Ahead of their tantalising and potentially pivotal Premier League clash on Saturday, we compare the attacking firepower of Liverpool with Arsenal.
Liverpool vs Arsenal is always a noteworthy fixture in the Premier League schedule. However, before the season started, not many would have foreseen it as a crucial early-season encounter between the top two teams vying for the title.
At the outset, Manchester City were widely considered the frontrunners for the title. Yet, as we approach the festive period, the impressive performances of Arsenal, Liverpool, and a transformed Aston Villa have fuelled hopes of a thrilling title race.
At the time of writing, UK bookmakers still price Man City as the favourites to win the title, followed by Arsenal at 5/2 and Liverpool at 11/4.
But which of the two sides do we think are better set to challenge Pep Guardiola’s side? Many pundits are giving the edge to Liverpool, owing to their attacking prowess over Arsenal, and hold doubt in the Gunners without a 20+ goal-a-season striker.
With that in mind, SportsLens take a dive into the attacking numbers to compare the firepower of both sides.
Liverpool Vs Arsenal: Goalscoring
Despite Mohamed Salah’s tally of 11 Premier League goals—six more than any Arsenal player—Liverpool have only scored one more than Arsenal this season.
Jurgen Klopp has some superb attacking options at his disposal, but their goal-scoring momentum has waned in recent games. Since Diogo Jota’s injury last month, Liverpool’s attackers have managed just one Premier League goal between them in four games.
Mohammed Salah has scored nine Premier League goals against Arsenal (only against Man Utd and West Ham has the Egyptian scored more in the competition).#LIVARS
— Orbinho (@Orbinho) December 20, 2023
Interestingly, despite starting only eight of Liverpool’s 17 games, Jota remains Liverpool’s joint-top scorer in the league this season, alongside Darwin Núñez, with both players notching four goals. Meanwhile, Luis Díaz has scored just three in 16 games, and Cody Gakpo has two in 15 games.
Arsenal, on the other hand, seem to spread their goals more evenly across the front line. Their top scorers in the Premier League are Eddie Nketiah and Bukayo Saka, with five goals each. Mikel Arteta’s side have seen 13 different players score in the Premier League this season, while Liverpool have had 12.
Liverpool vs Arsenal: Shot Creation
Liverpool lead the Premier League in shots taken this season, attempting 314 shots – 38 more than any other team. However, Klopp’s men (36) have scored just one more goal than Arsenal (35), who have been more efficient with fewer shots and chances created.
Liverpool’s 242 chances, mostly from open play (195), surpass any other team, while Arsenal spread their goals more evenly, with no player scoring more than three league goals from open play.
Saka leads Arsenal’s open-play goal involvements with three goals and three assists, compared with Liverpool’s Salah, who boasts six open-play goals and seven assists.
The best wingers in the Premier League right now based on our Squawka Score (500+ mins):
◉ 78% – Leon Bailey
◉ 76% – Bukayo Saka
◎ 73% – Mohamed Salah
◎ 73% – Jérémy DokuThe top two go head-to-head at Villa Park this weekend. ⚡️
— Squawka (@Squawka) December 8, 2023
Liverpool vs Arsenal: Scoring From Set Pieces
Set-pieces have become a valuable goal source for Arsenal over the past 18 months. The Gunners led the Premier League in goals from corners last season (13) and currently top the set-piece goals chart this season with 10.
Liverpool, while topping the Premier League in set-piece goals last season (18), have been less effective in this aspect during the current season, scoring just five from set-pieces.
Despite the lower output, Liverpool’s expected goals (xG) from set-pieces (7.17) suggest that they are creating more opportunities in this regard, hinting at the potential for more goals from these situations.
Conclusion
As long as the ball is in play, Liverpool will likely be the more dangerous of the two sides at Anfield on Saturday. However, Arsenal are likelier to pose more of a threat from set-pieces.
With more different goalscorers at their disposal, Arteta’s side aim to pose a threat from a variety of avenues against Liverpool, who will rely heavily on Salah. The Egyptian already has nine goals against Arsenal in the Premier League.
Notably, Liverpool vs. Arsenal holds the record for the most hat-tricks scored in any Premier League fixture (5), suggesting that one proficient goalscorer might seize the spotlight again – a prospect that Salah, in particular, may relish.
If you’re looking for a bet on the game, check out our predictions and betting tips for Liverpool vs Arsenal.
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