Arsenal host Liverpool in Sunday’s headline Premier League fixture which could have a lasting impact on the title race. Even at this early stage of the season this clash of possible contenders could determine who is in with a shout of beating Manchester City to the trophy.
For Arsenal to prove their title credentials they must defeat a Liverpool side in glorious form and do so without a key players. Mikel Arteta will not have the likes of Martin Odegaard nor Riccardo Calafiori available at the Emirates and will be hoping Bukayo Saka has shaken off a knock in time to make an impact.
The Teams
The Gunners are missing key players as they look to bounce back from a defeat to Bournemouth. Liverpool start the weekend top of the table and can extend lead over rivals.
Arsenal XI
Raya; Partey, White, Gabriel, Timber; Rice, Merino, Trossard; Saka, Havertz, Martinelli
Liverpool XI
Kelleher; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Gravenberch, Mac Allister, Jones; Salah, Nunez, Diaz
Pre-Match Build Up
Jurgen Klopp might well recognise something in Mikel Arteta’s words this week. The Arsenal manager insisted his team would be “flying” for Sunday’s home match against Liverpool, despite several absences potentially grounding the Gunners. Such optimism – that can sometimes seem so extreme that it’s delusional – is very much in keeping with Klopp’s approach of only ever speaking positively in public. Don’t let people consider the negatives. The idea is that such assertiveness then manifests in the match itself.
This match may still see a personnel crisis manifest for Arsenal. If all injuries are confirmed, it could ensure Arteta has already lost seven of his best XI for significant games this season. For this game alone, 75 per cent of his preferred defence and 50 per cent of his ideal attack could be missing. Some losses have been partly self-inflicted, the result of red cards, but some have been the rank bad luck of injuries. The frustration is all the deeper since this was supposed to be the season Arsenal closed the fine margins to Manchester City and the title. Instead, such absences open up all manner of space for error. It’s partly why they are now four points behind Liverpool.
The History
Arsenal and Liverpool have met over 200 times – anywhere between 212 and 242 depending on various criteria. The teams first met in the early 1890s, as Liverpool and ‘Woolwich Arsenal’, in Division Two.
Fast forward well over a century and they now meet at the top of the Premier League. Of the 212 supposedly official meetings, Arsenal have won 73, Liverpool have won 80, and 59 have ended as draws.
The Gunners got the better of the Reds in the league last season, drawing 1-1 at Anfield before winning 3-1 at the Emirates in February. However, Liverpool did manage to win 2-0 in the FA Cup at Anfield at the beginning of 2024.
The Injuries
Mikel Arteta cast significant doubt over the availability of Bukayo Saka, Riccardo Calafiori and Jurrien Timber for Arsenal’s crunch match against Liverpool after revealing the injured trio are “very uncertain” to play.
Saka has missed the Gunners’ last two matches with the hamstring injury he sustained on international duty with England, while Timber has been absent for three games with a muscular problem.
Calafiori added to Arteta’s woes when he suffered a knee injury in Arsenal’s 1-0 Champions League win against Shakhtar Donetsk on Tuesday.
Arne Slot is without Diogo Jota, who missed the midweek match in Germany, meaning Darwin Nunez is likely to resume his duties leading the attack. Alisson and Harvey Elliott are long-term absentees. While Federico Chiesa continues to develop his match fitness after missing a large period of pre-season.
Slot must decide who plays alongside the impressive Jones, with two from Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch likely to get the nod.
The Latest News
The line-ups should be released in a few minutes. We’ll soon know whether Arteta was bluffing or not.
The big news Liverpool wise is that Curtis Jones has got the nod to start ahead of Dominik Szoboszlai, who drops to the bench.
Arne Slot makes three changes from the side which beat RB Leipzig in midweek.
Andy Robertson and Luis Diaz are also recalled as they replace Kostas Tsimikas and Cody Gakpo on the left side.
The Final Whistle
The noise is building at the Emirates...
It’s a big day for Ryan Gravenberch, who make his 50th appearance for Liverpool. What a season he's had so far. So classy in possession and so tireless without the ball.
He's silenced the debate over whether Liverpool would regret not signing a holding midfielder in the summer, but this represents his toughest test of the season so far.
Here's a stat for you... if Liverpool win here today Arne Slot will become only the third manager to win his first five Premier League away games after John Gregory (five with Aston Villa) and Luiz Felipe Scolari (eight with Chelsea).
