Arteta must bench "anonymous" Arsenal star to unleash Gabriel Jesus
Arsenal return to FA Cup action in a bid to win Mikel Arteta's first trophy since he lifted this very competition back in 2021.
The Gunners enter the new year on the back of a torrid run of form. They have won just once in their last five league outings so perhaps this encounter with Liverpool will be a nice distraction.
Either way, they have been dealt one of the toughest possible draws in the competition at the first hurdle. Thankfully, they will be at home.
The two sides haven't met in the FA Cup for ten years when Arsenal defeated the Anfield outfit 2-1 at the Emirates Stadium back in 2014.
GK
Lukasz Fabianski
RB
Carl Jenkinson
CB
Laurent Koscielny
CB
Per Mertesacker
LB
Nacho Monreal
CM
Mikel Arteta
CM
Mathieu Flamini
RW
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
CAM
Mesut Ozil
LW
Lukas Podolski
ST
Yaya Sanogo
It's set to be an enthralling FA Cup tie and one where neither side, interestingly, will wear red.
Why neither team are wearing red today
In the last two FA Cup third-round ties Arsenal have played, versus Nottingham Forest and Oxford United, they haven't worn red.
Instead, they have worn an all-white strip with the club's emblem and sponsor barely visible. Why? Well, due to an excellent campaign run by Arsenal, entitled No More Red. It was launched in January 2022 to support the long-standing work undertaken by the club to help keep young people safe from knife crime and youth violence.
Liverpool have also agreed to stay away from their classic red shirt on Sunday and will wear their purple strip instead.
Arsenal team news
The Gunners aren't in an injury crisis but they they do have a number of absentees ahead of this clash, notably at the back where they will not be able to count on the services of Jurrien Timber (ACL) and Takehiro Tomiyasu (Asia Cup duty). Oleksandr Zinchenko remains a doubt after missing Fulham last weekend but could be fit after rejoining training.
The worst news concerns Gabriel Jesus, who picked up a knee injury in the build-up to the game. There is hope the problem isn't serious but the severity remains unclear at this moment in time and he is a doubt for the match vs Liverpool.
Gabriel Jesus
Knee
Unknown
Oleksandr Zinchenko
Calf/shin/heel
07/01/2024
Fabio Vieira
Groin/hip/pelvic
04/02/2024
Thomas Partey
Thigh
04/02/2024
Mohamed Elneny
AFCON
TBC
Takehiro Tomiyasu
Asian Cup
TBC
Jurrien Timber
Knee
20/04/2024
Thomas Partey remains out and will actually miss the Africa Cup of Nations as a result while Fabio Vieira is another long-term injury problem.
Why Eddie Nketiah should be dropped
The striker position at Arsenal has been one of great debate in the early days of 2024. It's felt that if the Gunners are to truly test Manchester City and Liverpool this term, they will need a world-class number 9.
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Jesus has always been on the cusp of that, notably knitting Arsenal's attack together superbly after arriving from the Etihad last summer. But, 2023/24 has been crueller for Arteta's attacking players.
Jesus has scored just three Premier League goals this term – not the sort of record you require when chasing the title.
Eddie Nketiah, meanwhile, has also struggled. Since scoring a hat-trick against Sheffield United, he hasn't found the net in nine straight league games. His performance against Fulham just about summed up his limitations.
Described as "utterly anonymous" by Sport Bible editor Tom Marshall-Bailey, the academy graduate offered very little at Craven Cottage.
Minutes Played
90
Touches
23
Accurate Passes
7/11 (64%)
Expected Goals (xG)
0.15
Expected Assists (xA)
0.01
Key Passes
0
Duels Won
6/9
Possession Lost
9x
Fouls
1
Shots
2
Nketiah only made seven passes in the entire match, had fewer touches than goalkeeper David Raya and only mustered one real chance of note, hammering the ball wide of the goal after being fed down the right-hand channel by skipper Martin Odegaard.
The striker's ability to make things happen is very slim and against Virgil van Dijk today, a different threat is required. That said, without the services of Jesus, they may well have to turn to an alternative option. Perhaps one of Leandro Trossard or Kai Havertz could cause more problems?