Premier League tips: West Ham v Chelsea preview
Nick Hext expects leaders Chelsea to record a win to nil when they travel to West Ham in the Premier League on Monday.
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West Ham United v Chelsea (2000 GMT – Sky Sports 1)
Chelsea will have a big advantage at the top of the Premier League whatever happens before they travel to West Ham for Monday night’s Premier League game.
The Blues headed into this weekend’s round of top-flight fixtures with a 10-point lead over second-placed Tottenham and I reckon there’s every chance their dominance is enhanced with victory at the London Stadium.
Chelsea did lose 2-1 at West Ham in the EFL Cup back in October but their record since that defeat has been magnificent.
Antonio Conte’s men have won 17, drawn two and lost just one of their 20 outings after exiting the EFL Cup and that’s why they are close to certainties to take the Premier League crown.
I’m expecting Chelsea to prove their class with victory against the Hammers and I think they’ll produce a resolute display to remind us of their main strength.
The Blues have claimed 15 of their 24 wins so far this season without conceding a goal and that run includes seven victories away from Stamford Bridge.
West Ham’s goal threat will also be reduced for this match as Michail Antonio is ruled out through suspension.
Andy Carroll could feature for the Hammers but I’m sure Chelsea have more than enough defensive strength to deal with whatever Slaven Bilic’s men can muster.
The visitors are heavily odds-on across the board to get three points but I recommend going for a bigger price at 15/8 with BetVictor by backing Conte’s charges to win to nil.
West Ham have lost without scoring to Manchester City (twice) and Manchester United in their last three defeats at home and they’ll find the step up in class too much against the leaders.
The 13/2 available for a 1-0 win to Chelsea is also worth considering but I’m going to stick with just the victory for the Blues without conceding.
Prediction: West Ham United 0-1 Chelsea
Opta facts:
o This is the first league meeting between the sides at the London Stadium – the Hammers won just two of their last 10 Premier League games against Chelsea at Upton Park (D1 L7).
o Chelsea have lost only two of their last 21 Premier League games against West Ham United (W15 D4).
o However, the Hammers eliminated Chelsea from the League Cup at the fourth round stage this season; winning 2-1 at the London Stadium.
o Antonio Conte has lost two of his three away London derbies in the Premier League, losing to Arsenal in September and Tottenham in January, while beating Crystal Palace in the other game.
o Andy Carroll has scored five goals in his last three home London derbies in the Premier League.
o Cesc Fabregas recorded his 102nd Premier League assist in what was his 300th Premier League game last weekend. He needs one more to move outright second ahead of Frank Lampard (also 102).
o Fabregas has already matched his total of assists from last season (7) and assisted twice in last Premier League game against West Ham in March 2016.
o Manuel Lanzini has scored in seven of his 11 Premier League London derby appearances (seven goals). He’s scored four goals in 38 Premier League appearances against non-London sides.
o West Ham will be without the suspended Michail Antonio for this match following his dismissal at Watford on MD26. He’s been involved in more Premier League goals than any other Hammers player this season (11).
Posted at 1445 GMT on 04/03/17.
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Tottenham v Everton (1330 GMT – Sky Sports 1)
There is a cracking contest in store as Tottenham host Everton at White Hart Lane in the first of Sunday’s two Premier League games.
Both sides are in very good form and Spurs are out to set a new club record in the Premier League by claiming a ninth home victory in a row.
Mauricio Pochettino’s men are odds-on to do just that but they’ll have to be wary of an Everton side unbeaten in their last nine league games.
The Toffees haven’t lost any of their previous five matches on the road too and star striker Romelu Lukaku is impressing.
Lukaku has netted five goals in his last three appearances and it’s no surprise that lots of the build-up is focusing on his meeting with Harry Kane.
The Tottenham striker has gone one better than Lukaku with six goals in his previous three outings and I’m sure there will be plenty of interest in Sky Bet’s 7/2 for both in-form forwards to find the back of the net.
