English Football Tips: Expect thrills at Anfield

SUNDAY'S big game in England is Liverpool v Arsenal and everyone expects goals.

Let's see what Yorkshire-based freelance football writer Steve Jennings thinks. He is a regular contributor to Unibet and SpursStatMan and has written for ESPN FC among others.

Liverpool v Arsenal (4pm)

Last season Liverpool and Arsenal shared 11 goals over two rip-roaring contests, with the Merseysiders coming out on top in both fixtures. The Gunners, still reeling from defeat at Stoke last weekend, will do their best to subdue a Liverpool side that qualified for the Champions in style on Wednesday night.

Liverpool haven’t won three successive league games against Arsenal since winning four in a row between 1996 and 1998. In fact, last season was the first time since the 1999-00 campaign that Liverpool have recorded back-to-back league wins over Arsenal. Jurgen Klopp’s side won 4-3 at the Emirates last August before a 3-1 home win back in March.

Liverpool are 2.16 (Unibet)

Liverpool v Arsenal has produced more goals in the 90th minute or later than any other Premier League fixture (17). Games between these two club almost always involve late drama.

The seven goals in Liverpool’s 4-3 win at Arsenal last season were all scored before the 75th minute. But the reverse fixture saw Georginio Wijnaldum find the net in the 91st minute.

In January 2016, when the sides drew 3-3 at Anfield, Joe Allen scored a last-minute equaliser. Perhaps the most memorable ending to this fixture came in January 2013 at the Emirates. The Gunners took the lead eight minutes into stoppage time through Robin van Persie’s penalty, only for Liverpool to be awarded a spot-kick of their own four minutes later, which was converted by Dirk Kuyt.

Over 4.5 total goals pays 4.5 (Unibet)

Last season Liverpool won more points against the rest of the top six than any other side (20).

Klopp’s men seem to thrive on playing the Premier League’s other top sides. They didn’t lose a single game against the rest of the top six last season, winning 20 points from 10 matches.

At home they drew against Chelsea and Manchester United but beat Arsenal, Tottenham and Manchester City. In stark contrast Arsenal won the fewest points in games between the top-six sides last term (9), losing five of 10 matches and only beating Chelsea and Manchester United, both at home. That will have to change if the Gunners are to finish in the top four this season.

Arsenal are 3.4 (Unibet)

Arsenal haven’t won an away game against one of last season’s top-six sides since January 2015

The Gunners’ last victory on the road against one of last year’s top six was a 2-0 win at Manchester City in the 201415 campaign. The 1-0 defeat at Stoke last weekend means Arsenal have now lost eight of their last 13 away games in the Premier League, winning four and drawing one.

Despite their poor away form Arsenal (133) have won more points than Liverpool (128) since Klopp took over at Anfield in 2015. Klopp, however, has never lost a league match against Arsene Wenger, winning two and drawing one. That’s despite the fact Liverpool have conceded seven goals over those three games.

Liverpool are 4.6 to win to nil (Unibet)

Liverpool (18) and Arsenal (16) attempted more shots on target in the opening two games of 2017-18 than any other side

Both sides have scored four times in the Premier League this season. Having kept three successive clean sheets in the league at Anfield, Liverpool will be confident they can repeat Stoke’s exploits by keeping the Gunners out for a second week in a row.

At the other end of the pitch Sadio Mane will be aiming to continue his impressive record against Arsenal. The winger has scored three goals and provided two assists in five Premier League starts against Sunday’s visitors. Roberto Firmino also relishes facing Wenger’s men, bagging three goals in four league games against them.

Mane is 6-1 to score first, Firmino 5.75 (Unibet)

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