Nasri will return to the squad, we’ll find out on Friday. Kolo has only a 5% chance of making the squad, so Djourou and Gallas will continue at centre back. Nasri should come straight back into the side

I want some serious revenge in this game. Part of me died watching the Champions League game last season, and I want those lucky scousers feeling somewhere near as bad as we did that night. A ridiculous penalty awarded in our favour in the 93rd minute would be nice. It almost seemed like we would need a poor performance against Middlesbrough in order to have a chance of beating Liverpool, as with the fixtures preceding the games against Chelsea and United, and that’s exactly what we got.

Can lightening strike a third time and we keep our 100% record against the top three? We’ll see. It seems as unlikely as it seemed before the games against Chelsea and United where we were all fairly certain we were going to get thoroughly beaten, so one really has no idea how this game will turn out. Liverpool are certainly the most beatable of the top three in my opinion, despite their good start to the season, and the absence of Torres is a bonus, but it really depends on what Arsenal turns up.

We didn’t manage to beat Liverpool in four attempts last season, but the clubs have now swapped places from this stage last season, with Liverpool top and us fighting for fourth.

The way we played against Middlesbrough certainly wasn’t as bad as we’ve seen this season, a goal out of nothing aside we shut them out pretty well and looked dangerous for large periods, but couldn’t pick the right ball or keep a cool head in the final third when it was needed.

We’d lost every away game against a non top three side for the last couple of months, so it was almost a relief to get a draw. Which kind of gives an idea of our expectations for this season. The result is extra frustrating however, with all the teams above us faltering and the team below winning well and overtaking us. Still, the next two games will directly influence the situation around us. Beat Liverpool and it makes the title race look that little bit tighter, and then beat Villa next Friday to go into third place. United don’t play this weekend, and Chelsea are away at Everton on Monday night. Not an easy fixture, but their away form has been outstanding this season. But who can really see us winning both?

We’ve beaten Liverpool in four of their last six visits here, and in all competitions at home under Wenger, we’ve won six, drawn five and lost two. They last beat us at home nearly nine years ago. In all competitions, home and away, under Arsene, we’ve won eleven, drawn seven and lost ten. Between Arsene and Benitez, we’ve won five, drawn three and lost four. We failed to beat Liverpool in four hard fought attempts last season, the last one being the most spectacular.

Team News

Nasri will return to the squad, we’ll find out on Friday. Kolo has only a 5% chance of making the squad, so Djourou and Gallas will continue at centre back. Nasri should come straight back into the side, and we’ll probably line up as we lined up against Chelsea, maybe with Diaby in instead of Song or Denilson. Bendtner is struggling with a knee problem, he could make the bench. Eduardo won’t be available for the first team until mid-January, roughly, due to a combination of a hamstring problem he picked up playing for the reserves, and the lack of match fitness after a nine month absence.

Subs: Fabianski, Silvestre, Eboue, Song, Ramsey, Bendtner, Vela.

Torres, Degen and Skrtel miss out through injury. Aurelio could return to the squad.