Jermaine Jenas
Former Tottenham midfielder on BBC Radio 5 live

Arsenal fans should be happy to see Alexandre Lacazette start this game.

It's a huge blow Olivier Giroud isn't available to come on and change the game, but the mobility and runs Lacazette makes will cause a lot of problems for Liverpool tonight.

One of Arsenal's big issues is in the centre of the park - are they disciplined enough to stay behind the ball and not leave too many gaps against a team like Liverpool, who will punish you.

It's going to be a real good one to watch.

Here we go then! Gimmick level up to 10 for this match, let's hope the action matches it.

Lights off at the Emirates, disco football!

Friday night lights and all that. And no, I haven't mentioned 1989 yet because it's only Christmas, not May, and the title is very much not at stake this evening.

It's not up for grabs noooowwwwww...

Arsenal: Cech, Bellerin, Koscielny, Monreal, Maitland-Niles, Wilshere, Xhaka, Iwobi, Ozil, Sanchez, Lacazette. Subs: Ospina, Walcott, Mustafi, Welbeck, Kolasinac, Coquelin, Elneny.

Liverpool: Mignolet, Gomez, Lovren, Klavan, Robertson, Mane, Henderson, Can, Coutinho, Salah, Firmino. Subs: Karius, Wijnaldum, Milner, Lallana, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Solanke, Alexander-Arnold.

Referee: Martin Atkinson (W Yorkshire)

Jermaine Jenas
Former Tottenham midfielder on BBC Radio 5 live

Alexis Sanchez has to focus all that positive energy and the players need to constantly give him the ball - encourage him to run at players and take risks.

He is the kind of player that will win you the match, win you trophies.

If your team-mates believe in you, then that's all you want as a player.

It is pretty clear he is not going to sign this contract, but I don't think there is a player in the Arsenal dressing room that will begrudge him a move given what he has given the club.

Image source, Reuters

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger, speaking to Sky Sports: "It is important to be quick against Salah. Maitland-Niles has a lack of experience but I think he has a lot going for him. When you are 20 and you get your chance you have to grab it. You have to go for it. You don’t make your debut at 25. If you haven’t started by 20 it is too late.

"We are an offensive team and they are as well. The result will depend not just on how you attack but how you defend. You need a good defensive performance to keep their players quiet. Ideally you want to score early but you have to be patient."

Arsenal picking Ainsley Maitland-Niles at left-back screams 'he's in for his pace.'

Over to Arsene...

Jermaine Jenas
Former Tottenham midfielder on BBC Radio 5 live

Image source, Getty Images

Mo Salah has found the perfect fit, perfect manager and time in his career.

We don't know what kind of Mo Salah turned up at Chelsea - did he arrive thinking he was going to be starting straight away? Then find himself almost drifting in the reserves and losing his confidence?

Credit to him, as most players get to a club like Chelsea and want to stay. He went to Italy and proved himself.

To find his feet at Liverpool so fast is scary, mentally Mo Salah is right at the top of his game.

The fact he didn't have success at Chelsea and still managed to come back and almost be top of the tree as an individual in the Premier League is testament to his mentality.

Swansea City

Swansea City are considering former Crystal Palace manager Frank de Boer and ex-West Ham United boss Slaven Bilic as successors to Paul Clement.

Clement left on Wednesday with the Swans bottom of the Premier League.

Palace sacked former Netherlands defender De Boer in September after five games in charge, while Bilic was dismissed by the Hammers in November.

Initial bookmakers' favourite Tony Pulis is understood not to be among Swansea's preferred candidates.

Swans midfielder and coach Leon Britton will take temporary charge of the club for Saturday's home match with Crystal Palace, but has ruled himself out of the permanent role.

Just a video of Craig David comparing Matthew Le Tissier to Lionel Messi.

Next week, Xavi says Artful Dodger were just as good as 2 Unlimited...

Image source, Getty Images

While we're discussing expensive purchases - a reminder that your club can buy players again in just over a week!

We're basically in that weird bit of time on a Sunday morning when the shops are open, you can load up the trolley, but you can't actually buy anything...

That's brutal.

Conor McNamara
BBC Radio 5 live commentator

Image source, Reuters

We have seen lots of forwards have purple patches and lots of creative players hit a bit of form, but the touches Mohamed Salah takes in the box, he almost nudges the ball with his shin at times, it's high quality stuff.

For me, of all the signings in the summer, Mo Salah has had the best impact and if he keeps going it will be touch and go to who is player of the year.

You may regret that comment Marco...

Kevin: I offered to buy my brother a half season ticket, now four years later, I still buy him one every year

Marco Bhakar: One of the best gestures I've made at Christmas is probably writing Arsene Wenger a letter of support to sign a new contract! It worked!

Jermaine Jenas
Former Tottenham midfielder on BBC Radio 5 live

It's a huge night for Jack Wilshere. I have been watching a lot of him in the Europa League, where he has played most of his games.

It's good to see he's back up to fitness and playing 90 minutes - this is the first big one really, the pace and ferocity that Liverpool bring to this type of game.

There will be a lot of responsibility on him. The 'fab four' will surround him and try to overwhelm Arsenal at times.

He's got to find a way to bring his own qualities to the game. What Jack has is the genuine quality on the ball to retain possession and not panic.

Arsenal

Image source, Reuters

Injury-plagued England midfielder Jack Wilshere expects to sign a new Arsenal contract in the coming weeks.

The 25-year-old, whose current deal expires at the end of the season, has made 15 appearances this season, having returned from a calf injury in August.

He starts tonight - after seeing last season on loan at fellow Premier League side Bournemouth

"I definitely want to be here. I want to help Arsenal get to where they should be," Wilshere, who made his Gunners debut in 2008, told Sky Sports.

"We just have to sort things out and I'm sure that will happen in the next couple of weeks and it will be sorted."

Image source, Getty Images

• Liverpool have scored at least three goals in each of their four Premier League matches against Arsenal under Jurgen Klopp, scoring 14 goals in total (W3 D1).
• There have been 17 goals scored in the 90th minute or later in this match in Premier League history; more than in any other fixture in the competition.

Image source, Getty Images

BBC Radio 5 live

Image source, Getty Images

Jurgen's tuned in... are you?

You can follow this Christmas cracker on BBC Radio 5 live from 19:00 GMT.

Stick on the wireless or follow the link at the top of this page.