With a 1-1 draw in December, and a 2-0 win for the Reds in the FA Cup, Arsenal and Liverpool meet for the third time this season as both teams look to assert themselves in the Premier League title race.
The Gunners will have the home advantage, and will look to extend their good run of form in the last two matches. They come off the back of a 2-1 victory over Nottingham Forest, where Mikel Arteta will hope that Gabriel Jesus and Bukayo Saka will find themselves in the goals again on Sunday night.
On the other hand, Liverpool have been unbeaten in the league since September, and are riding high after a phenomenal 4-1 victory over Chelsea. A gamble to play Conor Bradley saw a payoff of two goals and one assist from the Northern Irish right-back, and whether he starts in tomorrow's crucial fixture is remain to be seen.
Ahead of this blockbuster match, let's preview the team news, key players and important information that could turn any potential result on it's head.
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Team News
Mikel Arteta will be without four players ahead of Sunday night, as he revealed that Thomas Partey will continue to not be available, despite being expected to make a return to the team. The Ghanaian midfielder has been out since November with a hamstring injury.
Long term absentees Fabio Vieira and Jurrien Timber will continue to be unavailable, with the latter still recovering from an ACL tear suffered at the beginning of the season. Vieira is in a recovery phase, but the Portuguese midfielder is unlikely to appear in the squad.
An unfortunate 2-1 loss to Iran in the Asian Cup means that Takehiro Tomiyasu will be returning to North London in the next few days, but will not return in time to be considered for the squad. Whilst disappointed not to win an international trophy, Tomiyasu will be a welcome return for Arteta, especially as he's being considered for a contract extension.
However, Arteta still has a wide selection of options available to him, meaning a strong starting eleven for the Gunners is expected.
On the other side of this fixture, Jurgen Klopp has two key full backs back and available for selection. Scotsman Andy Robertson and English right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold have both recovered from their injuries, and both made cameos in the 4-1 victory on Wednesday night.
However, it is unlikely that both will start considering the good performances that both Bradley and Joe Gomez put on show at Anfield, meaning it's likely that the returnees will be on the bench again. They will not be joined by Greek left-back Kostas Tsimikas, who is still recovering from a shoulder injury.
Spanish midfielders Thiago Alcantara and Stefan Bajcetic remain doubts as they recover from hip and calf injuries respectively, but are expected to return soon. And despite hoping to have their star man back soon, Mohamed Salah will not make the squad due to his hamstring injury.
Additionally, Darwin Nunez may be a doubt for the fixture after it eas revealed he had been playing through injury, and left Anfield with a swollen foot. The striker broke the record for most times hitting the woodwork in one game on Wednesday night, but could be a huge miss.
With Joel Matip out for the season, and Wataru Endo not returning from the Asian Cup in time, then Klopp will be hoping his squad can put in a similar performance from Wednesday to place one hand on the title, and one hand pushing Arsenal away from contention.
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Expected starting line-ups
Raya; Zinchenko, Gabriel, Saliba, White; Odegaard, Rice, Havertz; Saka, Jesus, Martinelli.
Becker; Gomez, Konate, Van Dijk, Bradley; Jones, Mac Allister, Szoboszlai; Diaz, Nunez, Jota.
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Key Men
Arsenal - Bukayo Saka
A Hale End graduate, Bukayo Saka has developed to another level this season. With seven goals and seven assists in the league this season, the 22-year old has become the star man under Arteta's guidance.
The Englishman has enjoyed a patch of brilliant form in recent games, with an assist in a 5-0 demolition of Crystal Palace, as well as the vital second goal against Forest, where he found the bottom left corner to kickstart Arsenal's revival.
And his presence is felt behind the numbers as well. Compared with other attacking midfielders and wingers, Saka ranks in the top 15% for goals and chances created, as well as top 20% for touches and shot attempts. The fact that a lot of the ball comes through the winger suggests he is a crucial piece to the puzzle.
In the FA Cup tie in December, Saka only managed to create one chance and five shots, failing to hit the back of the net in a disappointing early exit in the cup. Despite his numbers, he will be hoping he can have a bigger impact on the fixture this time around. But the numbers certainly suggest he will.
Another member of VAVEL covered the rise of Bukayo Saka earlier this week, and you can read it here.
Liverpool - Diogo Jota
Another attacker is named key man, and I have identified Diogo Jota as the biggest threat for Liverpool on Sunday. A surprise buy from Wolves when he signed in 2020, the Portuguese winger has since become a huge danger for opposing teams when he's featured for Klopp.
Jota has managed eight goals and two assists in 16 matches for Liverpool in the league, with thirteen goals in all competitions. With just seven goals last campaign, Jota is well on his way to destroying his total from last year.
Similar to Saka, Jota has beneficial underlying numbers. Compared to players in attacking areas, Jota ranks 1st for goals, top 5% for shot attempts and 88% for aerial duels, displaying his rare ability for aerial dominance despite being 5 foot and 8 inches tall, which provides an extra threat to other clubs.
Being outside the top 50% for touches, this suggests that Jota is extremely efficient with his attacking output with limited gametime, and if he starts on Sunday, he can use this efficiency to his benefit and provide serious danger for Arsenal's defence. This becomes even more evident as he provided an assist in the FA Cup victory in December.
Klopp will be hoping that the Portuguese star will provide a similar performance on Sunday, which means that Jota is my key man pick for this enthralling fixture.
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Match details
Where is the match being played?
The match is being played at the home of Arsenal Football Club, the Emirates Stadium, in the heart of North London.
What time is kick-off?
The match kicks off at 4:30pm GMT, on Sunday 4th February.
Where can I watch the match?
Sky Sports Football, Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Ultra will be showing the match on their TV and streaming platforms, available live and on catchup.
American options for streaming include NBC and Telemundo.
