Liverpool vs Arsenal Game Preview, Stream, Odds, Picks & Predictions

At this point, Liverpool and Arsenal might consider winning the EFL Cup as a safety net. You know, to not finish the season trophyless.

Liverpool is still in the Premier League and UEFA Champions League race but the Reds aren’t the favorites. On the other hand, the Gunners just got eliminated from the FA Cup, so this is actually this all they have.

Liverpool dominates the soccer odds for the first leg of the semifinals, but again, Arsenal can’t afford to lose.

Liverpool vs Arsenal 2022 EFL Cup Semifinals

Reds to Avoid Crisis

Believe it or not, Liverpool won only one of its last four games. And, no offense, but it was against Shrewsbury Town in the third round of the FA Cup. I don’t blame you if you’re opening another tab to search for Shrewsbury Town.

Jokes aside, beating Shrewsbury Town allowed the Reds to regain some confidence. It also allowed manager Jurgen Klopp to rest some of the starters. The list includes Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk, Sadio Mane and Diogo Jota.

Having the team’s top scorers, Salah and Jota, well rested can make a huge difference. Klopp has been using an alternative squad, but I would expect a mix for this one.

To get here, Liverpool eliminated Norwich (3-0), Preston (2-0), and Leicester City (3-3, 5-4 in penalty shootout). The mix I mentioned before includes Takumi Minamino, the team’s top scorer in this competition with four goals.

No team has been able to defeat Liverpool at Anfield. In all three domestic competitions, the Reds own a 7-4-0 record at home — case you needed another reason to consider including them in your soccer picks.

Liverpool’s predicted lineup: Allison; Trent Alexander-Arnold, Joe Gomez, Virgil van Dijk, Kostas Tsimikas; Curtis Jones, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Jordan Henderson; Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino, Takumi Minamino.

Arsenal to Get Back on Track

Arsenal had a rocky start to the season but managed to turn things around over the last couple months. However, they just lost two games in a row, against Manchester City (EPL) and, most recently, against Nottingham Forest (FA Cup).

Regarding the EFL Cup, the Gunners started playing one round earlier than Liverpool. They eliminated Albion (6-0), AFC Wimbledon (3-0), Leeds United (2-0) and Sunderland FC (5-1).

Unlike Klopp, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has been playing with a mix of usual starters and substitutes since the beginning.

That has allowed Eddie Nketiah to score five goals, enough to be the competition’s top scorer. Nicolas Pepe has also taken advantage of the opportunity and leads the assists chart with four.

The Gunners only won two of their last five games on the road but, curiously enough, they scored 12 goals and allowed only seven.

That’s why I expect them to put up a good fight at Anfield. A $100 bet on the Gunners in the sportsbook could make you $340.

Arsenal’s predicted lineup: Aaron Ramsdale; Rob Holding, Ben White, Gabriel dos Santos, Kieran Tierney; Thomas Partey, Granit Xhaka, Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, Gabriel Martinelli; Alexandre Lacazette.

Liverpool vs Arsenal Head to Head

Previous Matches: 231
Liverpool Victories: 91 (342 goals)
Arsenal Victories: 79 (297 goals)
Draws: 61

Liverpool crushed Arsenal in their first meeting of the season. The game, also at Anfield, finished 4-0. Mane opened the can in the first half while Jota, Salah and Minamino scored in the second.

The Reds won their last three encounters by a 10-1 aggregate. The Gunners haven’t won at Anfield since the 2012-13 season. However, last season they defeated Liverpool in the Round of 16 in this competition through a penalty shootout. The game ended 0-0.

Liverpool vs Arsenal Game Information

Date: Thursda
Time: 2:45 p.m. ET
Location: Anfield, Liverpool
Liverpool vs Arsenal Live Stream: fuboTV

Liverpool vs Arsenal Prediction

There’s a huge difference between the previous rounds and the semifinals: one more game. That’s right, this is only the first leg, meaning Liverpool also has to visit Arsenal. The second leg is scheduled for Jan. 20.

Having said that, I still expect both to go all-in, especially Liverpool. The Reds want to take a comfortable advantage to focus on chasing Manchester City in the EPL. However, I really expect Arsenal to put up a good fight. Arteta knows he’s running out of opportunities and the Gunners need to win a title ASAP.

That’s why my betting online recommendation is to go with the draw. Both teams have an offensive mentality, so you should also expect the total to go over.

Score Prediction: Liverpool 2, Arsenal 2