🕟 Kick Off: 16:30 BST

📍 Location: Emirates Stadium, Islington, North London

📺 UK Broadcaster: Sky Sports

🙎🏻‍♂️ Referee: Anthony Taylor

🔴 Arsenal Team News:

• Saliba is serving a one match suspension following his sending off at Bournemouth.
• Reports suggest that Saka will make his return to the team.
• Timber will likely be unavailable having not been seen training.
• Calafiori picked up a minor MCL injury midweek against Shakhtar Donetsk and will likely miss this game.
• Ødegaard (ankle), Tomiyasu (knee), and Tierney (thigh) remain absent with longer term injuries.

⚽ Arsenal Form: 🟩🟥🟩🟩🟩

🐦 Liverpool Team News:

• Jota is a doubt with a chest/abdominal injury.
• Becker (thigh), Elliot (foot), and Chiesa will be unavailable for the match.

⚽ Liverpool Form: 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

⚔️ Head-to-Head:

• Arsenal 3-1 Liverpool (4th Feb 2024, Premier League)
• Arsenal 0-2 Liverpool (7th Jan 2024, FA Cup)
• Liverpool 1-1 Arsenal (23rd Dec 2023, Premier League)
• Liverpool 2-2 Arsenal (9th April 2023, Premier League)
• Arsenal 3-2 Liverpool (9th Oct 2022, Premier League)

📖 Match Facts:

• Liverpool have won 11 of the 12 games they have played under Arne slot so far this season, the best start of any Liverpool manager in history.
• Arsenal are the top ranked team at home so far this season with 10 points from 4 games, scoring 10 and conceding 4.
• Liverpool have only conceded 1 goal away from home this season, with that one goal being against Wolves last month.

🎲 Odds (Betway):

• Arsenal – 7/5
• Draw – 23/10
• Liverpool – 19/10

✍🏼 Pre-Match Ramblings

The Scousers have been loving life under Arne Slot with a near perfect start to the season, save for a loss against Nottingham Forest at home in the middle of September. Their trip to our place on Sunday will be their biggest test so far under their new manager, and they will be relishing the opportunity to show that they can do it against the big clubs.

On the other hand, the form of Arsenal has taken a dip as of late. Despite picking up three points midweek against Shakhtar Donetsk, the football was not pretty and we didn’t look like a team that can fight for titles. A lot of this is down to the absence of two of the best attackers in the world in Odegaard and Saka, but some of the blame can be placed upon certain other players not performing to a high enough level.

As well as injuries, we are also dealing with the one match suspension of William Saliba, which couldn’t have come at a worse time. I won’t go into the red card itself, but the fact that a Chelsea player got a yellow card for literally the exact same foul less than a day after the Saliba red card tells you all you need to know about the level of consistency of refereeing in this country.

Liverpool would see themselves open up a 7 point gap over Arsenal if they take 3 points here, which is very reminiscent of their trip to the Emirates last season. A win here is vital, and, in my opinion, winning with good football. It’s all well and good picking up 1-0 or 2-1 victories with set piece goals and deflections, but we need to start playing our best football again. The potential return of Bukayo Saka will help this, but it remains to be seen how he will perform with the inclusion of Mikel Merino.