Six prominent pundits have offered contrasting forecasts for Sunday's Premier League clash between Liverpool and Arsenal at Anfield, with predictions ranging from a home win to a score draw. Arsenal, aiming to return to the top of the table, travel to Merseyside following a Carabao Cup exit, while Liverpool seek to close the gap on the leaders.
Title Race Implications
Manchester City's 1-0 defeat at home to Brighton on Saturday allowed Arsenal to remain two points ahead of Fabian Hurzeler's side. A victory for Mikel Arteta's men would extend that margin to five points, whereas a Liverpool win would bring them within three points of the reigning champions.
Arsenal are considered favourites by most pundits, though a draw or even a home victory have not been ruled out. The Gunners have not won at Anfield in 14 years, a record that adds to the challenge facing Arteta's squad.
Pundit Predictions
Ian Wright, covering the match for Sky Sports, initially seemed poised to forecast a draw before changing his mind. "I think we beat them. This is the game that kind of defines Liverpool if they are coming back. You're looking at [Alexis] Mac Allister, even [Cody] Gakpo [to step up]... but deep down, I really think we beat them. 2-1 Arsenal," he said on Stick to Football.
Roy Keane prompted Wright to revise his forecast but did not anticipate an Arsenal victory. "I'm thinking draw, Liverpool did well against City until the red card, 1-1?" he stated. That match represents Liverpool's sole loss of the campaign.
Gary Neville, also providing television coverage, suggested Arsenal would adopt a cautious approach. He said on Stick to Football: "Arsenal will play for a point." This comes despite Arteta insisting his team can claim all three points at Anfield.
Mixed Views from Carragher and Shearer
Jamie Carragher reversed his stance when offering a forecast. Writing for The Telegraph, he questioned whether Liverpool could win the Premier League, but noted Arsenal are better equipped to defend their crown. He later said on Stick to Football: "I actually do think 1-1 but I'm too bias. I'll go 2-1, Liverpool."
Alan Shearer predicted a score draw given Liverpool's recent form. Speaking to Betfair, he said: "I'm going to go for a score draw. I just think with the form that Liverpool are in, I know Arsenal got dumped out of the cup in the week, but it was a very different team, so it'll be a different mentality going into it. Arsenal have to bounce back and it's going to be a really tough game and it's a tough one to call because Liverpool have got a lot going for them at the moment. I think both teams will take a draw, and I don't think it'd be a bad result for either team."
Sutton Expects Tight Contest
Chris Sutton, writing in his BBC Sport predictions, expects a low-scoring game. "Liverpool proved me wrong against Brighton last week, because they didn't just win, they played well too. After conceding so many goals last season, you can see they have really tightened things up. Arsenal don't give much away either, so this is going to be very close. Alexander Isak is scoring goals again for the Reds, and they will be full of confidence coming into this game. You could make a case for it ending up a repeat of the result we saw at the end of last season, when Dominik Szoboszlai's brilliant free-kick meant Liverpool edged a 1-0 win. I do think we will see the same scoreline, just with a different winner."
