Arsenal’s defeat at Merseyside on Monday offered a reality check of some sort, but they can be backed to upstage Liverpool when they return here on Thursday.
Carabao Cup 2020/21
Date: Thursday October, 1st
Kick-off: 19:45pm
Venue: Anfield
Liverpool, time and again cut through Arsenal in their usual swagger on Monday night, coming away with a 3-1 victory. And it really could have been more.
The Reds boasted 66 percent possession and had 21 shots, taking their overall tally for their three league games so far to 61 efforts at goal, which is at least 17 more than any other side in the top flight.
Jurgen Klopp characteristically do not hold this competition in high regard, and will probably name a second-string side here just like he did in the 7-2 romp at Lincoln in round three.
Arsenal’s pomp and progress under Mikel Arteta was thrown out of the window shortly after they took the lead through Alexandre Lacazette who passed up a couple number of chances at Anfield last time out.
Having lifted this trophy only twice in their entire history, the last coming in the 1992-93 season, the Gunners already showed their desire to bundle Leicester City out with a 2-0 win in the last round.
Another victory on Thursday would send them through to the quarter-finals for the fourth time in the last five seasons, but as Arsenal have
discovered more recently than anyone else, a trip to this ground is the toughest assignment in English football at the moment.
Team news
Liverpool
Joel Matip, Alex Oxlade Chamberlain and Thiago Alcantara are sidelined for Liverpool while Jordan Henderson is still struggling with a thigh injury.
Klopp will likely make wholesale changes to the side that started the win last time out.
Arsenal
Gabriel Martinelli and Emile Smith Rowe are still not available for selection.
Shkodran Mustafi, Calum Chambers, Cedric Soares and Sokratis Papastathopoulos are rated as doubts for this one.
Head to Head
In 231 meetings between them, Liverpool have recorded 89 wins to Arsenal’s 79. 63 games have been drawn.
Team form
Liverpool’s last five competitive games: WWWWW
Arsenal’s last five competitive games: WWWWL
Betting tips
This fixture has always looked to produce goals, which is one area punters can most certainly find value on the betting. You can recall they played out a 5-5 draw in this competition last season here, and while it might not quite live up to that yet, we expect to see another entertaining clash here. Over 2.5 goals is priced at 13/5 by Betclever, while you can get 6/1 for Over 3.5 goals.
