Hello and welcome to Sports Mole's live text coverage of the Premier League meeting between Arsenal and Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium. The hosts head into this match sitting one point and one place behind their opponents, having stuttered somewhat since defeat to Manchester United here earlier this month, while the Reds have been in hugely impressive form on their travels of late.

The visitors are looking a lot better away from Anfield, where they have struggled to break down opponents in their last couple of games, and if their recent away form is anything to go by then we should be in for a real thriller. This is a fixture that tends to provide plenty of goals and drama, including in the reverse fixture when the Reds ran out 4-0 winners, so fingers crossed for more entertainment tonight.

ARSENAL TEAM NEWS!

STARTING XI: Cech; Bellerin, Koscielny, Monreal, Maitland-Niles; Xhaka, Wilshere; Iwobi, Ozil, Alexis; Lacazette

SUBS: Ospina, Mustafi, Kolasinac, Coquelin, Elneny, Walcott, Welbeck

Starting with a look at the home team, Arsene Wenger has stuck with the same XI that saw off Newcastle United here last weekend. The Gunners were fully rested in midweek, when completely changing their starting lineup for the EFL Cup win against West Ham United, so there can be no real complaints of fatigue tonight. It means that Jack Wilshere starts three Premier League games in a row for Arsenal for the first time since between September and October 2014.

Wenger had a big decision to make at the back - would he go with a three-man defence or four? Well the fitness of Shkodran Mustafi may have made his decision a little easier, as the German centre-back is not quite over a thigh problem and therefore starts this one on the bench. Laurent Koscielny and Hector Monreal will therefore start in the heart of defence, with Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Hector Bellerin either side.

A familiar face between the stick tonight, of course, as Petr Cech goes in search of a landmark 200th Premier League clean sheet. Recent history suggests that he may have to wait to reach that figure, though - the Czech has conceded 14 goals in five games against tonight's opponents since joining from Chelsea. Elsewhere, Granit Xhaka and the aforementioned Wilshere continue their midfield partnership in the absence of Aaron Ramsey, and there is a front four of Alex Iwobi, Alexis Sanchez, Mesut Ozil and Alexandre Lacazette.

LIVERPOOL TEAM NEWS!

STARTING XI: Mignolet; Gomez, Lovren, Klavan, Robertson; Henderson, Can, Coutinho; Salah, Firmino, Mane

SUBS: Karius, Alexander-Arnold, Lallana, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Wijnaldum, Milner, Solanke

In terms of the visitors, Jurgen Klopp has made two changes on the back of the resounding 4-0 win at Bournemouth five days ago. Emre Can returns from suspension to take over from Georginio Wijnaldum in central midfield and, interestingly, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is overlooked in favour of Sadio Mane. No great surprise to see Mane return to the fold, of course, but many would have expected The Ox to feature from the off against his former side.

The 'Fab Four' are reunited at the Emirates Stadium, then, and that tends to spell bad news for opposition sides. Philippe Coutinho has scored eight and set up seven in his last 10 away matches; Mane has netted in each of his last three against the Gunners; Mohamed Salah leads the Premier League scoring charts outright; and Roberto Firmino has also played a direct part in 18 goals so far this term.

It is skipper Jordan Henderson, and not Oxlade-Chamberlain, who gets the nod in the engine room alongside the returning Can, though. The back four remains unchanged from the victory on the South Coast - Andrew Robertson, now very much in his manager's plans after a slow start, and the versatile Joe Gomes providing support from the flanks, while Dejan Lovren and Ragnar Klavan are selected at centre-back.

The big team news from the Emirates Stadium is that Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, very much the focal point at both pre-match press conferences in the week, is left on the bench by Jurgen Klopp. The England international, who spent six years plying his trade here before leaving in a £35m deal four months ago, enjoyed his best game yet against Bournemouth but must settle for a bit-part role today.

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A truly massive game to kick off the festive weekend, then, with these two sides expected to battle it out for a top-four finish this term. Arsenal head into the match sitting one point and one place behind their opponents, having been far too inconsistent throughout 2017-18. Their inconsistency stretches right back to the opening month, in fact, when losing away to Stoke City and then going down heavily to Liverpool.

Wenger admitted earlier this week that the heavy loss at Anfield "hurt", with his side playing catch up pretty much ever since. Overall they have done well to climb from ninth and then into the top four, but ahead of this match they are back in fifth and in need of a positive result tonight if they are to remain on course. The gap on leaders Manchester City is only getting bigger, meanwhile - the margin to make up now standing at a whopping 19 points.

