Afternoon folks! We've got 90 minutes of build-up before arguably the game of the weekend in the Premier League between Liverpool and Arsenal. Strap yourselves in!

If the match at Anfield isn't the pick of the top-flight ties, then the one currently going in the North-East perhaps is. Newcastle United and Sunderland have just kicked off the second half in the Tyne-Wear derby and if you want to follow that too then click here for our live text updates.

It was a feisty first half with plenty of chances, but there were no goals at St James' Park.

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Anyway, enough on that game. Let's focus on the second Premier League game of the day and a belter it should be too as Liverpool host Arsenal.

After 16 games of last season, these two sides occupied the top two spots in the table with Arsenal top and Liverpool second. Their fortunes have changed drastically in 2014-15 - the Gunners are seventh and Liverpool are 11th.

Liverpool will be especially desperate for a win today given their bottom-half status. The Reds have won just six games out of 16 and are now 10 points adrift of the top four following victory for West Ham United over bottom-side Leicester City yesterday.

Arsenal lie halfway between their opponents today and the Champions League places and will move up one place, leapfrogging North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur, if they win today. A draw doesn't really suit either side so hopefully it will be a frenetic affair.

The players have arrived at Anfield. Team news in a quarter of an hour.

#LFC players arrive at Anfield for today's meeting with Arsenal, led by captain Steven Gerrard.

Видео опубликовано Liverpool Football Club (@liverpoolfc) Дек 12, 2014 at 6:41 PST

STAT: Liverpool have won just two of the last 14 Premier League meetings with Arsenal (W2 D7 L5).

With team news now less than 10 minutes away, it will be interesting to see what Brendan Rodgers decides to do in attack. In Liverpool's last two games against Manchester United and Bournemouth, Raheem Sterling has played in an advanced forward role. Mario Balotelli is definitely not available today after being banned for an anti-Semitic post on Instagram, so will Rickie Lambert start up front?

Arsene Wenger also has a decision to make in attack. Does he play both Olivier Giroud and Danny Welbeck, or sacrifice one in favour of another midfielder? One man who will surely definitely start is Alexis Sanchez.

The Chilean has nine goals in 15 appearances in his debut Premier League season. He has adapted to life brilliantly and often carried Arsenal in games. The Gunners would probably be down with Liverpool in the bottom half if it hadn't been for him!

Ahead of the team news being released, why not watch the Sports Mole Sofa discuss today's game. Please excuse the hats!

BREAKING TEAM NEWS! Sterling leads the line for Liverpool, with Lambert on the bench. Dejan Lovren is out altogether, while Theo Walcott makes the Arsenal bench.

LIVERPOOL XI: Jones; Toure, Skrtel, Sakho; Lucas, Henderson, Markovic, Coutinho, Gerrard, Lallana; Sterling
Subs: Mignolet, Enrique, Lambert, Moreno, Manquillo, Can, Borini

ARSENAL XI: Szczesny; Debuchy, Mertesacker, Chambers, Gibbs; Flamini; Oxlade-Chamberlain, Cazorla, Alexis; Giroud, Welbeck
Subs: Martinez, Monreal, Coquelin, Maitland-Niles, Campbell, Walcott, Podolski

Wow, what is that Liverpool lineup? With three centre-backs and no full-backs? Will Henderson and Lallana be wing-backs? There's four changes from last week's defeat at Manchester United, with Glen Johnson, Dejan Lovren, Joe Allen and Alberto Moreno all out. Moreno is the only one who makes the bench, with the other three out altogether. Kolo Toure, Mamadou Sakho, Lucas Leiva and Lazar Markovic come in.

Apart from the injured Lovren, this is the same Liverpool XI that started against Bournemouth in the Capital One Cup quarter-final on Wednesday. Although Bournemouth are flying high at the top of the Championship, Arsenal will of course provide a much stiffer test.

As for Arsenal, they make just one change from last week's 4-1 victory over Newcastle. Calum Chambers returns from suspension to play centre-back, with Hector Bellerin missing out.

