Kudos to Jurgen Klopp for deeming this trio of Premier League matches “Champions League Week,” but it is going dreadfully for him. It was a great idea to try and fire up his team with an analogy to the UCL, but it started off with a 4-1 loss to Manchester City last Saturday.
Then came a 0-0 draw with Chelsea that was just as miserable as it sounds on Wednesday. Now it’s the hardest match of the triad, at least on paper, in a visit from league leading Arsenal.
Arsenal at Liverpool FYIs
Kick Off: Sat Apr 9, 2023, at 4.30 pm UK time at Anfield, Liverpool
Starting XI Predictions: Arsenal Liverpool
Transatlantic Passage: How the Premier League Redefined Soccer in America: LINK
Google Result Probability: Arsenal 38% Draw 24% Liverpool 21%
PL Position, Form Guide: Arsenal 1st, 72 pts WWWWW Liverpool 8th, 43 pts DLLWW
Then again, Liverpool have beaten Manchester City and Newcastle this season. Not to mention they thrashed Manchester United, so anything is possible, when they put their mind to it on that given day.
Having dropped Trent Alexander-Arnold, Andy Robertson, Mo Salah and Cody Gakpo in midweek, expect Klopp to bring them all back into the first team here.
And here is how we see the rest of the first team shaping up.
Liverpool FC Starting XI Prediction vs Arsenal
Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konata, Van Dijk, Robertson; Fabinho, Henderson, Elliott; Salah, Gakpo, Nunez.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He’s written for numerous publications, including the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. He regularly appears on NTD News and WGN News Now. Follow the website on Twitter and Instagram.