Gerrard: Arsenal are 'wounded animals' and we can beat them to third place

Steven Gerrard reckons Arsenal's "wounded animals" could be about to sustain a fatal injury to their hopes of third place.

The Liverpool skipper believes that his side are ready to make a sustained assault on the top three now they have rediscovered their hunger for a scrap.

The Reds travel to the Emirates this evening on the back of a seven match unbeaten run in the league, looking to exploit recent Gunners weakness.

If they win, then Liverpool will be handily placed just two points behind the London club, who currently sit behind Chelsea and Manchester United in the table.

And Gerrard is convinced Arsenal are there for the taking, as he looks for his team to rise above their own recent misery.

"Arsenal will be a bit of a wounded animal and we've got to do what Manchester United and Chelsea have to them -  give them very little space and hit them on the counter attack," the Anfield captain suggested.

"It's a massive game for us and the target is to get a result where we can push on and try to get third place. 

"Obviously at the end of the season our target is a top four finish, but if Arsenal give us any sniff of catching them then we want to grab it - and hopefully that will be on Wednesday."

Gerrard knows how important tonight's showdown is. A few weeks ago, his side were written off even as contenders for a top four place.

Now though, after an impressive run built on the back of six clean sheets in seven matches, they can realistically hope to catch the wounded Gunners.

And the England star believes his team have the necessary steel to complete the job.

"Having the Champions League experience and also finishing in the top four for the past few years will hold us in good stead when the big games come up," he added.

"But we're treating every game like a cup final at the moment because we're desperate for the top four."

Liverpool seemed to have turned their season around after a nightmare first half of the campaign.

Key to that revival is a show of spirit and strength of character that was singularly missing before Christmas, a fact accepted by the skipper.

"There have been games this season where we've been beaten and not shown enough fight, enough good attitude and commitment and that's why we haven't got the result we've wanted," he admitted.

"But I don't think anyone can criticise us over the last six games for the level of commitment. Every single player has rolled his sleeves up and everyone is fighting for the same thing.

"I wouldn't say confidence is sky-high in the dressing room, but it's certainly on the way up, even though we're not playing terrifically well to be honest. 

"The last few have been solid defensively and nicking important goals, but we can certainly play better."

While the Liverpool players are happier with the recent turn of events, manager Rafa Benitez is less than pleased with what he sees as a major blow in his plans for next season.

His main summer transfer target, Bordeaux's Marouane Chamakh admitted this week that he would rather move to Arsenal than join the Merseyside club.

And that has left Benitez privately seething at missing out on the Moroccan international even though he is determined not to get drawn into another war of words with the club's owners over their 'careful' transfer policy.

While the inference is clear that the manager believes he has lost out because of a lack of backing in the market, he would only say:

"I don't think he will be coming here. What has changed? All I will say is I don't think we will be signing him, but I don't want to say too much, apart from that."

Liverpool will still be without Fernando Torres and Yossi Benayoun at the Emirates, and will also miss the suspended Sotirios Kyrgiakos, while Alberto Aquilani is ruled out through illness.