Premier League: Arsenal v Liverpool

Summary

Salah scores 15th league goal of season after Coutinho opener
Sanchez, Xhaka and Ozil turn game around before Firmino levels
Game from Emirates is live on BBC Radio 5 live

Live Reporting

Tom Rostance

Postpublished at 18:59 Greenwich Mean Time 22 December 2017
It's not a 2,500 pint round, but it's not bad...
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200 up?published at 18:58 Greenwich Mean Time 22 December 2017
Arsenal v Liverpool (19:45 GMT)
Image source, Getty Images
- Petr Cech (199 clean sheets) is one clean sheet away from becoming the first ever goalkeeper to record 200 shutouts in the Premier League – however, he’s conceded 14 goals in his five games against Liverpool for Arsenal; at least six more than he has against any other side.
Gimme gimme more, gimme morepublished at 18:56 Greenwich Mean Time 22 December 2017
Arsenal v Liverpool (19:45 GMT)
Liverpool
Media caption,
Jurgen Klopp wants more goals from Oxlade-Chamberlain
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp wants Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to be involved in more goals, saying there is "a lot of space for improvement".
Oxlade-Chamberlain, 24, has scored twice in 20 appearances in all competitions since arriving from Arsenal in August for £35m.
"The biggest potential he has is to being involved in goalscoring situations more," Klopp said.
"He has it in himself, but he was not asked too much of this in the past."
And - he's been dropped...
Team newspublished at 18:55 Greenwich Mean Time 22 December 2017
Arsenal v Liverpool (19:45 GMT)
Arsenal name the same starting XI as the one that beat Newcastle in their last Premier League game. That means Alexandre Lacazette leads the line with Jack Wilshere in midfield and Ainsley Maitland-Niles at full back.
Arsenal: Cech, Bellerin, Koscielny, Monreal, Maitland-Niles, Wilshere, Xhaka, Iwobi, Ozil, Sanchez, Lacazette. Subs: Ospina, Walcott, Mustafi, Welbeck, Kolasinac, Coquelin, Elneny.
Image source, .
Former Arsenal winger Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain will have to come off the bench to face his former side. He is one of two changes made by Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp with Georginio Wijnaldum also dropping to the bench. Emre Can and Sadio Mane come back in.
Liverpool: Mignolet, Gomez, Lovren, Klavan, Robertson, Mane, Henderson, Can, Coutinho, Salah, Firmino. Subs: Karius, Wijnaldum, Milner, Lallana, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Solanke, Alexander-Arnold.
Image source, .
get involved
Get Involved - Carried away at Christmaspublished at 18:50 Greenwich Mean Time 22 December 2017
#bbcfootball or 81111 on text
In honour of our friend, and yours, Zanka Jorgensen, we're asking the question:
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What's the biggest/most outlandish/best gesture you've ever made at Christmas?
It could be just purely down to £££££, or it could be based on the amount of effort you put in...
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Get in touch with us by texting in to 81111 (UK Only, with your names on) or tweet us at #bbcfootball
Zanka Claus is coming to Townpublished at 18:48 Greenwich Mean Time 22 December 2017
Huddersfield Town
It's our favourite footballing story of the festive season.
Media caption,
'Zanka' Claus is coming to Huddersfield Town!
Defender Mathias Jorgensen has offered to buy every Huddersfield Town fan who travels away to Southampton on Saturday a Christmas drink as thanks for their "amazing" support this season.
The gesture could cost the Denmark international more than £8,000.
An eight-grand round!
Postpublished at 18:48 Greenwich Mean Time 22 December 2017
A match with two top teams playing a back four. Not had that for a while!
'Fourth as good as it gets?'published at 18:46 Greenwich Mean Time 22 December 2017
Arsenal v Liverpool (19:45 GMT)
Martin Fisher
Match of the Day commentator
Image source, Getty Images
It's fifth versus fourth, with Arsenal one point behind their opponents, but even as the season reaches its midway point, fourth spot looks like being as good as it gets for these two giants. Neither of them dare contemplate missing out on the Champions League. It's a big game then.
Only runaway leaders Manchester City boast a better home record than the Gunners but, since their only defeat at the Emirates Stadium to Manchester United, their form has stuttered.
Liverpool's stutters have come at Anfield but on the road they have been magnificent, winning their last four and scoring 16 goals along the way.
Jurgen Klopp might not publicly enjoy , externalall the fuss over his 'Fab Four' but Arsene Wenger knows his chances of success rest heavily on silencing Salah, Coutinho, Firmino and Mane. Best of luck with that!
Team newspublished at 18:45 Greenwich Mean Time 22 December 2017
Breaking
Arsenal v Liverpool (19:45 GMT)
Arsenal make 11 changes from the League Cup team, as you probably expected. Ainsley Maitland-Niles keeps his place and Alex Iwobi is in too.
Liverpool make two changes from the team which beat Bournemouth - in come Emre Can and Sadio Mane.
Arsenal: Cech; Bellerin, Koscielny, Monreal, Maitland-Niles; Wilshere, Xhaka; Iwobi, Ozil, Sanchez; Lacazette
Liverpool: Mignolet; Gomez, Lovren, Klavan, Robertson; Can, Henderson, Coutinho; Salah, Firmino, Mane
'Arsenal are a complete football team'published at 18:40 Greenwich Mean Time 22 December 2017
Arsenal v Liverpool (19:45 GMT)
Image source, Reuters
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp: "I don't know if there will be a lot of goals again like last season, but we go there to perform and to get as much as we can. We know that's difficult but in this moment I feel it is possible.
"Arsenal are a complete football team, they are able to do everything, switch and change styles. Against us it happened that they played a lot of long balls to Giroud. He cannot play (tonight) so that will mean they will change a few things maybe.
"But they are able to create, they will have a strong side whoever will play. It means a lot of good, good footballers on the pitch."
Same again tonight?published at 18:40 Greenwich Mean Time 22 December 2017
Arsenal v Liverpool (19:45 GMT)
BBC Sport looks back to last season's epic encounter between Arsenal and Liverpool, when seven goals were scored in a stunning opening-weekend encounter at the Emirates.
Listen to live commentary of Arsenal v Liverpool, Friday 22 December, 19:45 GMT on BBC Radio 5 live.
Available to UK users only.
Postpublished at 18:33 Greenwich Mean Time 22 December 2017
Arsenal v Liverpool (19:45 GMT)
Image source, PA
Yep, out there in the 'the real world' I'm sure plenty of you are indeed driving home for Christmas this evening.
And what better accompaniment to the traffic at Sandbach or Chertsey than a festive Premier League cracker?
A massive Friday night game to kick off what should be a massive weekend for all of you...
Driving home for Christmas?published at 18:30 Greenwich Mean Time 22 December 2017
Arsenal v Liverpool (19:45 GMT)
Image source, Getty Images
You can't wait to see those faces...
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Top to toe in fullbacks...
Got red shirts all around.
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So I sing for you - though you can't hear me
When I get through...
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Driving home for Christmas...