Mikel Arteta has revealed that it is still too soon to know if Takehiro Tomiyasu will be fit enough to play against Liverpool on Wednesday night, revealing that the Japan international will be touch and go for the Emirates clash.
Tomiyasu has impressed at right back since joining from Bologna in the summer, but a thigh injury has kept him out since the sides clashed in the Carabao Cup second leg in January.
Cedric has been performing in his absence, but Arsenal fans remain keen to see ‘Tomi’ back in the side sooner rather than later. However, it may not be for Liverpool.
‘We have been trying to push him, but with the handbrake a little bit because we need to be careful as we don’t want to get another injury with him’, Arteta said in his pre-match press conference. ‘We don’t know [if tomorrow is too soon]. Let’s see how he trains today.’
Arteta on Tomiyasu:
“We have been trying to push him, but with the handbrake a little bit because we need to be careful as we don’t want to get another injury with him. We don’t know [if tomorrow is too soon]. Let’s see how he trains today.” 🇯🇵 pic.twitter.com/JbCEIOhLo8
— Chris Wheatley (@ChrisWheatley_) March 15, 2022
Of course, it was the Carabao Cup tie that Arsenal rushed the Japanese defender back for last time from a separate injury, that led to him picking up his current issue. As a result, the caution surrounding his return is understandable.
A clash with massive magnitude
Arsenal and Liverpool clash at the Emirates in a game that has huge ramifications for both sides. The Gunners have won their last five Premier League games, and currently sit in 4th place with games in hand on those below them, of which this is one.
Liverpool, meanwhile, have put together 7 wins on the bounce and are the most in-form team in the country. It is this form that has seen them reel in Manchester City at the top of the table, and a win at the Emirates Stadium would see them close the gap to just one point on Pep Guardiola’s side.
This comes as Crystal Palace held the Citizens to a goalless draw at Selhurst Park on Monday night, with City missing a host of chances to take all three points in front of a jubilant home crowd.
Beyond Arsenal and Liverpool fans, Manchester City, Tottenham and Manchester United supporters will all be tuning in to see how the clash affects their chances of silverware and Champions League football next season.
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Premier League table
| # | Team | MP | D | P |
| 1 | Manchester City | 28 | 50 | 69 |
| 2 | Liverpool FC | 28 | 53 | 66 |
| 3 | Chelsea FC | 28 | 38 | 59 |
| 4 | Arsenal FC | 26 | 14 | 51 |
| 5 | Manchester United | 29 | 8 | 50 |
| 6 | West Ham United | 29 | 12 | 48 |
| 7 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 29 | 6 | 46 |
| 8 | Tottenham Hotspur | 27 | 7 | 45 |
| 9 | Aston Villa | 28 | 2 | 36 |
| 10 | Southampton FC | 29 | -9 | 35 |
| 11 | Crystal Palace | 28 | 1 | 33 |
| 12 | Leicester City | 26 | -5 | 33 |
| 13 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 28 | -8 | 33 |
| 14 | Newcastle United | 28 | -16 | 31 |
| 15 | Brentford FC | 29 | -13 | 30 |
| 16 | Leeds United | 29 | -34 | 26 |
| 17 | Everton FC | 26 | -19 | 22 |
| 18 | Watford FC | 29 | -26 | 22 |
| 19 | Burnley FC | 27 | -16 | 21 |
| 20 | Norwich City | 29 | -45 | 17 |
| Player | Team | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| Salah, Mohamed | Liverpool FC | 20 |
| Ronaldo, Cristiano | Manchester United | 12 |
| Mane, Sadio | Liverpool FC | 12 |
| Jota, Diogo | Liverpool FC | 12 |
| Son, Heung Min | Tottenham Hotspur | 11 |
| Kane, Harry | Tottenham Hotspur | 11 |
| Toney, Ivan | Brentford FC | 11 |
| Mahrez, Riyad | Manchester City | 10 |
| Vardy, Jamie | Leicester City | 10 |
| Sterling, Raheem | Manchester City | 10 |
| Fernandes, Bruno | Manchester United | 9 |
| Dennis, Emmanuel | Watford FC | 9 |
| De Bruyne, Kevin | Manchester City | 9 |
| Raphinha | Leeds United | 9 |
| Smith-Rowe, Emile | Arsenal FC | 9 |
| Zaha, Wilfried | Crystal Palace | 9 |
| Bowen, Jarrod | West Ham United | 8 |
| Mount, Mason | Chelsea FC | 8 |
| Antonio, Michail | West Ham United | 8 |
| Saka, Bukayo | Arsenal FC | 8 |
| Player | Team | Red Cards | Yellow Cards |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neves, Ruben | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 0 | 9 |
| Firpo, Junior | Leeds United | 0 | 9 |
| Salisu, Mohammed | Southampton FC | 0 | 8 |
| Dennis, Emmanuel | Watford FC | 0 | 7 |
| Gallagher, Conor | Crystal Palace | 0 | 8 |
| Cash, Matty | Aston Villa | 0 | 8 |
| Mings, Tyrone | Aston Villa | 0 | 8 |
| Tarkowski, James | Burnley FC | 0 | 8 |
| Romeu, Oriol | Southampton FC | 0 | 8 |
| Brownhill, Josh | Burnley FC | 0 | 8 |
| Mctominay, Scott | Manchester United | 0 | 8 |
| Maguire, Harry | Manchester United | 0 | 7 |
| Bissouma, Yves | Brighton & Hove Albion | 0 | 8 |
| Fernandes, Bruno | Manchester United | 0 | 7 |
| Pogba, Paul | Manchester United | 1 | 6 |
| Moreno, Rodrigo | Leeds United | 0 | 7 |
| Rice, Declan | West Ham United | 0 | 7 |
| Westwood, Ashley | Burnley FC | 0 | 7 |
| Shaw, Luke | Manchester United | 0 | 7 |
| Bednarek, Jan | Southampton FC | 0 | 7 |
| Player | Team | Assists |
|---|---|---|
| Alexander-Arnold, Trent | Liverpool FC | 11 |
| Salah, Mohamed | Liverpool FC | 10 |
| Pogba, Paul | Manchester United | 9 |
| Robertson, Andy | Liverpool FC | 9 |
| Bowen, Jarrod | West Ham United | 8 |
| Mount, Mason | Chelsea FC | 7 |
| Lacazette, Alexandre | Arsenal FC | 7 |
| Jesus, Gabriel | Manchester City | 7 |
| Fernandes, Bruno | Manchester United | 6 |
| Antonio, Michail | West Ham United | 6 |
| Benrahma, Said | West Ham United | 6 |
| James, Reece | Chelsea FC | 6 |
| Barnes, Harvey | Leicester City | 6 |
| Cancelo, Joao | Manchester City | 6 |
| Son, Heung Min | Tottenham Hotspur | 5 |
| Dennis, Emmanuel | Watford FC | 5 |
| Saka, Bukayo | Arsenal FC | 5 |
| Ings, Danny | Aston Villa | 5 |
| Henderson, Jordan | Liverpool FC | 5 |
| Kovacic, Mateo | Chelsea FC | 5 |
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