"Before the season, Thursday's meeting between Arsenal and Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium might have been circled in the diary as a potential Premier League title decider. And when Dominik Szoboszlai's stunning free-kick guided the champions to a 1-0 win over the Gunners back in August, maintaining their perfect start to their title defence under Arne Slot, it appeared certain the reverse fixture would have title ramifications for both teams."
"However, following Liverpool's terrible run in the Autumn, 14 points split these teams in the table, with Manchester City and Aston Villa instead emerging as Arsenal's title rivals. Liverpool, meanwhile, are battling for Champions League qualification, sitting three points clear of fifth-placed Chelsea and only six above Everton, all the way down in 12th. But the Reds will still want to make things as difficult as possible for their would-be successors, and Mikel Arteta will see the game as a pivotal landmark on the road to the title."
"Opta's predictive model has given the Premier League leaders its backing, as they won 61.7% of the supercomputer's 10,000 pre-match simulations. Liverpool only won 18.1% of those sims, with the remaining 20.2% finishing level. But Arsenal have historically struggled in this fixture. Against no side have they lost more Premier League games than they have against Liverpool (26, level with Manchester United)."
Arsenal and Liverpool meet at the Emirates in a match that was once viewed as a potential title decider after Liverpool's 1-0 August win via Dominik Szoboszlai's free-kick. Liverpool's poor autumn form has left them 14 points behind Arsenal, shifting Arsenal's main title rivals to Manchester City and Aston Villa. Liverpool now battle for Champions League qualification, sitting only slightly clear of the chasing pack. Opta's model gives Arsenal a 61.7% chance of victory in 10,000 simulations, while Liverpool won 18.1% of sims and 20.2% finished level. Arsenal have historically struggled versus Liverpool, with 26 Premier League defeats and no clean sheets in their last 20 league meetings.
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