Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard has cranked up the pressure on Arsenal ahead of tomorrow’s clash at the Emirates Stadium by stating defeat for the Gunners will cost them third place. The Gunners have taken just one point from their last three Premier League matches were dumped out of the FA Cup by Stoke.
Liverpool, by contrast, have put together a league run of five wins and two draws and have kept six clean sheets.
A win for Rafael Benitez’s side tomorrow would put them within two points of their third-placed opponents and Gerrard believes that is all the encouragement they need.
“I’m sure Arsenal will be a bit of a wounded animal on Wednesday,” he said. “It’s a massive game for us and the target is to try to get a result where we can push on and try to get third place.
“We’re just taking each game as it comes. Obviously at the end of the season our target is a top-four finish but if Arsenal give us any sniff of catching them then we want to grab it and hopefully that will be on Wednesday night.”
Arsenal’s 10-match unbeaten league run was ended by back-to-back defeats to Manchester United and Chelsea, and Gerrard hopes to make it three in a row.
“We’ve certainly got to do what Manchester United and Chelsea have done to them, which is try to give them very little space and hit them on the counter-attack,” he added.
“Everyone knows that if you give Arsenal time and space they will absolutely crucify you. We’re not playing terrifically well to be honest. The last few performances have been more about being solid defensively and nicking important goals.
“We can certainly play better.”
Midfielder Alberto Aquilani, meanwhile, will miss the trip to London because of illness. The Italian has been vomiting and manager Rafael Benitez said he was too weak to feature at the Emirates Stadium.
Centre-back Sotirios Kyrgiakos starts a three-match suspension after being sent off in Saturday’s fiery Merseyside derby and is also sidelined for forthcoming games against Manchester City and Blackburn.
He is likely to be replaced by Martin Skrtel, who was dropped to the bench at the weekend to allow for the return of Daniel Agger after a month out injured.
Liverpool’s only other absentees are striker Fernando Torres (knee), Yossi Benayoun (rib) and Glen Johnson (knee), all of whom are still some way off full fitness.