Chris Sutton has predicted the outcome of this Sunday’s title clash between Arsenal and Liverpool and it doesn’t make for good reading for Gunners supporters.
The two sides go head-to-head at the Emirates on Sunday separated by just four points and two places in the Premier League table.
For Arsenal, it’s an opportunity to bounce back and make a statement after their shock 2-0 defeat to Bournemouth last weekend.
Liverpool, meanwhile, are looking to extend their eight-game winning streak across all competitions.
Chris Sutton makes Arsenal vs Liverpool prediction
Arsenal must cope without suspended centre-back William Saliba — who was sent off against Bournemouth — and Martin Odegaard, while there are major doubts over the fitness of Bukayo Saka, Riccardo Calafiori and Jurrien Timber.
It’s for these reasons that Sutton believes Liverpool will return north with three priceless points in the bag.
“Liverpool are not helped by having to travel back from RB Leipzig on Wednesday, but Arsenal have bigger problems,” Sutton wrote in his BBC Sport predictions column, foreseeing a 1-0 win for Arne Slot’s men.
“Riccardo Calafiori was excellent against Shakhtar Donetsk on Tuesday but he came off after falling awkwardly. I was at the Emirates, and my hunch from seeing what happened is that he will not be fit for Sunday.
“Arsenal already have William Saliba suspended, which is a massive loss, so they will have to reshuffle at the back.
“There are rumours that Jurrien Timber could be fit to play at left-back, but if not and they go with Oleksandr Zinchenko against Mohamed Salah, you would fancy Salah to get the better of him.
“Liverpool can exploit all of this and then you think about how Arsenal are missing players in an attacking sense too.
“There’s a lot of talk about whether Bukayo Saka might be fit after missing the past two matches, but Martin Odegaard is still out.
“Without them, Arsenal were unconvincing in front of goal against Shakhtar. Gabriel Jesus does so many good things for the team, but you would never back him to finish.
“So I am basing this prediction on a combination of what I saw against Shakhtar — because Arsenal were really flat all round — all their injury doubts and Saliba’s absence.
“If Saliba was playing, I wouldn’t be predicting a Liverpool win, but if Calafiori and Timber are not fit I don’t feel Arsenal have adequate cover.
“This would be a huge win for Liverpool, and everyone is saying that, with the run of tough games they have coming up, we will find out more about them soon.
“But they have beaten Chelsea and have enough nous and knowledge in their team to keep their good run going.”