That doesn’t tempt me though as Kane has failed to net in all of his last five games against sides from the Premier League’s top seven and Lukaku’s best form has been reserved for Goodison Park, where he’s netted eight times since his last goal on his travels back on Boxing Day.
It’s to Everton that I will look for part of my Sunday staking plan.
The visitors are priced up at nearly 5/1 to secure the three points but the standout 27/20 with 32Red for Everton and the draw in the Double Chance market has attracted my attention.
Injury doubts over Tottenham duo Jan Verthonghen and Toby Alderweireld will boost the Toffees’ confidence and left-back Danny Rose’ absence has also been a blow.
Everton have drawn three of those last five matches unbeaten on the road and I think a point apiece will be the outcome from this game.
Ronald Koeman’s men drew 1-1 with Spurs on the opening day of the season and they’ve also drawn with both Manchester City and United via the same scoreline.
Tottenham’s home record is deserving of respect but I don’t see much between these sides.
Prediction: Tottenham 1-1 Everton
Opta facts:
o Tottenham are unbeaten in eight Premier League games against Everton (W3 D5) since a 2-1 defeat at Goodison Park in December 2012.
o The Toffees have only won three of 24 away Premier League games at White Hart Lane (D7 L14), with all three wins coming consecutively between 2006 and 2008.
o Mauricio Pochettino’s first Premier League game was a 0-0 draw against Everton in January 2013. He has won three, drawn four and lost one of eight meetings with the Toffees in the top-flight.
o By contrast, Ronald Koeman has won only one of his five Premier League games against Spurs (D2 L2).
o Tottenham Hotspur are the only unbeaten side at home in the Premier League this season, winning 11 of 13 fixtures (W11 D2 L0).
o If Spurs were to win here, they would set a new home Premier League club record for successive wins at White Hart Lane (9).
o Everton haven't lost any of their last nine Premier League fixtures (W6 D3 L0), their best run in the division since going 10 games without defeat in December 2013.
o If Everton (44 points) win this match then they will have equalled their total points tally from the last two seasons (47 in both 2014/15 and 2015/16).
o Romelu Lukaku has scored the opening goal of the game on seven occasions in the Premier League this season, more often than any other player has.
o Since the start of 2014-15, Harry Kane has scored more Premier League goals than any other player (63), while Romelu Lukaku has the fifth-most (45).
o Harry Kane has scored 12 times in 11 competitive appearances in 2017 for Spurs, including three hat-tricks for the club already this year.
Sunderland v Manchester City (1600 – Sky Sports 1)
It’s hard to see anything other than a convincing Manchester City win in Sunday's second game.
Pep Guardiola’s men have found their stride again in 2017 with eight wins, two draws and just one defeat suffered in their opening 11 matches of the year.
Sunderland wish their record was just a third as good.
The Black Cats have lost five of their nine games so far this year and they’ve only picked up one win, coming in surprising fashion as they thrashed fellow strugglers Crystal Palace 4-0 a month ago.
Sunderland haven’t won at the Stadium of Light since beating Watford 1-0 way back on December 17 and they lost 4-0 to Southampton in their last match on their own turf.
The bookies have City at short odds across the board to get plenty of goals and that’s understandable with 30 goals netted in those 11 matches so far in 2017.
Guardiola’s side have collected 5-3, 5-1, 5-0, 4-0 and 3-0 victories during that run so it’s no surprise that no better than even-money is available for the visitors to score three or more against the Black Cats.
I’ve found a little bit of value though in supporting City.
Betstars offer 41/20 for City to score over 1.5 goals in the first half and that’s worth an interest given how rampant the Etihad Stadium outfit have been over the last few months.
This bet would have come in as City beat Huddersfield 5-1 in the FA Cup in midweek and also in six of their 12 victories on the road during the current campaign.
Sunderland have also conceded two or more goals in two of their previous three home games so it’s clear to me that any prices in the region of 2/1 for City to find the back of the net at least a couple of times before half-time is the way to go.