Even United, 3-1 winners here at the start of the month, are also starting to pull away in the race to be crowned best of the rest - eight points the gap on the Red Devils as we hit the midway point in proceedings. Still, finishing in the top four would mark an improvement on last season, when missing out on the Champions League for the first time under Wenger, though the Frenchman knows that a top-four finish alone is not enough to appease frustrated supporters.

It is fair to say that it has all gone very stale in this part of North London in recent years, even if the trophy cabinet has another few additions thanks to their success in the FA Cup. The cups will again become a priority for Wenger in the second half of the campaign, knowing that a top-four finish is not enough, and on that front the Gunners currently look good value to lift some sort of silverware either at home or abroad.

Ostersunds are next up in the Europa League, with a place in the last 16 up for grabs - likely the round Wenger will change things around slightly and start naming stronger lineups. The midweek win over West Ham here, as bland as it was, also presented a route through to the last four of the EFL Cup where rivals Chelsea await over two legs early next year. In the FA Cup, meanwhile, Championship side Nottingham Forest welcome Arsenal to the City Ground in a fortnight's time.

The EFL Cup quarter-final win over West Ham here really was a terrible match to watch from a neutral perspective, with Danny Welbeck scoring from the only shot on target of the game. A 6-0 thrashing of BATE aside in the Europa League, the Gunners have looked below par ever since going down to Man United here a few weeks back in games against West Ham (in the Premier League), Southampton, Newcastle United and West Ham (in the EFL Cup). Still, they are unbeaten in five heading into this one.

As well as going five games without defeat, Arsenal have also won back-to-back matches against Newcastle and West Ham this week - with two completely different lineups. Their gruelling December and January continues with this huge showdown with Liverpool, before then travelling to Crystal Palace and West Bromwich Albion immediately after Christmas. Then, three days into the New Year, Arsenal face Chelsea in another massive clash at the top end of the division.

Arsenal have won 13 of their last 14 league games at the Emirates Stadium, with that solitary loss coming at the hands of Manchester United in what was a very strange match - a slow start, and the brilliance of David de Gea essentially costing the Gunners. They have also scored in 23-consecutive games here since being held 0-0 by Middlesbrough in October 2016. Scoring at least once is not a problem; keeping the Reds out probably will be.

Worryingly for Arsenal, they have taken just one point from four games this season against the four sides above them in the Premier League table. That was an impressive enough result, as they shut out Chelsea at Stamford Bridge to earn a goalless draw a couple of months back. Their performance was hailed at the time, but the Gunners have otherwise not been good enough - or clinical enough, at least - against their fellow big boys.

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PREVIOUS MEETINGS! Arsenal have lost their last three meetings with Liverpool, including the reverse fixture in August when shipping four goals; the Gunners have not lost four in a row against the Reds since May 1998. The Merseyside outfit have netted at least three goals in each of their four encounters with Arsenal under Jurgen Klopp, meanwhile.

Finding a formula to stop Liverpool from netting is easier said than done as far as Arsenal are concerned. Wenger has gone with a four-man defence tonight, despite the three-at-the-back system working wonders in the final third of the last campaign. This is also a fixture that tends to provide dramatic moments, as touched upon a little earlier, as 17 goals have been scored in the 90th minutes or later - more than any other Premier League fixture.

The Reds are on course for back-to-back top-four finishes, though it remains incredibly tight in the race for a Champions League spot; just three points between Tottenham Hotspur in seventh and the Reds in fourth. These festive fixtures really are crucial, then, with Klopp's men also taking on Swansea City and Leicester City at Anfield next week, before then travelling to Burnley and facing Everton in the FA Cup third round.

Liverpool certainly have momentum on their side, having gone nine without defeat in the Premier League since their humiliating 4-1 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur on October 22. Speaking earlier this week, goalkeeper Simon Mignolet claimed that his side now look far more solid all over the field - the stats back that up; 24 scored and just four conceded during this impressive unbeaten run.

Klopp may well have found the right balance, with Liverpool looking particularly impressive away to Bournemouth last weekend, albeit against a weak opponent who played the perfect gameplan for the Reds to exploit. That came on the back of successive home draws, against Everton and West Bromwich Albion, that had left supporters frustrated. That is becoming a bit of a problem at Anfield of late, though away from home they have looked phenomenal at times.

In fact, Liverpool are the first top-flight time ever to win four-successive away games by a margin of at least three goals, doing so against West Ham United, Stoke City, Brighton & Hove Albion and Bournemouth. Overall the Reds are unbeaten in 12 matches in all competitions, having also progressed through in the Champions League with a convincing 7-0 victory over Spartak Moscow earlier this month.

