Liverpool Preview: Forget about the title, tonight is about 3rd vs. 4th 10 February, 2010

After everything that’s gone on in the last couple of weeks we really need to take a step back from it all now. All the talk has been about the title race and our chances after losing to Man United and Chelsea. Are we out of it? Is there still a chance? For the moment, we need to put these thoughts to one side and concentrate on the job at hand.

Liverpool have not had a good season but with just the Premier League to concentrate on they’ve crawled back into a healthy position compared to a couple of months ago when it looked like they might not even make 4th. Now, they’re setting their sights even higher and want to challenge us for 3rd. It shows just how quickly and dramatically the league table can change.

So for at least just tonight we need to concentrate on what’s below us and not above us and keep Liverpool at bay. Anything but a win tonight is going to catalyze a 3rd and 4th place battle between us, Liverpool, the scum from down the road, Villa and Manchester City. I do not want that – let them lot all scrap for 4th place, lets win tonight and set our sights on 3rd and higher.

Saying all this though, beating Liverpool isn’t a walk in the park. We beat them 2-1 earlier in the season but needed a kick up the arse from the manager at half time. I think the motivation is all there this time though; even when we looked dead and buried against United and Chelsea we kept on fighting. We simply lost because they were better quality teams that us. However I believe we are a better team than Liverpool and I believe we should register our first win in three weeks tonight. It’s kind of surprising in these low times like this but I am quite confident about this evening.

Team news is the same – we still have no strikers so Arshavin will start and Bendtner will be an option from the bench, Eduardo is not fit enough to make the squad. Andrei looked lively in our last two games but failed to put away his chances, I’m hoping he can continue his fine record against Liverpool by converting tonight. The rest of the team picks itself really with Diaby back and Wenger refusing to accept criticism of Manuel Almunia. The only doubts are the full-backs. Sagna keeps coming off early an obviously has a slight problem so I could see Eboue starting tonight. On the other side Gael Clichy is not playing well and there has been suggestions that we could move Vermaelen or Gallas into his place and bring in Campbell at central defence. Both Vermaelen and Gallas have experience playing at left back, it’s not an unfamiliar position to them so it is something for Wenger to ponder. Arsene will have to make a decision as to whether Clichy can improve his ways otherwise he may find himself on the bench tonight.

Liverpool are on a high after winning the Merseyside derby and are currently unbeaten in seven games. Centre-back Sotirios Kyrgiakos was sent off in that game though so is suspended tonight. Aquilani is apparently ill plus Torres, Benayoun and Johnson are all out injured. They won’t be looking forward to playing us tonight, it’s a massive game for them and although we’ve lost two on the trot they know will be looking to bounce back tonight.

Enjoy the game those going tonight, get behind the boys as this win isn’t going to happen on it’s own. We really, really need the three points otherwise our season will have quickly turned from a title race into a European place fight. Win though, and we might be able to start thinking about what’s above us again. And with Man United playing at Villa Park and Chelsea going to Everton, you never know we might get back in this earlier than you think.

Come on Arsenal.