How Liverpool v Arsenal will be decided by ‘cat & mouse’ Eze battle

Anfield’s heavyweight meeting with the Emirates side is forecast to pivot on a tactical duel likened to “cat & mouse” and centred on the threat posed by Crystal Palace playmaker Eberechi Eze. With both Liverpool and Arsenal known to admire the 25-year-old’s ability to glide between the lines, the contest is expected to hinge on which club more effectively neutralises—or unleashes—his influence should a mid-match scenario place him on the pitch. Managers on either bench are anticipated to mirror each other’s moves, shuffling shape and pressing height in a bid either to deny Eze pockets of space or to exploit the moment he drifts into them. The result, according to sources close to the clubs, could tip the balance of an otherwise tight fixture defined by fine margins.