Arsenal vs Liverpool preview: team news, lineups, TV, kick-off time, referee & VAR

Arsenal host Liverpool in the FA Cup 3rd Round on Sunday. Here's all you need to know about the fixture at the Emirates.

Liverpool enter their fourth competition of the season this Sunday as their FA Cup campaign gets underway. They enter at the 3rd Round, of course, and immediately face one of the toughest possible tests.

The Reds head to The Emirates Stadium in North London to take on Arsenal. A win would instantly eliminate one of the favourites - and make everyone at Liverpool confident of winning the whole thing.

It's a massive game, then, and here's all you need to know about it.

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DATE, KICK-OFF, STADIUM, REFEREE & VAR

• Date: Sunday, 7 January 2024

• Kick-off time: 16:30 BST / 11:30 ET / 08:30 PT

• Stadium: Emirates Stadium

• Referee: John Brooks

• Assistants: Lee Betts & Nick Greenhalgh

• VAR: Simon Hooper

HEAD-TO-HEAD RECORD

This is one of Liverpool's oldest fixtures, with the first meeting happening all the way back in 1893 - one year after the Reds were founded. Liverpool boast a superior record overall winning 94 of the 240 meetings.

Arsenal have replied with 82 of their own, leaving 64 draws after the 1-1 last month. Incredibly few teams do actually have a positive record against Liverpool, in fairness.

In the FA Cup, however, it is the Gunners who usually come out on top. There have been 17 meetings in total down the years, including finals in 1950, 1971 and 2001.

Liverpool have won just five of the FA Cup games to Arsenal's eight. Intriguingly, the Reds' have never won at Anfield against the Gunners in the cup but actually have a positive record away.

Four wins, three defeats for Liverpool in North London. However, the two most recent have both been Arsenal wins.

WHERE TO WATCH ARSENAL VS LIVERPOOL ON TV

In the UK, Arsenal vs Liverpool will be on the BBC. You can catch it on BBC One, iPlayer, their app and BBCsport.com - all the usual options there, then.

ESPN will be showing the game in the US, while you can catch it on Sportsnet in Canada. DAZN hold most of the rights to the FA Cup in Europe, though there are various companies showing it in specific countries (too many to name here).

Paramount+ Sports and Network 10 hold the FA Cup rights in Australia.

LIVERPOOL TEAM NEWS

The big news for Liverpool is that Mohamed Salah and Wataru Endo are now both away from the team. They'll compete in AFCON and the Asian Cup respectively - and could each be away for some time.

Dominik Szoboszlai is now a major doubt, too, as he left the pitch against Newcastle United holding his hamstring. Jurgen Klopp confirmed afterwards that it looked worrying.

Then there are the long-term absentees. Thiago and Stefan Bajcetic have been out all season, while Andy Robertson and Kostas Tsimikas are nowhere near returns. Joel Matip is likely out for the season with a knee injury.

One interesting addition to the squad, though, is Owen Beck. Liverpool have recalled him from his successful loan at Dundee and he immediately becomes an option at left-back.

Arsenal team news

The Gunners will also miss players to international duty - and funnily enough, for the same nations as Liverpool. Takehiro Tomiyasu will link up with Japan and Endo. Mohamed Elneny is with Egypt now, too.

Oleksandr Zinchenko is a doubt with a calf injury, too, but is expected to play. Bukayo Saka is also playing through a problem but there's little suggestion that he'll miss the FA Cup clash.

Arsenal do have three long-term injuries, though. Thomas Partey remains out, as does Fabio Vieira. Jurrien Timber will likely miss the rest of the season with a knee injury.

Predicted lineup

Liverpool are forced into some changes here, then, with various absences across the pitch. You can read a more detailed prediction here but here's what we're semi-expecting to see at the Emirates:

(4-3-3): Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Beck; Elliott, Mac Allister, Jones; Diaz, Gakpo, Jota

Prediction

This will be a tough one. A very tough one. Arsenal are probably favourites at home with both teams at full strength but Liverpool won't be anywhere near full strength.

They'll have a make-shift option at left-back, no holding midfielder, Szoboszlai likely missing and, above all, no Salah. It's a lot harder to win at Arsenal without Salah than it is with Salah.

But at the same time, Liverpool have shown a few times this season that adversity can actually pull a bit more fight out of them. They went to league-leaders Tottenham Hotspur and nearly came away with a draw despite being down to nine men. Should have had a win, even.

So Liverpool can still win this one and as Arsenal enter it in poor form, the Reds can sneak it even without certain stars.

Arsenal 1-2 Liverpool