I wondered who would start in attack for the Gunners and they go with all the big guns. It looks as if Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain could start in a deep-lying role alongside Mathieu Flamini. Interesting.

Chambers's return is certainly a boost at centre-back as Laurent Koscielny is out injured. That allows Mathieu Debuchy to return to his preferred right-back role and there could be plenty of space to get forward given Liverpool's lack of full-backs.

No surprise to see Alexis there - he's scored (seven) or assisted (four) 11 of Arsenal's last 17 Premier League goals (65%).

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UPDATE: Wow! A 90th-minute strike from Adam Johnson has surely stolen the points for Sunderland at St James' in the Tyne-Wear derby! That's the third game in a row he's scored for Sunderland at their biggest rivals. They're about to win four in a row against the Toon.

Here is Liverpool and Arsenal's recent form:

Liverpool: WWDDLW

Arsenal: WWWLWW

The Gunners are in a much better way at the moment and have won their last two games 4-1 against Galatasaray and Newcastle. They've won five of their last six in all competitions. Liverpool's had an awful week the week before last with a goalless draw at home to Sunderland, 1-1 draw at home to Basel which knocked them out of the Champions League and a 3-0 defeat at arch rivals Manchester United. They did, however, get back to winning ways with that decent win at Bournemouth, going on to draw Chelsea in the semi-finals of the League Cup.

Liverpool's failure in the Champions League saw them relegated to the Europa League and they have since drawn Besiktas in the last 32. You know who plays for them? This fella. (Sorry Liverpool fans!)

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ALL OVER at St James' Park and it's another famous win for Sunderland. To read more about the game check out our match report here.

There's a good chance of late goals this afternoon - there have been four 90th minute or later goals in the last six Premier League meetings between these two sides at Anfield.

Although Liverpool have won just two of their last 14 Premier League games against Arsenal, one of those victories was in their last league meeting and what a showing it was at Anfield in February. The Reds remarkably netted four goals in the opening 20 minutes before running out 5-1 winners.

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That victory for Liverpool ended a run of six home games without a win against Arsenal (D3, L3).

The two sides did meet soon after that 5-1 drubbing in the FA Cup and Arsenal got swift revenge with a 2-1 victory as they went on to win their first trophy in yonks.

On our pre-game readers' poll, 64.7% of you think that Arsenal will win today. I think that it's hard not to favour the Gunners given their recent results and the fact that 10 of the starting Liverpool XI today played on Wednesday night in Bournemouth.

PHOTO: A glimpse inside the #LFC dressing room ahead of kick off against the Gunners at Anfield pic.twitter.com/vX6aB2zOG5

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) December 21, 2014

REFEREE WATCH: The man with the whistle today is Michael Oliver, who hasn't taken charge of a top-flight game for a couple of weeks after he was given a rest last week. He is certainly one of England's top referees now.

It wouldn't be a huge surprise if Liverpool took the lead today - Arsenal have trailed in six of the last seven games at Anfield, but come back to win two and draw three of those games. Let's hope for a see-saw affair today!

PREDICTION: With just 10 minutes until kickoff now, it's time for my pre-game prediction. If you watched the SM Sofa video preview a little earlier, you would have seen me back a 2-1 Arsenal win. I think the Gunners will nick it.

Injured Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge tweets: "About to get some treatment and watch the game. Come on boys!! #LFC #YNWA" The England man is expected to return not long into the New Year and Liverpool will be delighted to see him return.

The man who will try to fill Sturridge's absence today is Sterling, who was presented with the European Golden Boy award on the pitch a little earlier.

Winner of Euro U21 'golden boy' award, Raheem Sterling. Only 2nd Englishman after Rooney to win in 12 yrs it has run pic.twitter.com/8tRjOIsgXG

— Sam Wallace (@SamWallaceIndy) December 21, 2014

Here come the two sides out of the tunnel. An excellent atmosphere at always at Anfield. Liverpool all in red, Arsenal in their yellow and navy away colours.

