The view from Arsenal: 'Gunners full of hope under Mikel Arteta'

Jürgen Klopp’s champions claimed a 3-1 victory over the Gunners when the sides met at Anfield back in August and will now look to secure a first win at Emirates Stadium since 2016.

Mikel Arteta’s side, meanwhile, suffered a derby defeat by Tottenham Hotspur last time out.

So, what can we expect from the home team tonight? We spoke to author, journalist and editor of the Gooner Fanzine Layth Yousif (@laythy29 and @GoonerFanzine) to find out…

How would you sum up Arsenal’s identity under Arteta?

The club is full of hope under Mikel Arteta, yet that hope is tempered with a realistic assessment of where the Arsenal are right now as a club. There’s no easy route back to the heady heights we have enjoyed over the last 25 years. 

Who has been Arsenal’s outstanding player since the season restarted? Dani Ceballos seems to have impressed?

Ceballos made a superb start to his Arsenal career, shining in our first home match of the season versus Burnley at the Emirates, which had the stadium chorusing his name loudly. Yet under Unai Emery he failed to hit those heights, compounded by niggly muscular injuries which prevented him from kicking on. Since the restart he has impressed on occasion, which has got people talking about the possibility of a further 12-month loan from Real Madrid. I covered the game up at Bramall Lane versus Sheffield United in the FA Cup sixth round at the end of June and his late goal was testament to the undoubted ability he has. 

Captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is again in the running for the Golden Boot. Just how important is he to Arsenal’s hopes against Liverpool?

Aubameyang is one of Arsenal’s standout performers and will hopefully trouble the Liverpool backline at the Emirates, but he can be a bit of a conundrum. When on form he is virtually unplayable and scores for fun, but Arteta fancies him out on the left channel, which sometimes means he isn’t as influential as he could be. It was interesting to note Arteta started him, Alexandre Lacazette through the middle and Nicolas Pepe on the other flank against Spurs at the weekend. 

There is a lot of excitement surrounding Bukayo Saka, who signed a new contract recently. Just how good can he become?

Good question. As a journalist who covered Arsenal for local papers in north London for a long time, I have taken great satisfaction in charting his rise from the U18s, to the U23s via the U21s in the Leasing.com Trophy, to the Arsenal first team. I recall reporting on a Leasing.com Trophy game at Cheltenham when then U21 boss Freddie Ljungberg’s side were on the wrong side of a 6-2 beating at Whaddon Road. Saka, along with the rest of the side, didn’t have a great game. I recall interviewing Freddie on the pitch after the game and he said Saka would benefit hugely from the experience because he listens to advice and has an exemplary attitude. 

Two weeks later I watched Saka star in a 3-1 win over Forest Green Rovers that saw the young guns through to the knockout stages. I saw Freddie after that game and he nodded and smiled as if to say, ‘I told you so’. Six weeks later, Saka made his Premier League debut as a 17-year-old in a 4-1 win over Fulham on New Year’s Day and he has never looked back. As a fan, I love London lads breaking through the ranks and Saka is going to be featuring for the Gunners for a long time to come. Watch out for him working his way into Gareth Southgate’s plans for the Euros next summer, too.  

Is the Gunners’ policy of placing faith in youth players working? 

Gabriel Martinelli’s stunning solo goal at Chelsea was proof of his talent. Saka has been superb in a number of positions, including right wing-back as well as left-back and left wing-back. Joe Willock is another talent who will hopefully step up, while Reiss Nelson has been a name on the lips of so many for so long. I’ve been so impressed by Klopp’s Liverpool youngsters, by the way. I was at Anfield for our ridiculous 5-5 draw in the League Cup and so many shone against quite a strong Arsenal side. From Caoimhin Kelleher saving Ceballos’ penalty in the shootout, to Curtis Jones, to Harvey Elliott, to Neco Williams, to Rhian Brewster - and that’s without even mentioning Joe Gomez. I remember him having a great game when you beat Everton in the FA Cup and he’s another old head on young shoulders.

What is your predicted line-up for Arsenal and expected formation?

With Bernd Leno still out injured I would say Arteta would go for a 5-2-3 formation: Martinez; Mustafi, Luiz, Kolasinac, Bellerin, Tierney; Ceballos, Xhaka; Aubameyang, Lacazette, Pepe - with Saka to feature from the bench at some stage.

Finally, how do you see the game going and what is your score prediction?

Whether I’m in the press box as a journalist, in the stands as a fan or watching on TV at times this summer as the new Gooner Fanzine editor, I have huge respect for Liverpool FC. I’ve probably seen more than 60 Arsenal vs Liverpool games in all competitions in the flesh and I’ve got some favourites, such as the 1987 Littlewoods Cup Final, and some nightmares like the 2001 FA Cup Final in Cardiff! That said, this Liverpool vintage are superb, a joy to watch and one of the best champions in a long time. I’ll go 2-1 to Arsenal. I’m really looking forward to it as I love watching excellent footballers and excellent teams.