Arsenal will face Liverpool away from home at Anfield in
the Premier League on March 4. With the title challenge now looking like it's
over for the Gunners, this match takes huge importance in regard to finishing
in the top four.
There are no fewer than six teams fighting for four Champions League places. Champions-elect Chelsea are virtually guaranteed a place in the top four, but the three other spots are up for grabs. With Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester City, Manchester United and Liverpool all having huge aspirations, Arsenal simply cannot afford to drop all three points against at Anfield.
Liverpool will head into the match on March 4 as favourites and the Kop is expected to play a big role, but fans of the visiting team could counter that by buying Arsenal Tickets from TicketGum. Some are still available, and the players will certainly get more confidence if there is a large away crowd.
The entire Arsenal team have to play well against Liverpool in order to pick up maximum points from the Premier League encounter. Below we look at three players who simply will have to be on top of their game to do that.
Mesut Ozil
Mesut Ozil is one of the best attacking midfielders on the planet and is a world-class player, but his form so far this season has not been as good as it should have been. The Germany international has scored five goals and created 59 chances in 22 Premier League appearances for Arsenal this campaign.
While the stats are not too bad, Ozil has failed to step up his game in big games. In the 3-1 defeat to London rivals Chelsea away from home at Stamford Bridge in early February, the 28-year-old was anonymous. Liverpool are defensively susceptible, and Ozil’s creativity and vision is going to be important if Arsenal are going to score a few goals.
Alexis Sanchez
Much has been made about Alexis Sanchez’s future, but there can be no doubt when he is on the pitch, he is 100% committed to Arsenal. The Chile international forward, who can also operate as a winger, has scored 17 goals and created 63 chances in 25 Premier League matches for the Gunners this season.
Sanchez is playing well at the moment, and his movement and ability in front of goal is going to be important against Liverpool. The Merseyside club's defence do struggle with pace, and if the 28-year-old is able to time his run properly, then the Gunners will have a very good chance of scoring at Anfield.
Shkodran Mustafi
Shkodran Mustafi has proved to be a brilliant signing for Arsenal. The former Valencia centre-back has formed a strong partnership with Laurent Koscielny at the heart of the Gunners’ defence.
Back in August, Arsenal failed to cope with the Reds’ high-pressing game and lost 4-3 at the Emirates Stadium. In March, Mustafi will have to marshal his defence and make sure that the defenders are not caught off guard.
