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The Times & The Sunday Times
The Times & The Sunday Times
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Liverpool’s strength in depth can send Arsenal home empty handed

Premiership by Mike Brewer
The Times
Premiership by Mike Brewer
The Times

LIVERPOOL can call on their reserves to find the strength to see off Arsenal in their Premiership encounter at Anfield on Tuesday night, a match that is live on Sky.

The Reds, who have already played 43 games in a season starting last July, are best-priced at 6-5 with Stan James to triumph and deal the European hopes of a floundering Arsenal a further blow.

Neither side has been pulling up trees of late, Liverpool responding to successive defeats when winning away to Wigan on Saturday, and Arsenal being held at home by Bolton on the same afternoon. Confidence in either team’s chance is therefore restricted, yet the strength of Liverpool’s home form (won nine of 12) and the weakness of Arsenal on the road (won just three of 12, losing six) suggests Rafael Benitez’s men can enjoy the better of exchanges.

Benitez may rotate his team with FA Cup and European Cup matches against Manchester United and Benfica to come in the next week, and will monitor the fitness of Peter Crouch before naming his starting XI. Crouch missed Saturday’s win at Wigan with a heel injury. Luis Garcia may recover from a knee problem to start, while Stephen Warnock has recovered from a groin injury. Jose Reina serves the last of his three-match ban for being sent off at Chelsea.

Arsenal, who sit fifth in the Premiership, seven points behind third-placed Liverpool and four points behind Tottenham, can ill afford any further slips to stay in the hunt for a Champions League place. They welcome back Kolo Toure and Emmanuel Eboue from African Nations Cup duty but are missing a number of leading lights. Jose Antonio Reyes is out after damaging his leg against Bolton on Saturday. Robin van Persie (toe) is still not fit, while Dennis Bergkamp is also out after picking up a calf injury in training. Sol Campbell (ankle), Ashley Cole (thigh), Gael Clichy (foot), Pascal Cygan (hamstring), Lauren (knee) and Theo Walcott (shoulder) are all continuing to receive treatment.

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Arsenal are best-priced at 11-4 with Blue Square and Bet Direct. The draw is a general 9-4.