Head-To-Head: Arsenal vs Liverpool

With the season heading into its final stages, every game matters, and each point holds more value than at any other point. This is where the best of the best come to play.

Arsenal takes on Liverpool, a fixture that was meant to take place on 26th February. A catch-up game it is now, but it holds so much more weight to it than before.

With Manchester City slipping up and drawing to Crystal Palace, they have let Liverpool right in. A win for the Red will take them to just one point behind the league leaders.

For Arsenal, fourth place is well within their clutches. They have it now, but they’ll want to secure it. They are three games behind, and nine points on top of what they already have would put them in a strong position to finish in the top four.

Both sides will be looking for all three points, and with them both being in stellar form as of late, it could go either way.

The Emirates will be the stage for a close and hard-fought affair, but who will come out on top?

The stats might point towards a Liverpool victory, but the game isn’t played on paper. The result is earned on the pitch.

 

Goals

Arsenal: 43

Liverpool: 73

 

Liverpool is the Premier League’s best scoring team this season. 73 goals scored in the campaign is five more than league leaders Manchester City and gives them a big advantage over Arsenal in this category.

Their top scorer, Mo Salah on 20 goals, is the league leader for goals scored by a player this season. What’s more, they also occupy second place, with Sadio Mane AND Diogo Jota joining Cristiano Ronaldo on 12 goals.

Meanwhile, Arsenal have been scoring at a very respectable level. 43 goals this season is a solid amount scored, and averages to 1.65 goals a game. 

It may not be the 2.60 that Liverpool average, but it is a good rate, nonetheless.

 

xG per 90 mins 

Arsenal: 1.58

Liverpool: 2.54

 

Similar to the total goals scored, there is a gulf between these two sides. Liverpool are expected almost a full goal a game more than Arsenal, but that shouldn’t deter the Gunners.

Liverpool rank at the top of the league for his stats (obviously), but Arsenal is only four places behind in fifth. 

While Liverpool may be the better scorers, Arsenal are more than capable of getting some goals, too.

 

Shots total per 90 mins

Arsenal: 15.54

Liverpool: 19.29

 

You don’t score 73 goals without a high rate of shots per game. Liverpool have taken the most shots this season, and as such, 19.29 shots total per 90 mins has them at the top for this stat.

Arsenal ranks fourth for most shots this season, but they are some 136 shots back on Liverpool. Nevertheless, 15.54 shots total per 90 mins is an excellent rate of shots a game and is third in the league for it.

Both teams like to shoot, but who is more accurate?

 

Shots on target per 90 mins

Arsenal: 4.92

Liverpool: 6.71

 

Understandably, Liverpool with their higher rate of shots per 90 mins has a higher shot on target per 90 mins rate. 

Again though, these two ranks first and third in the league for the stat.

There is potential for a high-scoring affair, with both teams being amongst the most effective shooters and scorers in the league.

 

Penalties

Arsenal: 2/5

Liverpool: 6/7

 

Starting with Arsenal for this, the Gunners are poor from the spot. Arsenal, along with Athletic Bilbao and Bayer Leverkusen, are the worst teams from the penalty spot in Europe’s ‘Big Five’ leagues, each scoring only two of their five attempts, giving them a 40% penalty conversion rate.

Liverpool are much better, having missed just once from seven attempts. They match Man City for their conversion rate of 86%, and are only bested by Chelsea, who has scored each of their seven attempts.

 

Corners per game

Arsenal: 5.46

Liverpool: 7.46

 

With many shots comes many corners. This game is likely to see many set pieces, with the majority from the corners. 

Liverpool have been given the second-most corners this season, with 209 corners this season. Only Man City have taken more.

Arsenal have taken 67 less corners than Arsenal, which is understandable due to the difference in the number of shots each team averages a game. 

 

Cards

Arsenal: 42 Y, 3 R

Liverpool: 34 Y, 1 R

 

Arsenal are a mixed bag when it comes to discipline. They are fifth from bottom for most yellow cards, which is very good. But three red cards is the complete opposite of very good. It's very bad. They are the only team with three red cards this season, which is not an achievement any team will want.

Liverpool are much better. They are the most disciplined team in the league, ranking at the bottom for yellow cards with 34. 

The one red card is acceptable, considering there is no team left in the league without a red