Prediction: Sunderland 0-3 Manchester City
Opta facts:
o Sunderland have lost each of their last five Premier League games against Manchester City since a 2-2 draw at the Etihad in April 2014.
o City have won their last two Premier League visits to the Stadium of Light since a run of four consecutive 1-0 defeats between 2010 and 2013.
o Of Premier League teams the Citizens have played 25 or more times, they have the best win percentage against the Black Cats (68%, 17 wins from 25 games).
o Sergio Aguero has been involved in six goals in his last four Premier League appearances against Sunderland (four goals, two assists). In all competitions, the Argentinian striker has scored in each of his last three games at the Stadium of Light (four goals).
o David Moyes has only lost two of the 12 home Premier League games he has managed against Manchester City (W7 D3 L2). Indeed, only against Fulham (12) has he won more home Premier League games than against the Citizens (7).
o The Black Cats have lost 17 of their 26 Premier League games this season; the same tally as they had in the entire 2015-16 season (17).
o Jermain Defoe has scored a goal in every single month of possible Premier League action since January 2016 (13 months in a row).
o Defoe has scored eight Premier League goals against Manchester City – only versus Wigan Athletic (10) has he netted more in the competition.
o Defoe has attempted 64 shots in the Premier League this season; 40 more than any other Sunderland player.
o Pep Guardiola has suffered five league defeats as Manchester City boss this season – he’s never lost six in a single league campaign as a manager.
Posted at 1110 GMT on 03/03/17.
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Saturday's matches previewed by David John; Sunday and Monday by Nick Hext
Manchester United v Bournemouth (1230GMT Sky Sports 1)
The improved form of the teams around them means Bournemouth have developed a big target on their back over the last few weeks as they sit atop the little section of those involved currently in the battle for survival.
No win since December 31 and four defeats on the spin leaves Eddie Howe’s side on 26 points with the same old movie playing every week as his side commit some heinous error to find another way to lose a game of football.
Artur Boruc’s pathetic flap at a corner last week led to West Brom establishing a 2-1 lead they would not relinquish and there is little doubt panic levels are rising now in this part of Dorset.
All the reports during the build-up are of the players sticking together in a bid to climb out of the hole and I have no doubt they will be good enough in the long-term to arrest the slide.
It could come this weekend as 14/1 chances at Old Trafford but they have never beaten the Red Devils away from home and the hosts could leapfrog arch-rivals Liverpool into fifth place for a short period of time, buoyed by an EFL Cup final victory despite Jose Mourinho’s rather morose mood at the trophy presentation.
Manchester City are the only team to get a victory on the Portuguese’s own patch all season and despite the eye-catching price of the visitors to pull off an upset, I can’t realistically see them coming close to either Southampton’s excellent tactical display at Wembley or a big drop-off in performance from United.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s inspiration (and goals) up front is rubbing off on the rest of the squad who collectively seem to be relishing the challenge ahead of a busy couple of months – they are well within their rights to feel that second place is still up for grabs in the top flight.
Stoke, Burnley and West Ham have all taken a point here this season while United were still trying to iron out some early issues – they are a vastly improved outfit at this stage of affairs and should make that count.
Verdict: Manchester United 2-0 Bournemouth
Opta facts:
o This will be the fourth Premier League meeting between the sides, with United winning two of the previous three (L1).
o Manchester United have a 100% home win record against Bournemouth in all competitions, winning all five of their previous games against the Cherries at Old Trafford, scoring 15 goals while conceding just once.
o Bournemouth goalkeeper Artur Boruc has never kept a clean sheet against Man Utd at Old Trafford in four previous attempts (two with Southampton, two with Celtic), conceding nine goals.
o Manchester United are unbeaten in their last 16 league matches since losing to Chelsea in October (W9 D7 L0) – the longest unbeaten run seen in the Premier League this season.
o Bournemouth have lost their last four Premier League matches - they haven’t lost five successive league games since March 2013, while in the third tier.
o The Cherries have won the fewest points in the Premier League in 2017 (2), while also conceding 20 goals; seven more than any other team in this period.
o Zlatan Ibrahimovic has scored just one goal fewer in all competitions in 2017 (9) than Bournemouth have (10).
o Ibrahimovic has scored 26 times for Manchester United in all competitions this season – no other player has managed double figures for the club.