Handshakes all done! Arsenal will just want to get through the first 10 minutes after last year's catastrophe where they conceded four in the opening 20 minutes.

KICKOFF! We're underway at Anfield on the shortest day of the year. Floodlights in full swing.

In February Skrtel scored inside the opening minute but Arsenal have survived the first 60 seconds this time.

SHOT! Coutinho has acres of space to run into from central midfield and is brought down on the edge of the box. That gives Gerrard a great chance from about 20 yards but he curls just off target.

It's been a decent start this by Liverpool. They've seen plenty of the ball early on, with Coutinho and Lallana looking bright in the final third.

It looks as if Oliver is going to book Lucas after he wiped out Gibbs, but he keeps his cards in his pocket.

The foul gives Cazorla the chance to whip it in and although his free kick is in the right area, Jones is out to claim the ball. Good keeping.

Rodgers still has his fair share of supporters at Anfield, despite the dip in form this season.

COME ON FOOTBALL! pic.twitter.com/6mKwVCYqGD

— Squawka Football (@Squawka) December 21, 2014

SHOT! Arsenal are still yet to have an effort on goal, but Liverpool have now had two after some neat play from Markovic and Lallana down the left resulted in the latter spinning and shooting just over the top. Szczesny had it covered, but that was bright from the two summer signings.

BOOKING! What were the odds on Flamini being the first player booked? Surely not very high! Oliver pulls out his yellow card after the Frenchman slid in through the back of Coutinho.

Liverpool have had 75% possession in the opening quarter of an hour. It's as good a start as Rodgers could have hoped for without a goal.

Interestingly, Giroud is currently playing out on the wing with Welbeck taking on the role number-nine role. The former isn't the sort of player you want out wide as his best attributes are his aerial ability and finishing. Odd.

Markovic with a precise pass inside to Lallana and he then follows the ball and makes a distracting run around the back of the Englishman. Lallana uses his run to cut back inside onto his left foot and has a shot at goal which is blocked.

Arsenal's first effort on goal arrives and it's a tame one as Giroud's header from an Alexis cross bounces in front of Jones and is an easy claim for the Liverpool keeper.

Sterling certainly has the pace to beat Mertesacker in a foot race and Coutinho looks to slip the ball into him, but Szczesny is quickly off his line to swipe the ball away from danger.

I expected Chambers to play at centre-back, but Debuchy has stayed there and not gone to right-back. Even though both are naturally full-backs, Chambers had been used centrally more this season.

Arsenal lead the league in average possession this season with 60%, but today Liverpool are seeing far more of the ball with 70%. Missing the likes of Wilshere, Arteta and Ramsey?

SHOT! Moments after Sterling was denied in the area by a hurried Mertesacker clearance, Coutinho lets fly from 25 yards and strikes it straight at Szczesny.

A huge roar goes up, the loudest of the day, from the Kop after some harrying wins them the ball back. Arsenal can't string a set of passes together and look completely lost here.

The Liverpool number 50 has been bright down the left hand side.

PHOTO: Lazar Markovic in action at Anfield #LFC pic.twitter.com/CLJ9hsCV6x — Liverpool FC (@LFC) December 21, 2014

Wenger tries a change of formation in a bid to wrestle some of the dominance away from Liverpool. It's 4-4-2 with Sanchez and Cazorla out wide and Welbeck and Giroud up front.

CHANCE! Probably the clearest chance of the game so far as Gerrard hooks the ball into the path of Markovic, who does well to stay on his feet and not dive under pressure before his shot from a tight angle is smothered by Szczesny.

Almost an extremely fortunate break for Arsenal as a tackle in the middle of the park turns into a through-ball for the run of Giroud. Jones is off his line quickly and just beats the well coiffured Frenchman to the ball.

CHANCE! Another chance for Serbia's Markovic after Sterling had rolled Mertesacker far too easily in the middle. Sterling fed Markovic out on the left and he went for a first-time curler but was always leaning back and scooped it up and over.

