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Match at a Glance
Fixture: Arsenal vs. Liverpool
Date & kick-off: Thursday, 8 January 2026, 20:00
Location: Emirates Stadium, London
TV / live stream (UK): Sky Sports (from 19:00 GMT); Sky Go live stream
Prediction: Arsenal 2 – 1 In action: Of the top two teams from the previous campaign, the two teams to clash in this heavyweight tie from the Premier League are those who have been the best this season. They lead the chart with an intimidating lead that is sure to be expanded to eight points if they win this weekend.
They are Arsenal, who are being challenged by Liverpool. That Liverpool side which won the previous title, however, has steadied their ships and has gone nine matches unbeaten in all competitions. They, however, continue to struggle with a succession of draws and are now finding the fourth position on the chart quite a task to handle.
Team news – Arsenal
Injuries/sidelined: Riccardo Calafiori, Cristhian Mosquera, and
Expected returns: Bukayo Saka and Leandro Trossard are likely to be back in the starting lineup after coming on as substitutes for Arsenal.
Selection notes: Piero Hincapié is likely to play in place of Myles Lewis-Skelly in the left-back position. There are doubts over Kai Havertz, who was left out of the last selection, while Eberechi Eze may have a gametime opportunity having had few opportunities in games.
Team News – Liverpool Injury/doubt:
Hugo Ekitike (hamstring) is a doubt as he did not feature in the match versus Fulham. Should he fail to participate, Cody Gakpo might lead the attacking line as Alexander Isak has been injured. Egypt’s Mohammed Salah will not feature for the national team due to his appearance in the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations. Rotation: Arne Slot has been rotating his full backs. Joe Gomez and Andy Robertson may well be picked for defensive solidity.
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Tactical Note & Key Battles
Arsenal’s aim would be to bring the heat with their strike partnership and left and right backs.
Liverpool, under Slot, have been very resilient and potent at attacking corners and counter-attacks. It will be important to see how they perform without Salah.
The key individual contests are Arsenal’s attack options (Saka/Trossard) against Liverpool’s fullbacks and how Hincapié can cope with the physicality of Liverpool.
Form guide Arsenal: Coming off a five-game league-winning streak and having reacted well following their fixture at Aston Villa. Liverpool: Unbeaten streak of nine matches overall, though many points have been dropped, particularly through draws (Sunderland, Leeds United twice, Fulham).
*Head to head and history
Total competitive head-to-head record: Arsenal wins 83, Liverpool wins 96, Draws 66.
Current encounters: Slot is still unbeaten in three matches against Mikel Arteta (two 2-2 draws, and a 1-0 win for Slot).
Odds at Preview Time
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While organizing the
Arsenal to win: 8/15
Liverpool to win: 4/1 Draw: 13/5 (Odds are Betfair and subject to change Prediction This is bound to be a tight and thrilling match, but Arsenal’s home record and current form put them ahead. Final score prediction: Arsenal 2-1 Liverpool.