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How can Liverpool get a Sterling result at home to Arsenal?

I can remember exactly what I was doing on February 8th of this year at about 12.45pm. Liverpool ...



How can Liverpool get a Sterli...
Soccer

How can Liverpool get a Sterling result at home to Arsenal?

I can remember exactly what I was doing on February 8th of this year at about 12.45pm.

Liverpool and Arsenal were just about to kick off and I was dashing home to catch the start of the match.

By the time I settled on my favourite watch-football-do-not-disturb-me spot on the couch, it was 25 minutes in, and I was expecting it to still be a tight affair.

For the longest time, my brain struggled to register the scoreline. Four. Nil!

It was scarcely believable that the Gunners were already down by that score.

Fast forward 10 months and Liverpool look nothing like the team that ripped Arsenal to shreds before our very eyes.

The two sides meet this Sunday and tactically one has to accept that without Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge, it will be difficult for Brendan Rodgers' men to match the intensity of the pressing and harrying which blew Arsene Wenger's boys away like the wolf in front of the three little pigs' abode - well, other than the wolf never wins in fairtytales.

Lately, Rodgers has been testing out Raheem Sterling in the central striker role. It didn't quite work out against Manchester United due to a combination of David De Gea and his own lack of sharpness (but it is encouraging that he found himself in great positions in an unfamiliar role), although he was in better goalscoring form against Bournemouth in the League Cup.

With Mario Balotelli suspended, Sterling is likely to start up front. But how can he be best deployed to take advantage of Arsenal's frailties?

Laurent Koscielny is out for the Gunners, meaning Calum Chambers is primed to slot in at centre-back so Mathieu Debuchy can return to his natural habitat at right-back.

Sterling has the pace and movement to trouble Arsenal down the channels between full-back and centre-back, especially as Kieran Gibbs and Debuchy like to push high up the field thereby exposing the central defence.

If Sterling, who scored twice in February's 5 - 1 win, can isolate Per Mertesacker or Chambers one-on-one, especially on the break, he could do damage. But he also requires assistance from the players behind him to make the necessary over-lapping runs should he find himself too far wide.

Jordan Henderson scored the fifth goal against the Gunners 10 months ago and his tireless energy could be best used in a more box-to-box role, given that Arsenal's midfield sometimes do not track runners and can become overloaded defensively - Bojan's goal in Stoke's win being a case in point.

The other option could be to start with Rickie Lambert as the centre-forward to bring a more constant presence up front, which might tempt Arsenal to play a high line due to the former Southampton striker's lack of pace. If Sterling plays close behind him, he can play in a much more direct No 10 role, working off flick-ons and attempting to breach the lines and run into space. 

Either way, Sterling is Liverpool's best bet in an offensive sense this Sunday.

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