DID YOU KNOW? Liverpool have scored an unsurpassed 24 away goals in the Premier League this season, and that bodes well for the neutrals watching on tonight - expect to see a few goals in a fixture that tends to keep supporters hooked. The Reds are also aiming for a third-successive clean sheet in the top flight for the first time this season, which really would be a big milestone for them.

With kickoff in North London now a little over five minutes away, let us check out some pre-match thoughts from both camps.

Arsene Wenger: "When you have such a long career as I have, you have some defeats unfortunately that hurt you for the rest of your life. When you can put things right, do it. So let's focus on what is in front of us and turn up on Friday night with a completely different performance. The motivation is there. This squad has a good mentality and it is about us, to make sure we are on top of our game. We must play with pace and a determined attitude."

Jurgen Klopp: "I don't know if there will be a lot of goals again, but we go there to perform and to get as much as we can. We know that's difficult but in this moment I feel it is possible. Arsenal are a complete football team, they are able to do everything, switch and change styles. They are able to create, they will have a strong side whoever will play. It means a lot of good, good footballers on the pitch."

Wenger was speaking specifically about the 4-0 defeat suffered at Anfield in August, coming just a few weeks into the campaign and fresh on the back of a 1-0 loss to Stoke City. The Gunners have recovered well since then on the whole, but they have again stuttered of late - albeit with a win at home to Newcastle United last time out - and are now essentially in a battle for the top four.

Reds boss Klopp was certainly full of praise when it came to describing tonight's opponents, labelling them the "complete team". It is the Merseyside outfit who head into this match with the better points tally to date, though, and Arsenal will have to be wary of the 'Fab Four' up top in what is the pick of the festive fixtures in the Premier League. Kickoff in North London is now just a couple of minutes away...

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KICKOFF! We are up and running at the Emirates Stadium, where Liverpool are sporting their changes fluorescent orange strip. A reminder that Arsenal are unchanged this evening, while the Reds show a couple of changes from their most recent outing.

The visitors seeing more of the ball early on and whizzing around in trademark manner. Wilshere with a chance to counter, but his pass to Lacazette in the middle had a little too much on it and the attack broke down early on.

Lacazette cuts the ball back to the edge of the box where Xhaka is waiting to meet it, but the side-footed shot was blocked before it could reach Mignolet's goal. A nice open feel to the match and already more entertainment than the West Ham tie here in midweek!

Referee Martin Atkinson is the subject of boos from home fans, as Maitland-Niles is seemingly bundled over inside his own box. Not according to the official, who awarded a corner to make matters worse - Cech was there to collect.

Fair to say this one is panning out as predicted so far - end-to-end stuff in the opening nine minutes. Arsenal just starting to settle in possession now, but they are being made to wait for their first opening of the night.

Henderson has pulled up with what looks to be a hamstring injury. The physio is on the pitch and appears to have signalled to the bench for a change to be made - could we be about to see Oxlade-Chamberlain on his Emirates Stadium return?

LIVERPOOL SUB! Not quite time for Oxlade-Chamberlain just yet - James Milner, the far more experienced option, comes on in place of the injured Henderson. Before that, Mane's pass deflected off Bellerin and into the path of Cech.

SHOT! Milner appears to filling in down the left-hand side at the moment, with Coutinho in a central position. The Brazilian works a shooting chance, which ends well wide of Cech's goal. The Reds just about the side on top for now.

Robertson, who boasts a fine crossing ability, gets an early ball in towards Firmino. Koscielny had to get across to cut the ball out, denying the Brazilian what surely would have been a pretty straightforward opening goal of the night.

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Arsenal barely been able to get Ozil, Sanchez and Lacazette on the ball so far. Coutinho and the other Liverpool attackers have enjoyed more of possession, but the Brazilian's wayward shot is the closest we have come to a goal so far.

Wilshere and Xhaka are far too deep at the moment. It means Liverpool are starting to enjoy prolonged spells of possession, with the Gunners unable to really get out of their own half of the field at the moment - that has to change.

SAVE! Robertson simply loves crossing the ball into the box, which almost pays off. Firmino and Salah were waiting at the back post, with the former getting his head to it to test Cech. The Czech was favourite to stop it and he did just that.

Liverpool have been the better side so far at the Emirates Stadium, and they are now starting to turn their possession into chances. Arsenal need to get a grip of the match as Lacazette, Ozil and Sanchez and spectators at the moment.

CLOSE! Lacazette with a smart flick for Sanchez, which the Chilean could not quite control. Liverpool counter and Coutinho picks out Firmino, who was inches from finding the far corner with his header. Salah also agonisingly close to tapping it in.