Leicester v Hull (1500)
If anyone was in doubt that football is completely bonkers then just take a look at a few days in the life of Leicester City.
They endure an abysmal run of form, sack their title-winning manager, have the commitment of their players seriously questioned then batter Liverpool 3-1 on Monday night to register their first Premier League win - and goals – of 2017.
We can all be guilty of being influenced by what we have seen most recently and the Foxes have been chalked up and supported at odds-on in the belief they are instantly out of the woods and back to the form of 12 months ago.
It could well be prudent though to take a much more sceptical stance at those sort of prices and I would be prepared to gamble that canny Hull boss Marco Silva will have his players considerably better drilled than the Merseysiders, who gift-wrapped Leicester a victory with an approach that played exactly to their strengths.
The visitors have chipped away at a very precarious situation since the arrival of Silva and the overall impression is they have improved significantly under his guidance.
However, they still have not been able to string a set of positive results together so whether the Tigers can sufficiently build on last week’s battling point at home to Burnley remains to be seen, although they do have the added incentive of earning three points which would put them on the same tally as the Foxes.
Hull’s away record this season makes for pretty dire reading but their hopes are certainly boosted by the news that defender Harry Maguire should be fit while Sam Clucas and Lazar Markovic will also be available.
It adds up to them providing a competitive test for the hosts but I am going to take a punt at a bigger price on lively Polish international Kamil Grosicki scoring anytime – I am definitely influenced on this occasion by what I have seen recently and his keenness to go for goal against the Clarets was highly promising.
Prediction: Leicester 1-1 Hull
Opta facts:
o This is the fourth Premier League meeting between the teams, with both sides claiming one victory each in the three previous games (D1).
o The Foxes haven’t lost to Hull at the King Power Stadium since March 2008, in the season they were relegated from the Championship to League One. They are unbeaten in four since (W2 D2 L0).
o Hull City could become the first newly promoted side to do the double over the reigning top-flight champion since Norwich City in 1982/83 (vs Liverpool).
o Jamie Vardy will be looking to score in three successive appearances in all competitions for Leicester City for the first time since May 2016.
o The Foxes haven’t won successive Premier League matches since April 2016 – they have the chance to do this on Saturday following their 3-1 success against Liverpool on Monday.
o Craig Shakespeare could become only the second Leicester City manager to win their first two Premier League games in charge of the club, after Claudio Ranieri.
o Leicester City scored three goals from 13 shots (23.1%) in their 3-1 win over Liverpool in their last game, the same number of goals as they managed in their previous 10 Premier League matches from 106 shots (2.8%).
Stoke v Middlesbrough (1500)
The Potters will be glad to see to the back of Tottenham for another season after a third straight 4-0 drubbing and Mark Hughes will hope for some semblance of order being restored back at the Bet365 Stadium as they look to keep up the push for a, err, top-half finish?
There were some signs of life after the break at White Hart Lane, where the game had already gone beyond recall following a pretty abject 45 minutes, and there is nothing like the immediate tonic of a winnable home fixture against a badly-out-of-form rival to get a nice shot in the arm.
Boro manager Aitor Karanka has looked increasingly twitchy in his post-game interviews and the league’s lowest scorers, who have just one victory in mid-August away from the Riverside, face another stern test of their resolve.
They threatened infrequently at a nervous Crystal Palace and were probably fortunate not to be sunk by a greater margin than 1-0 thanks to some good goal-keeping once again from Victor Valdes and dodging a bullet when James McArthur was clearly fouled in the penalty box by a dithering Stewart Downing.
