Luke Revenge will be firmly on the minds of the Arsenal players when Liverpool travel to north London for a Christmas cracker this Friday.
The Reds may have thrashed Arsene Wenger’s men 4-0 at Anfield earlier this season but the battle for the top four looks tighter than ever with just one point separating the two rivals.
And with Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea looking well placed to finish in the top four, we examine who has the best chance of completing the Champions League quartet come May.
LIVERPOOL
Jurgen Klopp’s men pipped Arsenal to fourth place last season and it looks like the Reds could be on course to repeating the trick this time too.
Six wins and zero defeats in their last nine has seen the Merseyside outfit climb into fourth place, above both Arsenal and Tottenham.
But heavy defeats away to Manchester City and Spurs have raised serious questions over their defensive capability on the road against the ‘big six’.
However, in Mo Salah Liverpool have a player of genuine class and, having already hit 20 goals in all competitions this season, he could be the man to fire Klopp’s side into the top four for a second campaign running.
ARSENAL
It was all doom and gloom for Arsenal following their horror show at Anfield in August but the Gunners have marched up the table and currently sit in fifth place.
A lot was asked about their mental toughness following the 4-0 drubbing but a superb victory over Tottenham Hotspur and a gritty 0-0 away at Chelsea have been the bright sparks for Arsene Wenger’s men.
Alexandre Lacazette has slotted in seamlessly to the front line at the Emirates and with the likes of Mesut Ozil hitting top form again, Arsenal are in good shape heading into a hectic Christmas schedule.
But old wounds take a long time to heal and Arsenal’s recent record against Klopp’s side makes for grim reading – April 2015 the last triumph for the Gunners in this fixture.
Their record away from home will also raise eyebrows, winning just six and losing nine matches on the road in 2017.
And it’s that type of form which gives Liverpool the edge in the hunt for that lucrative fourth place and a spot at Europe’s top table.
