Think back to October when Liverpool deservedly beat Manchester United. Think back to the circumstances leading up to that game.
Rafael Benítez's side had just lost four on the trot, including the beach ball game at Sunderland and a home defeat to Lyon, which left their Champions League chances hanging by a thread.
But buoyed by the return of Fernando Torres, Liverpool reacted like a wounded beast, tearing into United with unstinting energy and aggression. The champions that day couldn't handle the pace, so determined were the home side to get a result.
Thinking about it, the situation isn't too dissimilar now going into Sunday's showdown with Arsenal. Torres returns to a team who, once again, have their backs firmly pressed against the wall. The football world awaits Liverpool's response.
It doesn't take a genius, therefore, to work out Benítez's likely game plan. Because if the Spaniard's players go about their work in similar fashion to the United duel, if they set the same kind of frantic tempo and pile into tackles with equal force, it will be interesting to see how Arsenal cope.
Arsenal, after all, face issues of their own. If the recent mauling by Chelsea wasn't painful enough, it reinforced the notion that Arsène Wenger's diminutive technicians tend to struggle when confronted by talented players who also bring a physical presence to proceedings.
Without Robin van Persie and Abou Diaby, this Arsenal side are handicapped in an important area, one that Liverpool will surely attempt to expose.
Rafael Benítez's side had just lost four on the trot, including the beach ball game at Sunderland and a home defeat to Lyon, which left their Champions League chances hanging by a thread.
But buoyed by the return of Fernando Torres, Liverpool reacted like a wounded beast, tearing into United with unstinting energy and aggression. The champions that day couldn't handle the pace, so determined were the home side to get a result.
Thinking about it, the situation isn't too dissimilar now going into Sunday's showdown with Arsenal. Torres returns to a team who, once again, have their backs firmly pressed against the wall. The football world awaits Liverpool's response.
It doesn't take a genius, therefore, to work out Benítez's likely game plan. Because if the Spaniard's players go about their work in similar fashion to the United duel, if they set the same kind of frantic tempo and pile into tackles with equal force, it will be interesting to see how Arsenal cope.
Arsenal, after all, face issues of their own. If the recent mauling by Chelsea wasn't painful enough, it reinforced the notion that Arsène Wenger's diminutive technicians tend to struggle when confronted by talented players who also bring a physical presence to proceedings.
Without Robin van Persie and Abou Diaby, this Arsenal side are handicapped in an important area, one that Liverpool will surely attempt to expose.
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