Gunners can extend stay at Premier League summit by shooting down Reds
ARSENAL may have seen their brilliant opening to the season stutter a little of late, but they should be backed to beat Liverpool in what promises to be an informative clash in the late kick-off tomorrow.
Having suffered a rather unlucky 2-1 defeat to Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League 10 days ago, Arsene Wenger’s second string were then dumped out of the Capital One Cup on Tuesday losing 2-0 to Chelsea.
That made it back-to-back home defeats for the first time since a disastrous period for the club in February when they were beaten 3-1 by Bayern Munich and were knocked out of the FA Cup by Blackburn. Wenger will be desperate to avoid clocking up three in a row as his Premier League table-toppers bid to keep the chasing pack at bay. That includes Liverpool who are just two points behind in third place after a surprisingly strong start.
Reds manager Brendan Rodgers boasts the division’s deadliest duo up front in the shape of Daniel Sturridge and Luis Suarez, who have largely been responsible for their team’s points haul.
The pair have hit 14 goals between them this term, the same as all of champions Manchester United’s squad combined but their team hasn’t kept a clean sheet since winning their first three games 1-0.
Arsenal have attacking quality in abundance with the likes of super signing Mesut Ozil, Olivier Giroud and Aaron Ramsey, and I think this game will be decided in midfield.
On that basis you’d have to side with the hosts, especially when you consider the talented trio of Jack Wilshire, Mikel Arteta and Santi Cazorla aren’t even guaranteed a start.
The shock defeat to Aston Villa aside, the north Londoners have won all their other home league games and Liverpool have beaten them just once in the last 11 meetings.
I’d make Arsenal stronger favourites than the 6/5 available with Coral so that looks a good price. You can buy their supremacy at 0.4 with Sporting Index and that offers great value.
Tottenham may have spent £100m in the summer but they aren’t firing on all cylinders yet. They’ve kept six clean sheets in nine games but it’s up the other end where they have struggled.
Only Hull in the top 10 of the table have scored less than the nine Spurs have managed and Andre Villas-Boas’ men face a tough examination of their top-four credentials when they visit Goodison Park on Sunday. Roberto Martinez’s Everton, like Tottenham, have lost just once in the league, away to Manchester City, and have taken 28 points from their last 10 home league games.
When you consider Spurs’ poor recent record here – winning none of the last six – I’d be inclined to go with the hosts at the 6/4 available. But I’ll be selling goals at 2.5 with Sporting Index in what looks set to be a tight encounter.
■ Pointers…
Arsenal to beat Liverpool at 6/5 with Coral
Sell goals at 2.5 with Sporting Index in Everton v Tottenham