Karanka might at last do the right thing and bite the bullet by benching Alvaro Negredo in favour of the more robust Rudy Gestede but whoever he puts up front will face a Stoke rearguard on full alert after shipping four in London and custodian Lee Grant, who has been excellent for the majority of the campaign.
The home side have all the usual flaws of a team in their position of relative security but are equally just as reliable when it comes to facing teams in the lower half of the table on their own patch this season.
There is more desperation now from the likes of Boro as we move into the final third of the season as the survival instincts kick in but I would still make Stoke a shorter price to triumph here as they look to make amends for last week’s horror show.
Prediction: Stoke 2-0 Middlesborough
Opta facts:
o This is the first Premier League clash between the sides at the Bet365 Stadium since March 2009, a 1-0 victory to Stoke via a goal from Ryan Shawcross.
o Middlesbrough are the lowest scorers in the Premier League this season (19), with no side failing to score in as many games (12 games - level with Hull City).
o Boro have attempted a league-low 63 shots on target in the Premier League this season and haven’t had more than four in a single league game so far in 2016-17.
o Just 24% of Middlesbrough’s passes this season have been in the attacking third of the pitch; a lower proportion than any other Premier League team in 2016-17.
o In each of the last four Premier League seasons, the lowest scoring team in the league has been relegated. The last team to score the fewest Premier League goals in a season an avoid relegation were Stoke City in 2011-12 (14th place).
o Stoke City are now unbeaten in seven successive Premier League home games (W3 D4 L0) – they haven’t gone on a longer unbeaten home run in the competition since a 17-game run between February and December 2012.
Swansea v Burnley (1500)
Swansea’s mini revival under Paul Clement hit the buffers at champions-elect Chelsea but I doubt they will find themselves over-run in midfield to the same extent for the rest of the season as they ultimately could not hold back the tide of blue shirts flooding forward.
Clement had a grumble at a penalty claim waved away at 1-1 and then Lukasz Fabianski’s feeble attempt to keep out Pedro’s shot but he and Claude Makelele have this team moving in the right direction based on better tactical organisation and effectively utilising the top-end talent of Fernando Llorente and in particular Gylfi Sigurdsson.
The coaching staff will face a completely different test here against a far more workmanlike Burnley outfit but one that forced a draw with Chelsea at home and eked out only their second away point after falling behind last week at Hull.
I do actually think Burnley are getting closer to claiming three points outside of Turf Moor and a current spell of four away trips on the bounce gives them ample opportunity to finally reach the promised land.
The quality of the performances on the road have improved significantly and I am sure there will be some takers at around the 3/1 mark particularly if quicksilver striker Andre Gray can start to find the target – he had another golden opportunity against Hull but shot agonisingly wide.
This has the look of a decent encounter on paper as two differing approaches cross swords but the overall view is they are pretty evenly matched and a share of the spoils would not come as much of a surprise.
Verdict: Swansea 1-1 Burnley
Opta facts:
o Swansea have won all three of their previous Premier League meetings with the Clarets, all by a 1-0 scoreline.
o Burnley have never beaten Swansea at Liberty Stadium (D1 L2) and their last win in Swansea came in December 1995, a 4-2 win in the third tier at Vetch Field.
o If Burnley win this match then they'll have reached 34 points this season - already their most ever in a single Premier League campaign, surpassing their 33-point tally from 38 games in 2014-15.
o Gylfi Sigurdsson has assisted five goals directly from dead ball situations this season in the Premier League; more than any other player. He has also created more chances from set-piece situations than any current Premier League player in 2016-17 (34).
o Sigurdsson has attempted 28.4% of Swansea’s total shots in the Premier League this season (79/278) – a higher proportion than any other player for their team in the competition in 2016-17.
o Fernando Llorente has scored nine goals in all competitions for Swansea City this season, with these nine goals being perfectly split between headed (3), right-footed (3) and left-footed (3) strikes.
