Arsenal host Liverpool for one of the most anticipated matches of the season, the game that could have major implications for the title race.
The Gunners waved goodbye to their unbeaten run after a loss against Bournemouth last week. The loss has dropped them crucial points in the title race. Now Liverpool and Man City are top of the table with a single point difference. Arsenal are in desperate need of a victory on Sunday to get themselves back into the title race. Even though this is too early to give a verdict on the title, as Paul Merson said, a loss on Sunday would mean a loss in the title race for Arsenal. With a lot of injuries and a suspension would mean that there are only a few choices left for Arteta in his team selection.
On the other hand their title rivals Liverpool are on a winning streak. In addition to that, the victory against Chelsea last week must have been a huge boost of confidence for Arne Slot and men. Even though they haven’t played the best of football lately, the Reds have been focused on getting the job done. This is undoubtedly the biggest challenge that Arne Slot and his Reds are going to face this season. And a victory would not only mean that they remain top of the table, it will also be a statement.
ARSENAL VS LIVERPOOL PREVIEW
Arsenal and Liverpool are the best teams in the world right now and are challenging for the Premier League title this year. As said earlier the result of this match is going to have huge implications on the title race. So it is sure that both teams would like to take maximum points on Sunday. The key matchup of Game week 9 sees Premier League title contenders Arsenal and Liverpool clash at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday. Mikel Arteta’s team will be looking for a third straight home win over Liverpool, having won 3-1 in this fixture last season.
Another victory would boost Arsenal’s chances of claiming their first league title in 20 years, especially after their unexpected 2-0 loss to Bournemouth last week. That match saw William Saliba receive a red card in the first half, marking Arsenal’s third sending-off this season.
Liverpool, led by new manager Arne Slot, have started the season impressively, winning 11 of their first 12 games. Their latest league win was a 2-1 triumph over Chelsea, with Mohamed Salah and Curtis Jones getting on the scoresheet, putting Liverpool back on top of the table. In midweek, Liverpool continued their strong Champions League form with a 1-0 win over RB Leipzig, thanks to a Darwin Nunez goal, keeping their perfect record in the group stage intact.
TEAM NEWS
Arsenal
Arsenal are currently in the middle of an injury crisis with few key players missing for the weekend’s titanic clash. They literally have problems all over the pitch. In defence they are going to miss William Saliba who is suspended following his Red Card in the previous match. While Riccardo Calafiori and Jurien Timber are huge doubts for the match with injuries. Calafiori was seen limping off the pitch against Shakhtar and was substituted in the 72nd minute. As per the Arsenal official website: Late calls might be made on the availability of Bukayo Saka, Calafiori and Timber.
“We’re going to do our very best to somehow have them available but it’s very uncertain,” Mikel Arteta said on Friday.
In midfield they have their captain Martin Odegaard out with an indefinite return date. This means he has now missed two of the most important matches for his team this season. The other absences are Takehiro Tomiyasu and Kiernan Tierney.
Liverpool
We expect Liverpool to travel with the same squad that he used against midweek in Leipzig. Diogo Jota remains absent for the fixture with an injury picked up against Chelsea last weekend. Alisson remains injured and will be unavailable alongside Harvey Elliot for apparently the same reason. Anyway Federico Chiesa and Conor Bradley are huge doubts for Sunday.
POTENTIAL LINEUP
Arsenal
Raya; Kiwior, White, Gabriel, Zinchenko; Partey, D Rice; Martinelli, Mikel Merino, Bukayo Saka; Havertz
Liverpool
Kelleher; Alexander Arnold, Van Dijk, Konate, Robertson; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Luis Diaz, Szoboszlai, M Salah; Darwin Nunez
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