Looking at the shot (on target) count: Liverpool 8(2)-1(0) Arsenal. Dominant from the Reds, but they haven't been able to break the deadlock.

Boos ring out around Anfield after Oliver decides not to give Flamini a second yellow card after he took out Lallana. Referees are often even more cautious with second bookings, but that wasn't even worthy of a first yellow in my opinion.

Liverpool get the goal that they've deserved as Coutinho finishes low off the inside of the post after more sloppy play from Arsenal. That's the least that the Reds deserve before half time.

WOW! Arsenal have been woeful in the first half but they hit back straight away thanks to a close-range header from Debuchy. Gerrard brought down Sanchez to give the visitors a free kick and the resulting ball was headed high into the air before Flamini looped it back into the danger area where Debuchy got up above Skrtel to head home.

In no way do they deserve it, but Arsenal are level at the break. Two goals right at the end of the half see us at 1-1.

Debuchy's equaliser was Arsenal's only chance of the half and Wenger will be delighted that it was taken. It will have made the half-time team talk that he is now giving so much easier.

As for Liverpool, they had nine shots and 64% possession in a dominant display. The majority of Reds fans will wonder how they were not more than one goal in front when Coutinho scored and now they're not even leading!

Alexis Sanchez failed to touch the ball inside Liverpool's box in the first half. pic.twitter.com/5apDUkfchC — Squawka Football (@Squawka) December 21, 2014

Wenger might have been considering changes at half time, but that goal might just mean he sticks with this XI for a little longer. The likes of Welbeck and Giroud were non-existent and won't last long in the second half if they don't improve.

As for Rodgers, he would have been over the moon with his side until they let in a poor goal in the final minute of the half. He has to lift his players and tell them to dominate like they did for 46 minutes in the opening period.

KICKOFF! No changes at half time from either manager. We're back underway at Anfield.

BOOKING! Debuchy with a quick yellow card in the second half after blocking off Sterling, who had put him off-balance with a step-over and knocked the ball past him.

Gerrard's resulting free kick is fired straight at Giroud, but the ricochet falls kindly for Coutinho, whose half-volley is lashed high and wide.

Cazorla does really well to stay on his feet and fights his way through a couple of challenges before blasting an effort a yard high and wide of the top corner.

Here's a great shot of Debuchy jumping for joy after scoring Arsenal's equaliser right at the end of the first half.

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A delay here as Skrtel receives treatment following an accidental stamp on the head from Giroud. The two challenged for an aerial ball and Skrtel fell down before Giroud lost his balance and trod on his head.

Still we wait as Skrtel continues to get attention from the medical staff on the pitch. He was bleeding from the head and it looks like the physios are struggling to stop the flow of blood.

Finally we're back underway at Anfield. After at least five minutes of waiting. There will be plenty of stoppage time come the 90-minute mark.

Skrtel and Giroud battle for the ball almost immediately and the former gives the Frenchman a taste of his own medicine by tackling him to the deck. It gives away a free kick, but luckily for Liverpool Arsenal's set pieces have, for the most part, been dreadful today. So many times they've failed to beat the first man.

SHOT! Swift counter-attack from Liverpool as Henderson volleys over a pass to Coutinho, who travels with the ball down the left before feeding Markovic. His low centre goes all the way through to Lucas. He's not the man you want in that position and blasts it well over.

CHANCE! Sterling's pace sees him beat Szczesny to the ball and go round the Arsenal keeper. He's way out on the left and has to cross for Gerrard, whose stooping header is off-target.

Bosh! Arsenal take an undeserved lead and this is much more like them. Giroud turns the ball around the corner for Cazorla before pulling off the defenders and making room to receive a return pass. He shoots low first time and the ball nutmegs Jones on the line.

CHANCE! Liverpool almost hit back immediately as Coutinho finds himself in plenty of room in the area. He's just about to have a shot when Cazorla makes a slight tap on the ball to take all the pace off the strike.