Watford v Southampton (1500)
The Saints were magnificent in defeat at Wembley last weekend and the task now is to assess whether they can live up to all the plaudits back at the day job or whether there will be some little lingering hangover after missing out on a first piece of silverware in 40-odd years.
Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho believed they were the better side on the day in the EFL Cup final and felt Saints would have prevailed if the game had dragged into extra-time against his own leg-weary players.
Before we all get too carried away, Claude Puel and his staff had a fortnight to get a plan of action in place and freshen up the players yet they still could not get the job done with an ideal set of circumstances.
So it is back on the Premier League roundabout and although I would be very optimistic about Southampton’s prospects over the the closing months of the season, they look worth taking on at the prices this time at Vicarage Road.
The confidence seems to be coming back by the week for Walter Mazzarri’s robust Hornets on the back of an impressive win at Arsenal at the end of January.
Although they had to batten down the hatches at times in their latest outing against West Ham, they posed plenty of menace and would have nicked it at the death if Isaac Success had not tripped over his own feet a yard from the goal-line.
The visitors are undoubtedly the classier operator of the two but I can’t help feeling last weekend could take a toll both mentally and physically and I reckon the hosts are just the kind of side to expose any weakness.
Prediction: Watford 2-1 Southampton
Opta facts:
o Southampton have already lost 11 games in the Premier League this season; the same number as in the whole of 2015-16.
o Manolo Gabbiadini has scored five times in three appearances for Southampton since joining the club, including twice in the League Cup Final. He could become the first Saints player to score in his first three Premier League appearances for the club.
o Gabbiadini also scored in his final three competitive appearances for Napoli, so he’s now scored in six successive club appearances overall (eight goals).
o Troy Deeney (104 goals) – who has scored four goals in his last five Premier League appearances – is just one goal away from becoming the joint-fourth highest goalscorer in Watford history alongside Cliff Holton (105 goals).
o Southampton have lost five Premier League games that they have been leading in 2016-17, more than any other team. The last team to lose 5+ games after scoring first in a Premier League season were West Ham in 2013-14 (6) and the record in a single PL campaign is 7; set by Blackburn (1992-93), Southampton (1992-93) and Wolves (2011-12).
West Brom v Crystal Palace (1500)
This continues to be a landmark season for the Baggies and they took full advantage of a goalkeeping clanger from Bournemouth at The Hawthorns last week to move onto 40 points and within hailing distance of a potential European berth.
Their home ground has suddenly become a devilishly tough place to visit with seven wins from their last eight in the Premier League with mid-to-lower half teams like Palace proving absolute meat and drink for Tony Pulis to devour.
The latter still questioned the lack of a finishing prowess though that would have seen off Bournemouth much earlier.
Tyrone Mings’ last-gasp header needed to be acrobatically tipped over the bar by Ben Foster otherwise it would have been two points unnecessarily squandered.
Sam Allardyce was a relieved manager after his Palace side defeated Middlesbrough 1-0 and finally gave the home fans a little something to cheer following a 4-0 Selhurst Park drubbing at the hands of Sunderland.
They certainly had the better of things against Boro and a team with a little more confidence would have increased the winning margin so the jury very much remains out as to whether Allardyce can work his magic and haul them back from the brink.
His fresh tactic to put as much pressure on the opposition box worked last week and the arrival of wing-back Patrick van Aanholt certainly brings an additional attacking and scoring dimension but my eye is drawn to the home side's Chris Brunt in the anytime scorer market.
As referenced, Pulis wants to see a better conversion rate from their possession and the Northern Ireland midfielder ruffled the side-netting last week from distance.
He is likely to be encouraged by the gaffer to have a crack or two in a bid to boost the goals-for tally against a side that watches more shots from distance whistle into their own net than anyone else currently.
