•Arteta’s team has trained hard this week to regain their “rhythm, purpose and threat.”
•The coach particularly worked with Eddie Nketiah because he was largely anonymous in the Fulham game.
Image: XINHUA
Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta tore into his players during half-time and again in the dressing room after the loss to Fulham.
Christmas brought no welcome presents for Arteta who also lost their London derby match against West Ham.
Next up is the FA Cup game against Liverpool and an Anfield fixture is a challenge at any time, particularly in this crunch Cup match which is the pick of the weekend’s ties.
Arteta’s team has trained hard this week to regain their “rhythm, purpose and threat.”
The coach particularly worked with Eddie Nketiah because he was largely anonymous in the Fulham game.
He is also considering changes with academy players contesting places but he will not reveal his team until Saturday morning.
Charles Sagoe Jr started at Brentford in the Carabao Cup and the 19-year-old winger could play again but he has serious competition from Amario Cozier-Duberry who has been around the senior team for some time but has only made the bench in a Europa League tie against FC Zurich.
In Arsenal’s Under-21 squad matches, he has scored five goals and made two assists. Myles Lewis-Skelly is a defensive midfielder who has already earned an England Under-18 cap.
Reuell Walters is another possible after sitting on the subs bench more than a dozen times and at 19 years of age, he is waiting for his big chance. Previous starters Reiss Nelson and Emile Smith Rowe could also be in line to play as Arteta refreshes his struggling squad.
Liverpool’s Jurgen Klopp will not make wholesale changes to his team despite Mo Salah and Wataru Endo heading off to Afcon and Asian Cup matches.
Alexis MacAllister is likely to be fit and returns in place of midfielder Wataru Endo. Klopp also has one eye on a League Cup semi-final against Fulham three days later. He is considering Conor Bradley at right-back giving Alexander-Arnold a well-deserved rest.
Jarell Quansah is the most likely to play in defence and he has recently rotated with Ibrahima Konate. Van Dijk will play but Joel Matip is out for the rest of the season.
The coach is thinking of playing Harvey Elliott and he could be used going forward. Thiago Alcantara is not yet fit and neither is Stefan Bajcetic. With Salah missing both Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz could play on the right. The versatility of Diaz, Jota, Gakpo and Nunez means they provide a serious strike force.
Elsewhere, a huge northeast derby cup match pits under siege Newcastle against neighbours Sunderland. The teams have not met in the Cup since 1956.
Whereas Newcastle are the superior team, coach Eddie Howe is having to pick the same players for each match because of injuries but it is likely a couple of academy players could feature.
His team did well in the first half against Liverpool but showed how tired they were in the second.
Eddie Howe is facing his worst crisis since taking over two years ago but he said, “We know how important this game is for the city, for the supporters and for us in our season so all our energies are going towards that. I do not want to make excuses but we do have half our team out.”
Sunderland and new coach Michael Beale, who are challenging for a play-off place in the Championship, will field a full-strength team.
Sunderland’s squad was assembled for £ 10 million and they have a total wage bill of £ 7 million which is equal to Newcastle’s Bruno Guimaraes’ annual salary. £10million wouldn’t buy £56million Alexander Isak’s left leg.
Despite Newcastle’s recent comedy of errors, they are still better than Sunderland in physical terms, ability and tactics.
It is doubtful any of the Sunderland team would get into Newcastle’s first eleven.
However, Jack Clarke is their current standout player, Anthony Patterson could challenge for a spot between the posts and Dan Neil is comparable to Lewis Miley or Sean Longstaff and the team play a free-flowing crisp passing style. Can Sunderland succeed? Beale thinks they can and Howe is desperate to prove him wrong.
Manchester United face a tricky tie at Wigan on Monday and coach Erik Ten Hag is so worried about losing his job that he has arranged for goalkeeper Andre Onana to delay leaving for Afcon until after the game.
Tottenham host Burnley without their captain Son Heung-min who left for the Asian Cup this week but he addressed his players after the match against Bournemouth and reminded them how they all stepped up when Harry Kane left and now they must do it again in his absence.
Everton travel to Crystal Palace and Brentford face Wolves. After their 3-0 defeat to Wolves, Everton coach Sean Dyche revealed that Dele Ali has suffered yet another setback to his thigh injury and will not play but Amadou Onana, Dwight McNeil, James Garner, James Tarkowski and Jack Harrison are all fit.
Palace boss Roy Hodgson has been under pressure but a win against Brentford has given him breathing space and with Olise and Eze in sparkling form he believes that even a hostile venue such as Everton will bring him success.
Potential banana skins include Brighton’s visit to Stoke and Aston Villa’s trip to Middlesborough.