Arsenal v Liverpool 16:30 BST. Sunday 7th January 2024

The FA Cup 3rd Round: The opening tie in the FA Cup is never an easy task. When you draw a Premier League Rival it gets tougher. Make it away from home and it looks even more difficult to navigate. Still if you want to win trophies you've got to beat the good sides at some point so why not early on..

This game will take on a slightly different edge to your usual Prem game. Yes for sure it's a cup tie. But you would expect both sides to be much changed. Had it been later in the competition this may have not been the case. Both managers will field a mix of youth and experience to give those second stringers some minutes.

AFCON & The Asia Cup could have a slightly bigger impact on Arsenal rather than ourselves as our representatives are first team starters. While theirs would have looked forward to 90 minutes in this one. At the same time injuries will effect both sides starting line ups.

Liverpool Team News

Mo & Endo are away on International duty. Szoboszlai is out with a hamstring niggle. Robbo is still recovering from that shoulder injury. Both should be fit by the end of the month. As should Thiago. Swiftly followed by Bajcetic. While Matip & Tsimikas will be out for the long term. All of which would have featured in this one..

Liverpool Line Up

Kelleher, Bradley, Quansah, Konate, Gomez, Gravenberch, A Mac, Elliott, Gakpo, Jota, Diaz

Arsenal Team News

Elneny & Tomiyasu are away for the Internationals. Also out for this one are Zinchenko, Partey, Vieira & Timber

Arsenal Line Up

Ramsdale, Cedric, Kiwior, Gabriel, White, Smith-Rowe, Jorginho, Havertz, Nelson, Nketiah, Trossard

Arsenal are full of quality. They have built a really impressive team with an emphasis on youth that is bearing fruits. They are not bringing through as many of the Saka quality at the minute, but thats a tough ask for any team. Smith-Rowe looks to be a player who is the next on that conveyor belt along with Nketiah. Jorginho should bring some experience but again we will wait for confirmation on the line ups..

The Game

Obviously with both line ups no one really knows for this game. With a lack of fixtures in January there could well be a few big name additions to both sides. So it's a little hard to assess. Yet with any Liverpool v Arsenal game the tempo will be high and neither side will go too far away from their beliefs.

Arsenal will look to be on the front foot closing down the spaces and will try to get through the lines quickly being the home side. The crowd will firmly back them up and provide a proper cup atmosphere. So the first 20 minutes are vital to remain strong defensively. In doing so this could silence the crowd.

Like Arsenal the Liverpool side will be strong no matter who suits up. You could argue that our younger players are of better quality. Especially in possession and decision making. Curtis & Harvey in particular could thrive here. Slow patient build up in attacks and players behind the ball in defence.

Pace could be the key for Liverpool from out wide as counter attacks could be on the cards at any point. Along with these and any attack you need quality to finish the chances and we have this in abundance.. Mo probably wouldn't have played in this game anyway. Yet the back up is crazy. We are well stacked.

Goal Keepers in this game are huge. Kelleher for all his ability on the deck and organisation of his defence seems to leak goals for fun.. Conceding 13 in 10 starts this season. Arsenal will target him if he starts. Where as Ramsdale will come in and will be very hard to beat. You could argue he should still be their number one but thats one for the gooners to sort out..

So there could be a shout for Ali to start..

PREDICTION.. 3-2 To Them Mighty Reds..

You would prefer to wait for the teams to be announced before going for any kind of prediction but we will go off the teams we have picked. You feel there are goals in this one and we should be well entertained. One for the neutrals so to speak as both sides wrestle to take and keep the lead.

Set pieces are always dangerous but you feel this will be an out and out football fest with both sides raining shots at goal. When you look at the attacking options you feel we have a little more than them and could slightly edge it..

The bench could make a difference later on also. Both teams will be loaded with quality here. Full of game changers.. This is a game both managers will have not written off as such.. But with the weaker line ups will be less bothered result wise before kick off than more high profile games.

Yet the longer the game plays out they will want to win it thats for sure.. The fans on the other hand. Well.. We love this competition. Just like the League Cup.. A trip to Wembley is always something to look forward too. With a Semi-Final in the Carabao coming up we hope to be there sooner rather than later. It'd be nice to get through this one too

OurLFC DangerMan.. 

Diogo Jota.. He likes playing here and he has come back from injury in superb style.. With Mo away at the AFCON there are starting places up for grabs. We are playing well too so you want to be on that team sheet week in week out. This should raise the levels from all the forwards..

Jota is a class act. He puts it about and takes up some quality positions to lead the attack. His dribbling has really come on this season and his decision making is World Class.. Look at the game against Newcastle for example.

His assist for Curtis showed great vision. His link up play was amazing and that run he made to get the penalty was top class. So was the pass from Mac Allister by the way.. He used his skill to go round the keeper and would have hoped to score himself but he was brought down.

Jota has it all and if there is one weakness you'd say it was consistency.. Not that he doesn't score or assist loads. You just feel he can go missing sometimes.. Give him a chance though and you are in trouble.. For all his skills with his feet this lad is deadly in the air. He's scored some great goals with his head.. He'll take the game to Arsenal..

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