Liverpool v Arsenal preview

Got some thinking to do...

In a few minutes from now Brendan Rodgers' Liverpool side host Premiership leaders Arsenal at Anfield, and like with every fixture between now and the 11th May, is a must win for the Reds.

It goes without saying that Liverpool have not done well against the teams above them in the league this season having taken a big fat zero points from the possible nine available from Arsenal, Manchester City and Chelsea. Cries of bad luck, poor refereeing aside, the final scoreline speaks for itself, and this is what matters. The biggest issue for Liverpool this season, in my opinion has been their defence. Shocking would not have been an understatement for many an occasion this season and this is something Rodgers must remedy.

I don't believe the inability to capture an obscure Ukrainian attacking midfielder in January to be the failure of Liverpool, but rather the lack of focussing on bringing in a competent defender to shore up the leaky back line. This is absolutely clear and I don't know what team observers are watching if they see missing out on signing Yehven Konoplyanka as the death knell for Liverpool's season. Only Man City have scored more goals than Liverpool so far this term thus the attacking element in the side does not appear to be the burning issue. The fact that they've shipped more goals than the rest of the top five sides is.

The one saving grace for Liverpool is that all the losses against the top teams have come away from home and the chance to play the top three sides in front of their own fans is definitely an advantage. I for one am expecting much more from the Reds at Anfield and let's hope the side give the fans - and themselves for that matter - something to be proud of. I'm not particularly bothered about the performance if I'm honest. The primary aim against the top sides must be to get the result. Point. These are the kind of games that will shape Rodgers fate and determine whether this season is a mere flash in the pan or a genuine 'Phoenix from the ashes' scenario.

Personally, I'd like to see Jon Flanagan and Martin Kelly starting as the full backs to give the team a bit more 'bite'. I don't think Aly Cissokho has been all that from what I've seen of him. There is certainly no room for the kind of mistake that Kolo Touré made to gift West Bromwich Albion an equaliser in the last fixture. For the midfield and attack, business as usual.

A win for Liverpool would give them 50 points and a five point cushion over Everton who have a difficult away trip to a resurgent Tottenham tomorrow - Not to mention three points behind Chelsea and Man City who occupy third and second respectively. Let's hope in a couple of hours we're talking about three points gained instead of two thrown away, or worse still, three given away.

Follow me on Twitter: @ Mrbengreen

To jinx or not to jinx

Let's hope you're laughing come May!

Contrary to what Billy Shakespeare wrote, this is actually the question. You see, no sooner had I revealed my superstitious fear of lauding Liverpool's start to the season, the wheels appeared to fall off the bandwagon of optimism. Yes, it was Arsenal and yes, they're top of the league and looking good value for it, but I can't bring myself to say that they're unbeatable In all fairness, games between these two are always impossible to call. Perhaps I just chose the wrong moment!

So, that said, I'm not overly disappointed with the result. I just see it as a reminder that there is still work for Brendan Rodgers and the whole team to do. I think the biggest undoing was playing three at the back. It seems to have worked well thus far this season, but against a top team I don't believe the manager should stray too far from the tried and trusted. Rodger's reasoning for playing this 3-5-2 is to accommodate both Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge in attack. For me, that's a feeble excuse and not one I expect to hear from someone who, not so long ago, was claiming the players "Will play where they're told to".

The point I'm making is that if it ain't broke, don't fix it. I'd like to see Rodgers be bold enough to play one of them in a wider position, the other in the middle and simply have them swapping positions now and again. Surely that's got to pull the opposition defences all over the place trying to manage the two of them. When all is said and done though, the players are the ones who should stand up for the occasion and be counted and I don't think that happened until it was too late. Suarez reverted to his old self and missed a glorious chance to play Sturridge in for a near dead cert finish in the closing stages. Instead going it alone and pushing it wide. That has to stop. Aaron Ramsey's finish is definitely worth a mention.

A look at the next few fixtures provides, what I would say, is a chance for Liverpool to consolidate their place as a front runner this season. Fulham and Norwich at home either side of away fixtures at Everton and Hull respectively have got to be games that Liverpool should be looking to pick up maximum points. With the exception of the derby - which is always a bit of a lottery - you've got to fancy the Reds to do the business going into the Christmas shakeup. The festive season brings away games at Tottenham, Man City and Chelsea and the team needs the confidence going into that period. Ahead of that, a testing encounter at Upton Park to visit West Ham will also test LFC's "top-four" credentials.

I'm a believer that the season can be won and lost over Christmas so this is a time I'm really looking forward to. Will Rodgers' men build on what can only be described as surprisingly good start to the season? Or will they peter out like Newcastle, West Brom, or (more likely than not) Southampton have done in recent times? I don't do predictions but I'd suggest a two-goal margin in Liverpool's favour on Saturday against Fulham.

Where the league is concerned, time of course, will tell but - optimistically, I believe the top four is in reach and should be expected by all Liverpool fans. Realistically, I'd be happy with fifth because it means qualification for European competition and still represents an improvement on the previous season's effort. Improvement is all Liverpool fans can ask for given the shambles that the club became under Tom Hicks and George Gillet. Two that definitely weren't the best that Liverpool could get.

Follow me on Twitter @Mrbengreen