Gunners want to sell Ozil
Wolves have won just one of their eight Premier League meetings with Liverpool (D2 L5), winning 1-0 in December 2010.
Liverpool are unbeaten in each of their last five away trips against Wolves (W2 D3), keeping a clean sheet in each of the last three. Wolves won their last competitive match against Liverpool in January 2017 in the FA Cup fourth round – they haven’t won consecutive games against the Reds since November 1980.
If Liverpool win this game, they are guaranteed to be top of the table on Christmas Day. Each of the last four sides to be top on December 25 have gone on to win the title, though Liverpool themselves were the last side to fail to do so in 2013-14. Wolves have lost their last 11 top-flight games played on a Friday, including both such matches in the Premier League. Their last such win came in April 1965 v Sunderland.
Liverpool are unbeaten in 18 Premier League games – their longest winning run in the competition, and longest in the top flight since November 1990 (23 games).
This will be Wolves’ 10th top-flight game against sides starting the day top of the table (W2 D1 L6). Their most recent win in such a match ended the longest unbeaten run that season (Man Utd in 2010-11). Wolves are looking to win four consecutive Prem games for the first time since January 1972.
Wolves will be the 27th different side Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has faced in the Premier League – he’s beaten all previous 26 sides so far. mer Reds boss Brendan Rodgers who helped him choose the path to make sure he would become a Premier League defender – even if not for his boyhood heroes.
Coady said: “Liverpool helped me develop for that as well. Everything I learned was down to them.
“I had Steven Gerrard and Jordan Henderson in front of me, and there were people there who were always going to be tough to get past.
“But I really wanted to be a part of it here. We all know it’s a great football club when everyone comes together, and luckily the last couple of years has been like that.” year ago. Gunners boss Emery is frustrated with Ozil’s work rate and contribution which is the reason why the World Cup winner has found himself out of the team.
There has been interest from Inter Milan who may be willing to do a loan deal in January, but Arsenal are unlikely to subsidise his sky-high wages and would also want a sizeable fee for a permanent switch.
It means the Gunners may have a big problem for another two and a half years because Ozil’s deal runs until 2021 and he does not fit into Emery’s plans.
Emery dropped Ozil against Tottenham on Wednesday night, not even putting him on the bench, and then afterwards refused to answer whether he had a future at the club or was available for transfer.
It all points to Ozil being on his way as there has been an issue since Emery publicly demanded more from the midfielder having substituted him early in the season.
Ozil is aware of Emery’s reservations and does not want to leave, but if he can get back into his manager’s good books remains to be seen with insiders believing there is no way back.
IRELAND has left Bolton Wanderers without playing a game.
The former Irish international, 32, joined the troubled Trotters on a short-term deal in October.
But despite lining out for the Championship club’s U23 side, he never featured for the first-team.
And the cash-strapped club yesterday cancelled the former Manchester City midfielder’s contract.