Premier League: Liverpool-Arsenal, an early Christmas present

It's Christmas early for English football fans. Before starting the traditional Boxing Day period, the first and his runner-up meet on Saturday (6:30 p.m.) at Anfield on the 18th day of the Premier League to find out who will spend New Year's Eve at the top of the standings, and it promises. In the league, Manchester City is struggling and has only won once in its last six matches. A golden opportunity presents itself for Jürgen Klopp and Mikel Arteta, and after three years of Citizen domination, it is certain that neither manager wants to pass it up. But to achieve this, it will be necessary to win a battle which promises to be tactical but above all spectacular.

This season, Liverpool and Arsenal have several points in common that make their collective strong. The first strength they share is offensive. The two teams scored almost the same number of goals (36 for Liverpool, 35 for Arsenal), and in the same way, that is to say by dividing the total achievements between all the players. 15 is the number of different scorers in each team this season in England. Only Newcastle does better with 18 different scorers. Among the Gunners, Saka (8), Odegaard (7), Jesus (7), Nketiah (6), Trossard (6), Havertz (5), all have scored at least five goals since the start of the season, proof of the very good balance of the London attack. As for Liverpool, everyone is shaking the nets, starting with the timeless Mohamed Salah and his 11 goals in the league. And more and more, the midfielders support the Pharaoh by taking over an attack that is sometimes too dependent on the Egyptian.

But if this match promises to be spectacular, it will no less be tactical, and there too the arrangements are similar. Klopp and Arteta jointly adopt a 4-3-3 with a midfield featuring a low point accompanied by two offensive profiles (Endo – Szoboszlai – Mac Allister/Jones and Rice – Havertz – Odegaard). This three-way midfield which transforms into a “box” during the construction phases with the help of Zinchenko for the Gunners and Alexander-Arnold for the Reds. In the other direction of the game, solidity takes precedence. 15 goals conceded in 17 matches, no one does better than the two teams, tied for the best defenses in the championship. This opposition is a real mirror, and a real challenge for the London club. Because the last time they won at Anfield in a Premier League match, Arteta was there but as a player! “The last time we beat them was a long time ago, it was a very good moment and something to repeat tomorrow (Saturday),” said the main player. This victory dates back to September 2, 2012, when Podolski and Santi Cazorla scored the only two goals of the game (0-2).

With 39 points in 17 days, Arsenal have the possibility of finishing as autumn champions for the second time in a row, thanks to adjustments which are bearing fruit. Arriving this summer for 105 million pounds sterling (116 million euros) from West Ham, Declan Rice has become a must-have for Mikel Arteta. Since then, the Englishman has started all his Premier League matches and played 1,475 minutes out of a possible 1,530. In addition, he was decisive on several occasions and in precious moments, scoring three goals (against Manchester United, Chelsea and Luton Town), including two in added time offering victories to his team.

But he is not the only one to bring new stones to this building. After a mixed start, Kai Havertz follows in his teammate's footsteps and gradually becomes a potential starter. Moved to several positions by his coach, the German is finding his feet as an attacking midfielder alongside his captain Martin Odegaard and has even scored four times in his last six starts. However, he was heavily criticized at the start of the season for his lackadaisical attitudes and poor performance on the field.

It is also not the only one to have been contested. This is also the case of the Spanish goalkeeper, David Raya. The former Brentford goalkeeper has the confidence of his manager and is preferred to Aaron Ramsdale. Mikel Arteta wanted a goalkeeper who could play cleanly on the feet, and he received a package with some manufacturing defects. But despite his few errors, including one which brought happiness to Lens in the Champions League, the Spaniard's choice is accepted. And little by little, Raya brings to his team the qualities for which he was recruited, particularly in the short recovery phase wanted by the former assistant of Pep Guardiola.

SEE ALSO – Atlético Madrid: Antoine Griezmann’s “historic” goal against Getafe

Opposite, we brought out the good old recipe of the Klopp cook, and after a complete overhaul of his midfield, the Klopian midfield machine seems almost restored. Out are Henderson, Milner, Fabinho, Keïta and Oxlade-Chamberlain and make way for Szoboszlai, Mac Allister, Endo and Gravenberch. Everyone got in tune with the German tactician to restart the engine of this formation. However, this weekend, they will have to do without the injured Argentine world champion, who will undoubtedly be replaced by Jones.

As is often the case in Liverpool, the one who stands out from the others is number 8 Dominik Szoboszlai, a pure product of the Red Bull teams and arrived from Leipzig. The tireless Hungarian has been lighting up Reds supporters since landing in the north of England. “He’s a great guy” Jürgen Klopp said last September about the man who has become his new favorite. Szoboszlai will play against a club that has long desired him when he played in Salzburg, on Saturday he will have the opportunity to show his admirers the player he has become. The promises are numerous. Show and thrills (almost) guaranteed.