Arne Slot has explained his decision to start Curtis Jones over Dominik Szoboszlai in Liverpool’s Premier League match against Arsenal.
Up until now, Liverpool’s Hungarian started all but one of the Reds’ Premier League matches this season, as well as all seven Champions League and international fixtures.
Against Arsenal, however, Slot has decided to go with Jones in midfield to play alongside Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch.
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The No. 17 has started Liverpool’s last two domestic matches but didn’t make the first XI for Wednesday’s 1-0 win against RB Leipzig in Germany.
This was with a view to him playing against Arsenal, though, as he makes his 11th appearance against the Gunners, more than any other opposition club in his career.
Slot explained to Sky Sports: “Curtis deserved to play the game after normally, but I think everybody saw and knows that he didn’t play a lot until the Chelsea game.
“So, to play him again two or three days later, that’s a risk as well and you never know how he’s going to react to that.
“Now he had a week of rest and hopefully he can perform in the same way as he did last week.”
Speaking about which team will control the game, Slot added: “That’s the quality of the press and the quality of the team that has the ball.
“There’s also a mental thing about because if you lose the ball a few times in a row are you then immediately ready to press, yes or no?
“So, it’s a bit of everything to decide which team has the ball most but I wouldn’t be surprised if during the whole game it’s a bit up and down, us having the ball more [and] them having the ball more.
“You know if Arsenal have the ball, especially if they have it a lot, that you have to defend really strong.”
In attack, ahead of Jones, will be Mo Salah, Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz – the latter starting for the first time since the last international break.
Caoimhin Kelleher remains in goal while Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ibrahima Konate, Virgil van Dijk and Andy Robertson make up Liverpool’s defence.
Arsenal, meanwhile, line up with David Raya in goal behind a back four of Thomas Partey, Ben White, Gabriel and Jurrien Timber.
In midfield, Delan Rice, Mikel Merino and Leandro Trossard all start, while their forward line consists of Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and Kai Havertz.
Arsenal: Raya; Partey, White, Gabriel, Timber; Rice, Merino, Trossard; Saka, Martinelli, Havertz
Substitutes: Neto, Kiwior, Nichols, Zinchenko, Nwaneri, Jorginho, Lewis-Skelly, Sterling, Jesus
Liverpool: Kelleher; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Gravenberch, Jones, Mac Allister; Salah, Diaz, Nunez
Substitutes: Jaros, Davies, Quansah, Gomez, Tsimikas, Endo, Morton, Szoboszlai, Gakpo
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