Liverpool are gearing up for one of their toughest challenges of the season as they face Arsenal, and a member of the Gunners’ squad has already admitted that stopping Mohamed Salah is practically “impossible.”
As the two Premier League giants prepare for this crucial match, only four points and two spots separate them in the league standings, making this clash all the more significant.
Both Liverpool and Arsenal have had to deal with injuries in the lead-up to the game. Liverpool head coach Arne Slot will be hoping that Diogo Jota is fit to return to the squad, providing them with an additional attacking option. On the other hand, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta faces a difficult decision as he contemplates how to contain a red-hot Salah, who is currently in fine form.
Defensively, Arsenal are facing a crisis in the left-back position. Riccardo Calafiori, who had been starting in that role, picked up an injury in midweek and is doubtful for the match. To make matters worse, both Takehiro Tomiyasu and Jurrien Timber are also not expected to feature, leaving Arteta with limited options.
The most likely candidates to fill in at left-back are Jakub Kiwior, 18-year-old Myles Lewis-Skelly, or Oleksandr Zinchenko. Zinchenko, however, has openly expressed in the past how challenging it is to defend against Salah. In an interview with Rio Ferdinand in 2023, Zinchenko admitted that the Egyptian winger is one of the toughest players he has ever faced.
“Salah is absolutely explosive and unstoppable,” Zinchenko remarked when asked about the hardest opponent he has played against. While the Ukrainian international has faced other top-tier attackers like Riyad Mahrez, he emphasized that Salah presents a unique challenge. “With all due respect to the others, Salah is just different. He’s impossible to stop when he gets going.”
Zinchenko’s past encounters with Salah have been filled with difficulties. He has faced Liverpool six times while playing for both Manchester City and Arsenal, during which Salah managed to score three goals. Zinchenko has felt the weight of trying to keep Salah quiet, and it seems that could be the case again if he is tasked with marking him on Sunday.
Zinchenko has only recently returned to Arsenal’s squad following a calf injury, and if he does start, he’ll likely be on high alert, knowing the danger Salah poses. He shared an anecdote from the 2019 Community Shield match, which Manchester City won on penalties, but not without Zinchenko feeling the heat from Salah.
He recalled a particularly tough moment when he asked then-Man City assistant coach Mikel Arteta for advice during halftime: “I went to Mikel and said, ‘What can I do against this?’ Virgil van Dijk had the ball, Salah was dropping wide, and the space between me and Salah was enormous. Once Salah got up to speed, it was game over for me. He’s just too fast and too powerful.”
In that game, Zinchenko struggled to cope with the combination of Salah’s speed and positioning. “There were five balls in a row where Salah was just coming at me with full speed. It was impossible to deal with it,” Zinchenko admitted.
For Arsenal, facing an in-form Salah is an unenviable task. The Liverpool forward has already racked up seven goals and seven assists this season, showcasing his consistency as both a scorer and creator. Heading into this pivotal game, Salah will be eager to add to his tally and push Liverpool further ahead in the title race.
If Liverpool manage to secure all three points, they will widen the gap between them and Arsenal to seven points, a significant advantage as the season progresses. With Salah in top form, Slot’s team will be full of confidence heading into the Emirates Stadium, knowing that Arsenal’s defensive frailties could be exposed.
For Arteta, the decision of who to deploy at left-back is crucial. Zinchenko’s experience and tactical awareness could make him the best option, but his history against Salah suggests it won’t be easy. Alternatively, Arteta could opt for the younger, less experienced options like Kiwior or Lewis-Skelly, though the risks involved in pitting them against a player of Salah’s caliber are clear.
No matter who starts for Arsenal, containing Salah will be key to their chances of getting a result. As Zinchenko and others have found out the hard way, facing the Egyptian winger is a daunting challenge that few defenders have been able to handle. If Salah continues his fine form, Liverpool could leave London with a vital win that boosts their title hopes and deepens Arsenal’s injury concerns.
COMMENTS