Former Arsenal captain Patrick Vieira has expressed confidence that his old club can rebound from their 2-0 defeat to Bournemouth and claim a crucial win over top-of-the-table Liverpool at the Emirates.
Also Read: Gary Neville tells Arsenal fans to stop making ‘excuses’ and makes prediction for Liverpool clash
Despite recent struggles and key injuries, Vieira believes home support and team unity will give Arsenal the edge against a formidable Liverpool side.
Arsenal enters the game with several notable absences. William Saliba is suspended following his red card against Bournemouth, while captain Martin Odegaard remains out with an ankle injury.
Additionally, Arsenal may be without Bukayo Saka, Riccardo Calafiori, Jurrien Timber, and Takehiro Tomiyasu, all dealing with injuries.
In contrast, Liverpool’s injuries are less extensive but still include absences like Alisson, Diogo Jota, Conor Bradley, and Federico Chiesa.
Speaking to mybettingsites.co.uk, Vieira acknowledged the challenge posed by Arsenal’s thin squad against an in-form Liverpool team.
“Arsenal’s squad is very depleted, probably too depleted to meet expectations against Liverpool,”
he admitted,
“but playing at home with their fans behind them, I believe they can pull off a win if they’re efficient in front of goal.”
Vieira emphasized that this game requires a collective team effort to counterbalance the lack of key players.
“This club’s strength has always been teamwork,”
he added, urging each player to give everything for the win. Vieira also suggested that a victory could prove to be a pivotal moment in Arsenal’s season, especially after recently coming from behind to draw against Manchester City.
Sharing his thoughts, former Manchester United defender Gary Neville criticized Arsenal’s injury “excuses” but still backed them to win. “Every team has injuries,” Neville said, encouraging Arsenal to approach the game with a winning mindset.
“They have to change their mentality from a team that’s used to finishing second to one that’s determined to win the league.”
Neville predicted a close 2-1 win for Arsenal, noting that it’s crucial for Arsenal not to fall seven points behind Liverpool. His experience suggests that the motivation to close the gap will give Arsenal an edge.
With significant stakes riding on the game, both Vieira and Neville believe Arsenal’s resolve will be tested but are hopeful for a strong showing against Liverpool at the Emirates.
