League Cup: How to watch Liverpool vs Arsenal on October 30, 2019

October 29, 2019 By Ali M.

Topics: TV SCHEDULES, LIVERPOOL, ARSENAL, ENGLISH LEAGUE CUP

The Reds and the Gunners will lock horns in a highly-anticipated round of 16 showdown. Check out our match preview for more info.

What is the form of Liverpool compared to Arsenal?

In one word: excellent! Liverpool are yet to lose a domestic game this season, winning all but one of their Premier League games so far, the most recent being a 2-1 comeback victory over Spurs. In fact, in the 15 games they have played in all competitions, they have suffered only one defeat, losing to Napoli in the Champions League.

Arsenal, meanwhile, are winless in their last two domestic games, losing 1-0 at Sheffield before throwing away a 2-0 lead to draw 2-2 against Crystal Palace. This means the Gunners have won eight of the 14 games they have played this season, losing twice and drawing the remainder.

Liverpool vs Arsenal head-to-head

Not only do Liverpool boast the superior all-time head-to-head record, being England's most successful club, but they also boast the superior record in recent fixtures. The last time the Reds lost to the Gunners was in April 2015. Since then, the Merseyside giants have won five times and have drawn four.

Games played: 227

Liverpool wins: 88

Arsenal wins: 78

Draws: 61

Team news

Doubts linger over the fitness of Van Dijk, Matip, and Salah. It is unlikely Klopp will risk any of those three given their importance to his squad. Shaqiri and Clyne remain sidelined and will thus miss out.

As for Arsenal, their only absentee is Reiss Nelson. Emery will likely field his Europa League squad in this game with a few senior players here and there, meaning a likely start for Gabriel Martinelli. Mesut Ozil remains frozen out and thus appears destined to miss out on the squad.

Club captain Granit Xhaka will likely be left out of the squad after his reaction to being booed by the fans. The Swiss midfielder is yet to issue a statement on his actions and will thus remain out of the firing line for now.

Speaking of Xhaka…

Key talking point – will a new captain step up amid this Xhaka drama?

As of now, Xhaka remains the Arsenal captain. In fact, several reports claim Emery doesn't favor stripping the midfielder of the skipper's armband as it would result in a revolt in the dressing room. Nonetheless, the fans want the Swiss ace to captain them no longer.

Could someone step up in his absence and show his leadership skills? Aubameyang is the vice-captain and could feature due to the quality of the opposition and should he lead the Gunners to an unexpected win, expect fans to be nominating him for Xhaka's role.

Elsewhere, Bellerin has been hailed for being the only player to issue a statement on social media regarding the incident. Holding, who could start, is another fan-favorite and could be a shout.