Wright and Carragher split on Liverpool vs Arsenal prediction
Ian Wright and Jamie Carragher cannot agree on how Sunday's heavyweight Premier League clash between Liverpool and Arsenal will end, with the two pundits delivering contrasting predictions on The Overlap.
Carragher, a boyhood Liverpool fan and former Reds defender, is backing his old club to win at Anfield. 'I'll go 2-1, Liverpool,' he said.
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Wright, however, is sticking with his former club. 'I think we beat them. This is the game that kind of defines Liverpool if they are coming back. You're looking at Mac Allister, even Gakpo [to step up]... but deep down, I really think we beat them. 2-1 Arsenal,' the former Gunners striker said.
Contrasting form heading into the weekend
Arsenal arrive at Anfield having moved level on points with league leaders Manchester City following a 2-0 win over Everton last weekend. That momentum was halted in midweek, though, as Mikel Arteta's side suffered a shock penalty shootout defeat to League Two outfit Fleetwood Town in the Carabao Cup, ending their hopes of adding to the trophy cabinet via that route this season after reaching last year's final.
Liverpool head into the fixture in rather better touch. Andoni Iraola's side booked their place in the Carabao Cup quarter final with a penalty shootout win over Chelsea on Wednesday, extending their winning run to five matches in all competitions.
The two sides' last meeting at Anfield went Liverpool's way, with Dominik Szoboszlai's thunderous free kick settling a 1-0 contest. A repeat win this weekend would pull Liverpool to within three points of Arsenal in the table.
Fitness concerns for both sides
Szoboszlai, the match winner from last season's encounter, is facing a fitness battle to be available on Sunday, while Victor Munoz has missed Liverpool's last three matches.
Arsenal could be without Riccardo Calafiori, Declan Rice and Noni Madueke, all three of whom missed Tuesday's defeat to Fleetwood Town. Their absence from that Carabao Cup tie does not confirm they are injured, though their fitness for Sunday remains in question given the timing.
With both sides carrying selection doubts into a match with genuine table implications, Sunday's clash at Anfield shapes up as a significant test of where each side stands heading into the business end of the autumn schedule. As reported by Metro, the pundit split only adds to the intrigue surrounding what promises to be a pivotal fixture in the title race.