From WhoScored on Twitter: "Santi Cazorla: Has directly contributed to 5 goals (3 goals and 2 assists) in his last 5 Premier League appearances for Arsenal."

Gerrard has had a couple of efforts in the last minute or so, but both have been simple saves for Szczesny. There might be just 20 minutes left of the 90 now, but remember there will be at least five minutes of injury time.

Here's Liverpool celebrating their opener in the first half. Must seem a long time ago for Reds supporters.

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LIVERPOOL SUB: The first change of the game sees Fabio Borini replace Markovic. It looks like he will go up front and Sterling will come out to the left.

CLOSE! Lucas almost comes up with a rare goal as he runs onto Henderson's cutback and strikes a left-footed shot that swerves just past the post. So close!

CHANCE! Another chance for the home side as Lallana receives the ball in the box with his back to goal and tees up Coutinho, who wins the worst shot of the day award. Terrible effort.

Latest shot count: Liverpool 19(5)-5(2) Arsenal

LIVERPOOL SUB: Liverpool will be open at the back as Lambert replaces Toure at the back. Henderson will go to right-back, but who will play at left-back? Sterling?

ARSENAL SUB: A first Arsenal change as Giroud is replaced by Francis Coquelin, with Wenger searching for more bodies in midfield.

Considering he's been your brightest player this season, it's an odd decision from Rodgers to put Sterling at left-back.

SAVE! He will of course still get forward and creates a chance for Borini by charging down the outside and dinking in a cross that Borini headed goalwards, with Szczesny acrobatically tipping over.

Borini gets into a good position on the right-hand side of the box and decides to just whack it as hard as he can at goal. Szczesny won't be beaten at his near post.

BOOKING! Clear booking for Borini as he throws the ball into the turf after a throw-in was given Arsenal's way. It was the wrong call from the linesman, but not the easiest decision to make.

ARSENAL SUB: Oxlade-Chamberlain seems to have been struggling a little with a knock and is taken off for Joel Campbell.

NINE (yes NINE) minutes of added time. Plenty of time for another goal.

Well, that doesn't help the hosts chances of getting back into this. Borini, who had just been booked for dissent, goes in very high on Cazorla and gives Oliver no choice but to dismiss him.

BOOKING! Cazorla, who is suffering from a 'nip slip' wardrobe malfunction following Borini's tackle, is next into the book after clipping Coutinho.

ARSENAL SUB: One final change for the visitors as Nacho Monreal replaces Alexis, who hasn't been anywhere near his best.

SAVE! Gerrard winds up from 25 yards and sees his low fizzer palmed out by Szczesny.

Liverpool bag an equaliser as Skrtel bullets home a header into the corner from Lallana's delivery. That's three goals in two games for the centre-back against Arsenal at Anfield.

Will there be a winner? About two minutes left to play.

CHANCE! It's Arsenal finishing on top and they go close to snatching the points as Cazorla steams forward and decides to shoot himself. Jones pushes it out and Gibbs can't convert the rebound.

A scruffy, but enjoyable affair at Anfield as Liverpool and Arsenal play out a four-goal draw.

A point sees both sides rise in the latest Premier League table. Arsenal are up to sixth, Liverpool leapfrog Merseyside rivals Everton to go 10th. Here are the latest standings.

If you're only just checking in after a busy Sunday and want a recap on the game, click here for our instant match report.

Liverpool certainly deserved at least a draw from today's game, but it looked as if they wouldn't be able to do enough until Skrtel's towering header in the seven th minute of injury time.

Remember, the Slovakian was heavily bandaged after the lengthy stoppage which caused the deep injury time. He'll be writing the headlines tomorrow: 'Strapped-up Skrtel saves Liverpool' etc.

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Anyway, that's all we've got time for today. Thanks for joining SM. Our match analysis and player ratings will go live on site in the next hour or so and keep your eyes peeled for all the reaction from Anfield. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!