Former Liverpool and Arsenal player Jermaine Pennant has backed Liverpool to grab top spot in the Premier League as Everton travel to Anfield on Saturday in the Merseyside derby.
Liverpool can climb to the top of the league on goal difference before the other teams kick-off on Saturday afternoon, if they win by more than one goal. Pennant has dubbed the red side of Merseyside as the favourites, and expects them to win in the early kick-off.
“Of course they can, they have got the squad and obviously the players to do that. Everton are not in great form, it has not been great for the past couple of years to be honest”, says Pennant.
“It is a Merseyside derby, it does not matter about form, it is about who turns up, who is mentally prepared well, who can run the most and who is putting in the most tackles. That usually gets you the victory in these derbies, especially the Merseyside derby.
“I think the Anfield faithful, the 12th man will play a vital part in the game at the weekend. 12:30 kick off is not always great after an international break but it is at home with home advantage, and like I said if the fans play their part like they usually do, that will go a long way.”
Liverpool have not won in their last two Premier League games, after a draw at Brighton and the controversial defeat to Spurs.
Embed from Getty Images“I would not say they have had some bad results. I think the Spurs game as we all know should not have ended in zero points coming back (to Liverpool). I think it should have been a draw.
“At the end of the day we scored a valid goal and it got chalked off. Going down to nine men, it was never a sending off in itself.
“Diogo Jota did not actually touch Udogie twice, he never touched him, but somehow got sent off. It was a good performance, last minute own goal, coming away with nothing was very very very unlucky. The Brighton game; look we know that Brighton team is a very good team at the moment. It is always going to be difficult there.
“It was disappointing to concede the two, I thought we played really well. The signs were there that we were playing really well. It does not matter if they go behind, we still have got the mentality to keep going and claw goals back.
“I do not think they are in a bad place at the moment. They are fourth in the league, three points behind the league leaders and a point behind Manchester City. So everything is going well.
“Like I said, it is a Merseyside derby, we have seen over the last couple of years how tight they have been. 0-0s, 1-0, and how difficult Everton will make it with everyone behind the ball, trying to frustrate Liverpool, try to get under their skin, get the crowd to turn against them and all those tactics.
“Obviously it is fantastic after that game knowing that you are top of the table, some good bragging rights. I think it is going to be tight. Everton are going to really make it difficult, so I am going to go for a 1-0 Liverpool win.”
Meanwhile, Arsenal are still unbeaten as they travel to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea. The teatime kick-off is another tasty fixture, which Arsenal won last season thanks to a Gabriel goal.
Pennant admitted it will be a tough game for the Gunners, but says that Mikel Arteta’s man have enough to win.
“Arsenal will be looking to take all three points to win this game, they are favourites. With Chelsea you do not know what you are going to get when they play,” he said.
“Sometimes they are amazing and the next game awful. We have seen some rubbish performances and we have seem some great performances. It is not going to be an easy game, it depends on what Chelsea team turns up.
“Having home advantage is going to play in their favour. Reece James may be back so that will be a boost for them.
“They have been on a good run recently, two wins in the last two games. It is not going to be a easy of a game as one thinks, or the fans think. If we are going by results, Chelsea have got an uptick in form. Maybe Pochettino is starting to get things together, getting his strongest team in. It may be difficult.”
“Having no Saka is a huge loss but they did not have him against Manchester City so they will not be looking at that as a problem. After that Manchester City, they will have the wind in their sails 100%.
“I think every single player in the starting lineup and even the bench who were involved and gets minutes will have a massive confidence boost for getting three points over Manchester City.
“It does not matter how you beat Manchester City, what kind of team they put out, in whatever competition; it is always a massive boost to get one over them because of how they are. Arsenal will go into this game full of beans, expecting to come away with three points.
“It is going to be close and the scoreline might not say it but I am going to go with a 2-0 win for Arsenal, but it is not going to be as easy as the scoreline suggests”.
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