Prediction: West Brom 2-1 Crystal Palace
Opta facts:
o West Brom have never lost a home Premier League match against Palace (W2 D2).
o The Eagles have only won two of their last 13 league visits to the Hawthorns (D4 L7).
o Sam Allardyce has only won one of his seven Premier League visits to the Hawthorns (D3 L3), winning 2-1 as West Ham boss in December 2014.
o West Brom are now aiming to beat their record Premier League points total of 49 set in 2012/13. A win here would equal their points tally from last season (43).
o Crystal Palace have conceded eight goals from outside the box in the Premier League this season, no other side has conceded more from long range. Their opponents West Brom have conceded the joint-fewest (2).
o Gareth McAuley has scored six times for the Baggies this season, the most by a West Brom defender in a Premier League season.
Liverpool v Arsenal (1730, BT Sport 1)
Liverpool bumped into a resurgent Leicester on Monday night and Jurgen Klopp’s side were miles off the pace on the back of 16-day break.
While that sort of extended rest should realistically help teams freshen up and re-energise, Liverpool were a distant second best for much of the night despite Klopp’s desperate attempts to get something going with a handful of personnel and formation changes.
It was collectively as bad a display as they had been good against Tottenham previously at Anfield but you can pick out Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane and Gigi Wijnaldum as particularly below par while I did not even know Adam Lallana was on the field until his substitution midway through the second half.
It was all pretty humiliating stuff against a side that had barely been able to string two passes together in 2017 and Klopp was the first to hold his hands up afterwards and admit the whole show was totally unacceptable.
Bar the defeat of Spurs, the only other win gained this year was at Plymouth in the FA Cup and their current league position of fifth is only down to all the hard work put in up to New Year’s Eve.
It does not bear thinking about how close they are to dropping off the edge of the cliff with a European place at risk and Merseyside rivals Everton finishing fast on the rails - they're now just five points behind.
The pressure is very much on heading into one of the biggest Premier League fixtures all season but back at Anfield against a team suffering a bit of a crisis as well could provide the ingredients for the German to start getting his team back on track to a degree.
The precedent is certainly there as having flopped 2-0 at Hull, they played a very good Spurs side off the pitch next time - we now have a carbon copy although punters have seemingly lost the faith as the home side have eased currently to odds-against in the betting.
Klopp’s opposite number Arsene Wenger has taken a fair bit of flak as we all wait to see if the countdown has begun to the final weeks of the Frenchman's reign at the Emirates Stadium.
He had a bit more of the life sucked out of him following the 5-1 rout at Bayern Munich (second leg to come in midweek) but a 2-0 win at Sutton in the FA Cup still gives them hope of a trophy with Lincoln next in wait.
Like Liverpool, they return from an extended break with no game last weekend and could be found out by the home side if there is any residual lethargy.
That should never be the case though in such a highly-charged atmosphere and the poor old scoreboard operator could be working overtime with four of the last five encounters containing at least four goals.
Two star-studded teams can’t really sink much lower at the moment in the public perception so I would expect the shackles to come off and a flurry of activity as a result in what should be very entertaining fare.
Prediction: Liverpool 3-3 Arsenal
Opta facts:
o The Reds have only kept two clean sheets in their last 22 Premier League games against the Gunners and none in their 10 meetings at Anfield since a 1-0 win in February 2006.
o Jurgen Klopp is aiming to become the first Liverpool manager since Gerard Houllier in 1999/2000 to do a Premier League home/away double over Arsene Wenger in a single season.
o Klopp has exactly the same record as Liverpool manager after 56 Premier League games as Brendan Rodgers (P56 W27 D16 L13 and 97 points).
o Olivier Giroud has scored five goals in his last seven Premier League appearances against Liverpool, including three in his last two at Anfield.
o The only Arsenal player in Premier League history with more Premier League goals versus Liverpool than Olivier Giroud (5) is Thierry Henry (8). Andrey Arshavin has five alongside Giroud.
o Should Liverpool win this game then it would be their 50th home league win over Arsenal. As it stands they’ve only beaten Man City (50), Newcastle (53) and Aston Villa (55) more often in home league games in their history.
Posted at 1800 GMT at 04/03/17.