Is there anything Coutinho is unable to do?! Add deft headers to his list of attributes, as he gets on the end of Salah's deflected cross and lobs Cech from eight yards out. It all came from a swift counter, with Koscielny far too slow to get across to Salah.

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A deserved Liverpool goal, it must be said. The Reds had been growing more and more in the game, coming close through a couple of Firmino headers, and now they have something to hold on to. Arsenal yet to really create anything.

SHOT! That is now 54 goals scored by Salah, Coutinho, Firmino and Mane in all competitions this season. Mane comes close to adding another, seeing his deflected shot routinely kept out by Arsenal stopper Petr Cech.

End-to-end stuff in North London. The Gunners still unable to keep hold of possession, giving Liverpool plenty of chances to hit them on the counter. It has proved deadly once already and that will likely be the case again as this one wares on.

CLOSE! Cheers from the away end as the net ripples. Unfortunately for the Liverpool fans, Firmino's impressive curler hit the stanchion and ended up in the wrong part of the net - you do not come much closer than that.

Coutinho's goal was a first via his head in the Premier League. The Reds have been very bright in the opening 38 minutes and are looking the more likely to add a second, with the Gunners yet to register a serious attempt on goal.

Home fans really started to get frustrated now, not helped by Cech's terrible passing - either straight out of play or to an opposition player. Liverpool completely dominating the midfield battle, yet Wenger is happy to watch on.

Arsenal continue to probe away in search of a leveller. Think they could do with half time and a chance to possibly change things around slightly, as Salah breaks down the right and sends in a cross for Cech to this time collect.

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CHANCE! A rare opening for Lacazette after Wilshere pounced on a Robertson error, but he could not quite bring the ball under control inside the box. Up the other end Koscielny slips and Salah is clean through, only for Cech to save the shot and Mane to volley the rebound over.

Klopp will actually be quite annoyed that his side are only taking a one-goal lead into the break. It is still all to play for with 45 minutes to go, yet it could so easily have been game over had Salah or Mane converted from that double-chance.

Arsenal leave the field to widespread boos from the home fans, having been outplayed for pretty much the whole of the first half. Liverpool have just the one goal to show for their dominance, though - Philippe Coutinho scoring his first headed goal in the Premier League 26 minutes in.

The visitors were forced into a change inside the opening 13 minutes as skipper Jordan Henderson, used from the off in 15 of their 19 league games, hobbled off with a hamstring problem to be replaced by James Milner. Having dominated much of the possession up until that point, Liverpool slowly started turning it into chances as they took complete control of the match.

Philippe Coutinho provided a warning of sorts 16 minutes in with a wayward shot, before two quick-fire chances for Roberto Firmino at the end of left-sided crosses. Andrew Robertson and Coutinho both picked out the forward at the back post, but Petr Cech was equal to the first header and the second ended narrowly wide. Liverpool did not have to wait too much longer for a breakthrough, however, as Cech failed to keep out Coutinho's deft header after Mohamed Salah's cross deflected nicely into his path.

That made it 54 goals scored in all competitions by Coutinho, Salah, Firmino and Sadio Mane this term, and the latter nearly added to that tally when picking out Cech with a deflected shot. The Reds looked good value for a second as the first half edged to its conclusion, with Firmino's effort fizzing across the roof of the net before two big openings for Salah and Mane went begging.

Koscielny, who perhaps should have done better to close down Salah in the build-up to the opener, slipped at a costly moment and Salah was clean through. Cech kept out the shot but Mane had a big target to aim for from the follow-up, only to attempt an audacious over-head attempt and miss completely. Plenty for Arsene Wenger to think about at the break...

ARSENAL SUBS: Ospina, Mustafi, Kolasinac, Coquelin, Elneny, Walcott, Welbeck

LIVERPOOL SUBS: Karius, Alexander-Arnold, Lallana, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Wijnaldum, Solanke

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RESTART! We are back under way at the Emirates Stadium and there is news of a change to bring you from the break. Shkodran Mustafi, who many fancied to start tonight, is on for Nacho Monreal as Arsenal look to equal things up.

Arsenal have started the second half on top but Klopp will not be all that concerned - his side always look more dangerous on the counter. That nearly proved the case again, as Salah's shot is well kept out by Cech. Iwobi then deflects the ball behind.

A couple of Arsenal players have been sent out to warm up, and it would not be at all surprising to see a second change before the hour mark. Klopp also has a few decent back-up options, though he is under less pressure to alter things.

