emerick] Aubameyang and [Alexandre] Lacazette are a good strike two. Outstanding strikers up front, quick on the wings - a really good team."

Arsenal head coach Unai Emery on whether Liverpool can end the season unbeaten in the Premier League: "They can do that because they are doing it at the moment. We played against Liverpool three [seasons] ago with Sevilla in the final of the Europa League and I look at this progress and they are a very good example.

"This progress is also one example for us, BET RIGHT NOW >>>, in our moment. But we need CLICK HERE TO BET >>> be very, very demanding of ourselves to do this step quickly in our way.

"But we need also time and sometimes the patience is very important for us."

LAWRO'S PREDICTION

Liverpool are a very good team and they are in a very good moment. That doesn't mean they won't have bad moments between BET RIGHT NOW >>> and the end of the season but, BET RIGHT NOW >>> BET RIGHT NOW >>>, they are extremely hard to stop.

tinyurl.comCan I see them scoring against Arsenal? Yes. Can I see Arsenal scoring at Anfield? No.

Prediction: 2-0

Lawro's full predictions v Wolf Alice bassist Theo Ellis

MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head

Arsenal are winless in their last five league games at Anfield (D2, L3), conceding at least two goals in each of those matches (17 in total).

Liverpool are unbeaten in their last seven matches against the Gunners (W3, D4).

Liverpool

Liverpool are only the fourth Premier League team to be unbeaten at the halfway stage of a season, along with Arsenal in 2003-04, Manchester United in 2010-11 and Manchester City in 2017-18.


The Reds are 16 points better off than at this stage last season.

The Merseysiders are unbeaten in their last 20 matches in December in all competitions (W16, D4), winning the last nine.

[http://tinyurl.com/jyjjh75 BET9JA 100% WELCOME BONUS - CLICK HERE >>>.com/?promocode=yohaig bet9ja.com]They are also are undefeated in 30 Premier League home games, their longest such sequence since a run of 31 between December 2007 and August 2009.

A clean sheet would see Liverpool set a new record for fewest goals conceded (seven) after 20 top-flight games.

Roberto Firmino has scored five Premier League goals against Arsenal - only Robbie Fowler (nine) has netted more for Liverpool against the Gunners.

Firmino, who has failed to score in his last 11 league games at Anfield, has been directly involved in eight goals in his last six league games against Arsenal (five goals, three assists).

Xherdan Shaqiri has scored four goals in his last four Premier League matches - one more than he managed in the 20 prior to this run.

Arsenal

Arsenal are winless in their last three away league games, and have claimed just one victory in their last five on the road (D3, L1).

The Gunners are winless in 19 Premier League away fixtures versus sides from the established top six (D7, L12), with their last such victory a 2-0 triumph at Manchester City on 18 January 2015.

They have won just one of their last 12 Premier League away games against sides starting the day top of the table, losing the last six in a row by an aggregate score of 17-2.

Arsenal have conceded in each of their last nine away Premier League games, two short of their longest run without a shut-out in the division (set in 2010).

They have scored nine Premier League goals from outside the penalty area this season, more than any other side - but opponents Liverpool are the only side yet to concede from long range.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has been directly involved in 30 goals in his 32 Premier League appearances for Arsenal, scoring 23 and assisting seven.