Arsenal to take revenge in Liverpool FA Cup clash

Arsenal have won all but one of their last eight FA Cup head-to-heads with Liverpool – the sole defeat coming in the 2001 final – and are 8/5 narrow favourites to beat the free-scoring Reds again on February 16th.

The two rivals face each other just eight days after the one-sided Anfield league clash, where Liverpool came out 5-1 victors. Coral are offering odds of 125/1 for a repeat scoreline for Brendan Rodgers’ side.

Despite Liverpool’s rampant goal-scoring form of 22 in their last seven fixtures in all competitions, Arsenal have remarkably kept 11 clean sheets in 12 previous home games and have odds of 7/2 to do the same in this match-up.

The Gunners have a very impressive home FA cup record, as they have managed to lose just once in their last 36, with last season’s shock defeat to Championship side Blackburn being the only real glitch. Liverpool, on the other hand, have not had much luck on their travels in football’s oldest knockout competition, winning just twice in their last six.

History in the Cup doesn’t bode well for the Merseyside club in this fixture. However, they are on a run of being undefeated in 9 competitive games, so there is every chance this match could go to a replay.

After the breathtaking Premier League match the previous week, expect an anti-climactic scoreline this time around. At 14/1, a goalless draw wouldn’t be a bad bet to make, especially with the home side set to rest players ahead of their Champions League match-up with German giants Bayern Munich three days later.

In terms of Arsenal team news, it is expected that Polish-born duo Lukas Podolski and Lukasz Fabianski will start. Mathieu Flamini, meanwhile, returns from suspension but Santi Cazorla is out due to illness.

These two sides last met in the FA Cup in 2007 at Anfield, with the home side coming out on top 3-1, but the stats and history point towards an Arsenal win. Currently on a run of two league games with a victory, they are certainly due a big result.

A 1-0 result for the Gunners at 11/1 could be a great shout, while Coral are giving odds of 12/1 for either side to score a winner in added time.

Wenger’s side are 9/2 second favourites to win the competition outright for the first time since 2005, whilst Liverpool are down at 6/1.