Arsenal vs Liverpool FA Cup preview

Arsenal kick off their 2024 fixture schedule by hosting Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium, with both sides set to trade tackles in the headline fixture of the FA Cup third round.

Both the Gunners and the Reds will be hoping to better their efforts from last season’s tournament, as they were eliminated in the fourth round by Manchester City and Brighton & Hove Albion respectively.

With both sides eager for redemption this season, the stage is set for a gripping clash, so make sure you buy Liverpool vs Arsenal tickets from Seatsnet.com to ensure you don’t miss the action.

Arsenal head into the weekend fixture on the back of a miserable run of form that saw them pick up just five points from their last six games across all competitions (W1, D2, L3).

Mikel Arteta’s side rounded up 2023 in worrying form, failing to win any of their final three Premier League games (D1, L2), including back-to-back London derby defeats to West Ham United and Fulham.

While the West Ham result was poor in all ramifications, the defeat can be reluctantly excused on the account that the Hammers are notorious for giving Arsenal a tough time.

However, the disappointing result at Fulham was a slap in the face, considering Arteta’s side needed only five minutes to break the deadlock through Bukayo Saka.

Refusing to lay down, Fulham staged a remarkable comeback as goals from Raul Jimenez and Bobby Decordova-Reid on either side of half time condemned Arsenal to their fourth league defeat of the season.

The recent string of poor performances and results have seen Arsenal plummet to fourth position on the Premier League table, five points adrift of pacesetters and Sunday’s opponents Liverpool.

The Gunners will be looking to end a three-match winless streak in the league when they host capital rivals Crystal Palace at the Emirates on January 20, but they must first tackle the immediate task ahead.

Despite their well-documented success in the FA Cup, Arsenal’s performances in the competition over the past few years have been nothing short of underwhelming.

Since clinching the title with a 2-1 success over Chelsea in the 2020 final, Arsenal have failed to progress past the fourth round of the tournament in each of the last three seasons.

They’d undoubtedly be desperate to set the record straight this year, but they face another almighty task in the early stages, with Liverpool also keen for success in the competition.

Unlike their north London counterparts, Liverpool head into 2024 in remarkable form, going unbeaten in their last five games across all competitions (W3, D2).

Klopp’s red machines dropped the curtain on 2023 with a resounding 4-2 triumph over a beleaguered Newcastle United side, smashing the record for the highest expected goals (xG) in Premier League history (7.27).

The success at Anfield saw the Reds open up a three-point gap at the Premier League summit – although defending champions Man City have a game in hand.

Liverpool will now switch their attention to the FA Cup, a tournament they last won in 2022, with Arsenal standing in their path to the fourth round.

The blockbuster fixture is poised to be a repeat of their earlier Premier League meeting, which ended in a 1-1 stalemate with Gabriel Magalhaes and Mohamed Salah cancelling each other out.

Last month’s mouth-watering encounter proved a nervy affair for supporters from both sides, while neutrals were treated to a fast-paced affair littered with drama at both ends.

Match Preview

Arsenal

Arsenal are the most successful club in FA Cup history, clinching the highly coveted title 14 times, but the tournament hasn’t been kind to Arteta’s side since their last triumph in 2020.

The Gunners are staring down the barrel of another early elimination from their favourite competition, with a Liverpool side brimming with confidence itching to storm the Etihad this weekend.

However, they can draw inspiration from their previous victory over Liverpool in this tournament, although the triumph dates back to February 2014 when Arsene Wenger’s troops ran out 2-1 winners in north London.

While the Gunners’ aren’t in sparkling form at the moment, they’re currently enjoying a three-match unbeaten streak against Liverpool.

Arsenal have only lost three of their 49 FA Cup games at the Emirates (W36, D10), and victory against their Premier League rivals could be the pick-me-up Arteta’s squad needs.

Liverpool

Liverpool have improved in leaps and bounds since their fourth-round defeat to Brighton last term and will fancy their chances of dethroning Man City as FA Cup holders this season.

Klopp was the mastermind of Liverpool’s FA Cup success in 2022, abruptly ending a 16-year drought in the tournament, and the German tactician will relish the chance of challenging for the title again.

Over the past 12 seasons, only once have the Reds been eliminated from the FA Cup third round, succumbing to a 2-1 defeat at Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2018/19.

With the Carabao Cup semi-finals against Fulham beckoning only days after the Arsenal clash, it remains to be seen where the FA Cup falls in Liverpool’s pecking order.

Nonetheless, they’ve been a thorn in Arsenal’s flesh over the years and will fancy another go at Arteta’s side after losing just one of their last 11 meetings with the North Londoners in all competitions (W5, D5).

Team News

Oleksandr Zinchenko remains the only key injury doubt for Arsenal ahead of Sunday’s fixture.

Takehiro Tomiyasu and Mohamed Elneny have heeded the call from their respective nations ahead of the Asian Cup and Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

Thomas Partey pulled out of the Ghana squad for AFCON to focus on his recovery, and Arteta is unlikely to risk Fabio Vieira, who is still returning to fitness after a significant injury.

Arteta could pick a strong line-up ahead of a 13-day winter break before their next game against Palace, but back-to-back defeats have called into question the form and fitness of some of his regular starters.

Liverpool will be without Mohamed Salah and Wataru Endo, both off to the AFCON and Asian Cup, respectively, while Dominik Szoboszlai is a doubt after picking up a hamstring issue in the win over Newcastle.

Liverpool potential starting line-up:

(4-3-3): Caoimhin Kelleher; Trent Alexander-Arnold, Jarell Quansah, Virgil Van Dijk, Joe Gomez; Alexis Mac Allister, Ryan Gravenberch, Curtis Jones; Harvey Elliott, Cody Gakpo, Diogo Jota.

Arsenal potential starting line-up:

(4-3-3): Aaron Ramsdale; Ben White, William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes, Jakub Kiwior; Jorginho, Martin Odegaard, Emile Smith Rowe; Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Jesus, Leandro Trossard.

We Say: Arsenal 1-2 Liverpool

The potential for rotated line-ups makes this a tricky one to predict, but taking Klopp’s side away from the pulsating Anfield atmosphere certainly benefits the hosts. 

Arsenal were woeful in the defeat to Fulham and Arteta will be desperate to kick off 2024 on a high, but the Spanish manager could come unstuck against a rampaging Liverpool side gunning for glory on all fronts.