Fifteen goals for the season for the Premier League's top scorer, as Mohamed Salah curls the ball beyond Cech's reach via a telling touch from Mustafi. The touch was decisive, but Arsenal again caught out by the pace of Liverpool's counter.

You were promised goals this evening - here is a third! Alexis Sanchez has been far from his best this term, but this was impressive, showing great hunger to get to the ball in front of Gomez at the back post and powering a header past Mignolet.

WOW! An absolute horror moment for Mignolet, who lets a long-range shot from Xhaka fly past him. Firstly, credit to Xhaka for getting so much swerve on the ball, but it was straight at Mignolet and the Belgian still could not get a hand to it.

This is something else. What a game! Arsenal have their third goal in five minutes to turn the game on its head! Ozil with the latest, exchanging passes with Lacazette in the box and dinking the ball over Mignolet. Which way will this one swing next?!

Mane gives the ball away on the edge of his own box, but Wilshere fails to capitalise as the chance to shoot goes begging. Xhaka eventually lines one up from the edge of the box, scuffing his attempt wide of the target in what has been a thrilling contest.

SAVE! An unbelievable outside-of-the-boot pass to Sadio Mane at the back post, but the volley was too close to Petr Cech. That is the first we have seen from Liverpool in an attacking sense since their incredible collapse.

Xhaka goes through Milner without getting enough of the ball, but he avoids a caution. Iwobi was booked for a challenge in the middle of those three Arsenal goal, incidentally, and it is the Gunners who have the wind in their sails right now.

Hard to take in what we have witnessed at the Emirates Stadium; 388 seconds between Liverpool's second and Arsenal's first, second and then third. Wenger barely even celebrated the third of those goals; Klopp was absolutely furious.

CLOSE! Brilliant football from hosts; a sweeping move from left to right culminates in Bellerin sending in the ball and Lacazette helping it over the crossbar from close range. Took a deflection as a corner has been awarded.

It's Cech's turn to have a howler, as Firmino turns on the edge of the box and gets a shot away that somehow got the beating of him. The Arsenal stopper could only push it into the air, and the ball fell under the crossbar and went over the line.

It really is impossible to predict which way this one is going to go next. One certainty is that this is not finishing at 3-3 - surely not! If it does, Klopp and Wenger will both be unhappy with the scoreline after seeing their sides lead.

This second half has flown by - just 14 minutes left! Arsenal trailed 2-0, led 3-2 and have now been pegged back to 3-3. Most incredible aspect of all this is that neither manager has made a change since the half-time interval.

ARSENAL SUB! Sadio Mane goes down inside the box but referee Martin Atkinson is having none of it. Bellerin then with a shot from the angle, which he failed to keep down. Welbeck is now on for Iwobi in the Gunners' first change.

LIVERPOOL SUB! Georginio Wijnaldum, one of those to make way this evening, is brought on in place of Sadio Mane to add some energy in midfield. Both teams continuing to attack in a game that nobody really wants to end.

Oxlade-Chamberlain is being readied to come on for the closing stages here, with Coutinho to make way. Football can be so predictable at times so it is probably worth putting all your chips on the ex-Gunner scoring a 90th-minute winner here.

LIVERPOOL SUB! Oxlade-Chamberlain, Liverpool's £35m man, is on in place of Coutinho for the final six minutes - enough time to make an impact in a game that has already witnessed six goals. What a contest this has been.

Oxlade-Chamberlain, who received more boos than cheers when coming on, swings in a corner into the perfect zone for Cech to gather. Momentum appears to be with the visitors at the moment, though that means very little on the basis of this second half.

CLOSE! Salah has four players surrounding him but still gets a shot away, which ends in the side-netting. Again, the travelling Liverpool fans thought it was a goal. Looks as though Wenger is about to make another alteration.

ARSENAL SUB! Walcott is handed just a third Premier League appearance of the season, taking over from Alexis Sanchez. Four minutes of added time to be played, meaning that we still have time for a dramatic late twist.

This fixture has seen more goals in the 90th minute or later than any other in Premier League history. Ozil miscues his cross and Mignolet is made to deal with it, tipping it over the crossbar to concede a corner. Two minutes to go.

A truly incredible game of football at the Emirates Stadium comes to a close, with the honours even in the end. Applause from each section of the ground - both sets of supporters know that they could have taken all three points; they also know that they could easily have been beaten. As it is that Roberto Firmino strike - the sixth and final goal of the night - leaves Liverpool one point above Arsenal in fourth place.

That concludes Sports Mole's live text coverage of events from North London. An on-the-whistle report can be found by clicking here, while reaction from the Emirates Stadium will follow elsewhere on the site shortly. Thanks for joining!